ALL-IRELAND SFC QUALIFIER ROUND THREE Tyrone 2-13 Armagh 0-13:TYRONE APPEAR to be gathering a familiar and ominous momentum as they pick their way through the qualifiers.
If they beat Roscommon next weekend, Dublin await in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
They faltered and fumbled at times at Healy Park, but in the end executed a slick dismissal of neighbours Armagh. Joe McMahon and Tommy McGuigan scored the goals that set up Tyrone’s meeting with the beaten Connacht finalists.
Armagh could never cope with the creativity of a Red Hand side that hit the net twice, but could have scored a few more.
Peter Harte turned in a man of the match performance up front, McMahon was imperious at full back, and Conor Gormley held Jamie Clarke scoreless.
And manager Mickey Harte was delighted with the industry and intent displayed by his players.
“I always like a team that’s creating chances, because when you create enough chances you’re going to get some of them,” said Harte.
“I’d rather have that than not be creating chances . . . we were certainly taking the shots tonight.”
However, golden goal chances were missed, particularly in the first half, when Brian McGuigan smashed a shot against a post and Seán O’Neill blazed one badly wide.
“The blitz when we came from three down to four up was a magnificent turnaround,” added Harte. “Then again in the second half we had to battle again because they just wouldn’t go away – that’s typical of Armagh sides, they don’t lie down easily.”
Paddy O’Rourke will sit down with county board officials to discuss his future as Armagh manager.
The former Down star said he will do what’s right for Armagh football, but indicated that he’s keen to remain in the job.
“I’ll sit down with the county board and have a chat with them, and see what they think is best for the team, and whatever we all feel is best for the team, that’s what I’ll do,” he said.
Armagh looked the livelier of the sides in the opening stages, easing ahead through Micheal O’Rourke, Steven McDonnell and Malachy Mackin.
Still, Tyrone trailed by just a point midway through the first half after Kyle Coney had added to earlier scores from Harte and Donnelly. And the Red Hands soon discovered that a hesitant Orchard defence could be opened up with alarming ease as both Brian McGuigan and O’Neill missed goal chances.
Armagh had their chances too. Jamie Clarke got a hand to Mackin’s delivery, but was denied by Pascal McConnell’s reflex save.
McDonnell’s third point made it 0-6 to 0-3 in the 29th minute, but it all went wrong for Armagh in the final five minutes of the half.
Full back Joe McMahon popped up to palm home a stoppage time goal after a Paul Hearty blunder had gifted possession to Harte, and Tyrone suddenly led by 1-7 to 0-6 at the break.
Armagh started the second half with a flourish, with McDonnell, Billy Joe Padden and Aaron Kernan narrowing the gap to a point, but the home side stepped on the gas once again, and a superb move led to Tommy McGuigan’s 47th minute goal.
McDonnell pulled back a a handful of scores, mostly from frees, but sent a penalty over the bar, and any lingering chance they had of changing the course of the game was gone.
TYRONE: P McConnell; M Swift (0-1), Joe McMahon (1-0), R McMenamin; Seán O'Neill (0-1), C Gormley, P Jordan; K Hughes, S Cavanagh (0-1, free); C Cavanagh, B McGuigan (0-1), P Harte (0-4, three frees); T McGuigan (1-1), M Donnelly (0-3), K Coney (0-1). Subs: Justin McMahon for McMenamin (33 mins), B Dooher for T McGuigan, M Penrose for Coney (both 56 mins), E McGinley for C Cavanagh (63 mins), D Harte for O'Neill (64 mins).
ARMAGH: P Hearty; A Mallon, B Donaghy, F Moriarty; A Kernan (0-1, free), C McKeever, P Duffy; J Lavery, K Toner; C Vernon, B J Padden (0-1), M Mackin (0-1); M O'Rourke (0-2), S McDonnell (0-8, five frees, one pen), J Clarke. Subs: T Kernan for Lavery (44 mins), D McKenna for Duffy (50 mins), B Mallon for Padden (56 mins), G McParland for O'Rourke (58 mins), J Hanratty for Vernon (63 mins)
Referee: Michael Duffy(Sligo).
