MAYO CLAIMED THEIR first ever Nicky Rackard Cup title at Croke Park this afternoon as Kenny Feeney starred in a four-point win over Armagh.
In another close encounter at HQ, the westerners finished strongly with four unanswered points to leave Armagh second best again after last year’s loss to Fermanagh.
Feeney’s 1-9 haul proved the difference on a glorious day as his second-half goal swung the game in his team’s favour. He then scored two late points as Mayo shut the door on Armagh.
The Orchard County were slow out of the blocks as Darren McTigue set Mayo on their way after just three minutes.
Mayo stamped their authority on proceedings as Feeney and then JP Coen added points to extend their advantage to four after 21 minutes.
Mayo's Shane Boland and Connor Devlin of Armagh battle for possession. Tom Beary / INPHO
Tom Beary / INPHO / INPHO
But Armagh, coming off the back of their Division 2B winning campaign, responded with five points as the sides went into the break locked at 1-6 to 0-9.
The momentum was with Armagh and they found the net moments after the interval, with Eoin McGuinness applying the finish.
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The sides exchanged points during a free-flowing, and entertaining, second period but Feeney’s intervention on 57 minutes tipped the balance back in Mayo’s favour.
And despite points from Conor Corvan, Declan Coulter, McGuinness and Ryan Gaffney, Mayo held their nerve to secure a four-point victory.
Scorers for Mayo: K Feeney 1-9, D McTigue 1-0, F Boland 0-2, S Regan 0-2, J McManus 0-1, S Boland 0-1, C Scahill 0-1.
Scorers for Armagh: D Coulter 0-5, E McGuinness 1-1, R Gaffney 0-4 (3f, 1 65), C Carvill 0-2, C Corvan 0-2, D Carvill 0-1.
Mayo
1. D O’Brien
2. E Collins
3. G McManus
4. B Hunt
5. A Lyons
6. K Higgins
7. C Freeman
8. D Kenny
9. C Charlton
10. S Regan
11. K Feeney
12. J McManus
13. S Boland
14. P O’Flynn
15. D McTigue
Armagh
1. S Doherty
2. C Clifford
3. A McGuinness
4. C Devlin
5. J Corvan
6. N Curry
7. C Toner
8. K McKernan
9. S Renaghan
10. R Gaffney
11. C Carvill
12. D Carvill
13. D Coulter
14. E McGuinness
15. C Corvan
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
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Feeney the difference as Mayo finish strongly to lift silverware at Croke Park
Mayo 2-16
Armagh 1-15
MAYO CLAIMED THEIR first ever Nicky Rackard Cup title at Croke Park this afternoon as Kenny Feeney starred in a four-point win over Armagh.
In another close encounter at HQ, the westerners finished strongly with four unanswered points to leave Armagh second best again after last year’s loss to Fermanagh.
Feeney’s 1-9 haul proved the difference on a glorious day as his second-half goal swung the game in his team’s favour. He then scored two late points as Mayo shut the door on Armagh.
The Orchard County were slow out of the blocks as Darren McTigue set Mayo on their way after just three minutes.
Mayo stamped their authority on proceedings as Feeney and then JP Coen added points to extend their advantage to four after 21 minutes.
But Armagh, coming off the back of their Division 2B winning campaign, responded with five points as the sides went into the break locked at 1-6 to 0-9.
The momentum was with Armagh and they found the net moments after the interval, with Eoin McGuinness applying the finish.
The sides exchanged points during a free-flowing, and entertaining, second period but Feeney’s intervention on 57 minutes tipped the balance back in Mayo’s favour.
And despite points from Conor Corvan, Declan Coulter, McGuinness and Ryan Gaffney, Mayo held their nerve to secure a four-point victory.
Scorers for Mayo: K Feeney 1-9, D McTigue 1-0, F Boland 0-2, S Regan 0-2, J McManus 0-1, S Boland 0-1, C Scahill 0-1.
Scorers for Armagh: D Coulter 0-5, E McGuinness 1-1, R Gaffney 0-4 (3f, 1 65), C Carvill 0-2, C Corvan 0-2, D Carvill 0-1.
Mayo
1. D O’Brien
2. E Collins
3. G McManus
4. B Hunt
5. A Lyons
6. K Higgins
7. C Freeman
8. D Kenny
9. C Charlton
10. S Regan
11. K Feeney
12. J McManus
13. S Boland
14. P O’Flynn
15. D McTigue
Armagh
1. S Doherty
2. C Clifford
3. A McGuinness
4. C Devlin
5. J Corvan
6. N Curry
7. C Toner
8. K McKernan
9. S Renaghan
10. R Gaffney
11. C Carvill
12. D Carvill
13. D Coulter
14. E McGuinness
15. C Corvan
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
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Champions comp:Nicky Rackard Cup (Hurling 52) Armagh Mayo