Good afternoon and welcome to Croke Park for today’s double-header. Kevin O’Brien here and I’ll be taking you through the curtain-raiser between Tyrone and Armagh.
Here’s how the sides are named to line up:
Tyrone
1. Niall Morgan (Éadan na dTorc)
2. Aidan McCrory (Aireagal Chiaráin)
3. Ronan McNamee (Achadh Uí Aráin)
4. Cathal McCarron (An Droim Mór)
5. Tiernan McCann (Coill an Chlochair)
6. Pádraig Hampsey (Oileán a’Ghuail)
7. Peter Harte (Aireagal Chiaráin)
8. Colm Cavanagh (An Mhaigh)
9. Conall McCann (Coill an Chlochair)
10. David Mulgrew (Ard Bó)
11. Niall Sludden (An Droim Mór)
12. Kieran McGeary (Cabhán a’Chaortainn)
13. Mark Bradley (Coill an Chlochair)
14. Sean Cavanagh (An Mhaigh, capt)
15. Matthew Donnelly (Trí Leac)
Armagh
1. Blaine Hughes (Carraig an Chrupain)
2. James Morgan (Raonaithe na Croise)
3. Charlie Vernon (Cláirsigh Ard Mhacha)
4. Paul Hughes (Raonaithe na Croise)
5. Brendan Donaghy (Cluain Mhor)
6. Mark Shields (An Chrois Bhan)
7. Joe McElroy (Clarsigh Ard Mhacha)
8. Stephen Sheridan (Foirceal)
9. Niall Grimley (Na Madáin)
10. Rory Grugan (Baile Mhic an Aba)
11. Ciaran O’Hanlon (Cill Shleibhe)
12. Aidan Forker (An Machaire)
13. Jamie Clarke (Raonaithe na Croise)
14. Gavin McParland (Baile Mhic an Aba)
15. Stefan Campbell (Clan na Gael)
Tyrone 0-1 Armagh 0-0
1 min – Colm Cavanagh swings over a score inside the opening 55 seconds.
Cathal McCarron man marking Jamie Clarke as expected. Clarke is playing quite deep and looking to find pockets of space.
Tyrone 0-2 Armagh 0-0
4 mins – Mark Bradley opens his account with a fantastic score, well set-up by Mattie Donnelly.
After a long passage of play, Peter Harte breaks forward and is fouled by James Morgan.
Tyrone 0-5 Armagh 0-0
Tiernan McCann floats over a delightful effort from distance.
Penalty! James Morgan takes down Mark Bradley inside the area! He’s yellow carded.
GOAL! Peter Harte slots home a penalty for Tyrone!
Tyrone 1-5 Armagh 0-1
Finally Armagh get their first score. Clarke is fouled and Grimley converts the free.
Tyrone 1-6 Armagh 0-1
A fast Tyrone break off a long kick-out sees Harte feed McClure who scores.
Tyrone 1-6 Armagh 0-2
A good Armagh move results in Mark Shields send the ball over the bar after a good move saw the ball popped over Colm Cavanagh’s head for Shields to score.
Tyrone 1-6 Armagh 0-3
Excellent score by former All-Ireland minor winner Gavin McParland outside the boot.
Mark Shields is black-carded for pulling down Peter Harte as he broke forward.
Tyrone 1-7 Armagh 0-3
Sean Cavanagh slots over the free. Colm Cavanagh set up that move with a brilliant interception inside his own 45.
Tyrone 1-8 Armagh 0-4
Rory Grugan swings over the free but Harte immediately cancels it out at the far end.
Niall Sludden gives away the ball and Colm Cavanagh fouls Stefan Campbell. He is booked by the referee.
It’s hard to see Armagh being able to turn this around. Tyrone’s defence and transition to attack is looking very slick and well suited to Croke Park.
Sloppy start to the second-half with handling errors from both sides. Armagh have started the brighter and are dominating possession.
Tyrone 1-9 Armagh 0-4
Harte is fouled by Armagh sub Anto Duffy and Niall Morgan swings over the free from just inside the 45.
Two subs for Tyrone: Darren McCurry is on for Kieran McGeary and David Mulgrew replaces Conall McCann.
Tyrone 1-10 Armagh 0-4
Mattie Donnelly picks out Bradley who jinks and slots over.
Tyrone 1-10 Armagh 0-5
In fairness to Jamie Clarke he hasn’t stopped trying. He underlines his class with a fine score after cutting in from the right flank. That’s Armagh’s first score in the second-half.
Tyrone 1-11 Armagh 0-5
Mattie Donnelly bombs over a point from distance. He’s Tyrone’s eighth scorer today.
GOAL! David Mulgrew hits the net for Tyrone!
Tyrone 2-12 Armagh 0-6
Armagh’s Stephen Sheridan is black-carded for a hit on Colm Cavanagh after a poor pass from Harte. Sean Cavanagh nails the free.
Red card! Cathal McCarron picks up two yellows in the space of a couple of minutes and is dismissed.
GOAL! David Mulgrew bags his second goal for Tyrone!
Tyrone 3-15 Armagh 0-8
Clarke taps it onto corner-back Paul Hughes who finds the range.
Tyrone 3-16 Armagh 0-8
Charlie Vernon is booked for a foul on Sean Cavanagh. Morgan does the business from the free.
Tyrone 3-17 Armagh 0-8 – FT
A masterclass by Tyrone.
cork needed the win more …limerick competed …both sides will be happy at this stage in the year .
Dont know where ye got the stat that limerick were looking to secure their 5th victory on the bounce over cork. Their last 2 meetings were draws
@domas1507: Getting bate after extra time doesn’t count no?
@Padraig McElligott: actually no. The game us officially recorded as a draw if its level at full time. The extra time is to decide who goes forward but the game is officially a draw
@domas1507: Limerick beat Cork on the day officially or otherwise. The last two meetings between the two sides before today – one draw and one Limerick victory. You don’t draw your way into an All Ireland Final.
@Padraig McElligott: we all know ye won so congratulations again and again and again
@Padraig McElligott: So they weren’t going for their 5th victory on the bounce. Thanks for clearing that up.
Should have been thr result in last year’s semi-final…
@Forfar So Good: Hmmm juicy lemons….
@Colm O’Sullivan: Thought i might get someone to bite:-)
@Forfar So Good: aaaaw
Cork deserved the win. They have found a centre back in Tim O’Mahony. He was my man of the match. Limerick could never get into their stride like in previous weeks, and when they did they gifted Cork their second goal. The two new boys, Dooley for Cork and O’Brien for Limerick both performed well. It’s the kickstart that Cork needed and a kick up the backside that Limerick will eventually welcome.
@Colm O’Sullivan: thats probably the best thing said about the game. Fair play
Unbelievable win for Cork against the greatest team to ever play the game and shoe ins for the all Ireland.
Hopefully results like this will help the game develop in developing hurling counties like Cork etc
@damien o brien: :-))))))
@damien o brien: lol
@damien o brien: such unwarranted bitterness and condescension. Well done Cork the better team won today.
There will be absolutely nothing in it if these teams were to meet in the championship.
Will do Limerick no harm at all to taste defeat
@Alan Fitzgerald: Ah jaysus Alan go out and get a bit of air I’d say..
That limerick fella isn’t saying much now!!!!
Great win for Cork, who could have had a few more goals. Held on when it looked for all the money Limerick were going to go through them.
That’s a great result for Cork, winning away to the All-Ireland champions.
Sluggish display from Limerick, did well to draw it back level but missed chances proved costly in the end.
On to Ennis next week now.
So we have a championship after all !! This time last week they were handing Liam to Limerick ….
@David O’Neill: Not really. Prior to Limerick beating Kilkenny and to a lesser degree Tipp, the media have spent pre season telling everyone how Limerick will struggle to get out of Munster let alone mount a title challenge again. Only when they beat Kilkenny did the media have to eat their words and back peddle somewhat to give this team some credit. Any Limerick fan will tell you that they’ll treat every game in Munster and on like a cup final, however we’re tired of being brandished nothing more than a team that “gives 100% commitment”, though plenty of that it’s high time they recognise the skill levels of our hurlers.
@No: Limerick are a serious team and as you say Munster is a minefield but how these journalists make predictions like that in February is beyond me !!! What i will say is 6 or 7 teams will feel they can win it this year !!
@No: You’re a bit over the top there. Nobody is brandishing Limerick like you say. Everyone recognises their skill levels. But they’re starting with a clean slate this year. They’ve a 60% chance of coming out of Munster. No more nor no less than the other 4 counties.
Should’ve been a draw. I don’t begrudge cork there win . But the ref gave limerick a free in 5 from the end …. he hadn’t seen the hand pass to Cian Lynch who was thundering down on the goals with only the keeper to beat ….and he knows he made a mistake (an should have played the advantage) because he wrapped both hands around his head!!
Big scalp for Cork hurlers today.
@Anyone But Cork: actually was cheers. Considering the last few results. Thanks for your support. ; )
Martin Brennan won’t know what to do with himself now tonight with that win!!
Cork needed that big time and that defeat could well be a blessing in disguise for Limerick considering the way they have been built up in the last couple of weeks. Limerick have proved they can win an All-Ireland and will be there or thereabouts again this year. Hopefully Cork improve from last year but still think we are a couple of players short.