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.
Brilliant! Glad to hear the boys are in good spirits!
Starting of reading I thought it was going to be another Saipan.
Glad it worked out well for the European Champions and hopefully the World Champions!
COYBIG!!!
@Ollie Fitzpatrick:
, *off
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: i was just about to cry!
Sounds like a great day was had by all. So important to have learnt the lessons of the disastrous last RWC on French soil under Eddie O’Sullivan. The 2nd ranked team in the world in 2007, the players were housed for 2 Wks in a Bordeaux hotel beside a industrial estate, and all training was behind closed doors. Not a single fan day, with 30,000 Ireland supporters holidaying in the area and couple of thousand more in on short breaks for both Bordeaux games. The overtrained Golden generation blundered their way to a win over Namibia and last gasp one score win over a limited Georgia (who hadn’t a single bacon of note), then went up to Paris and were mullered by France & Argentina. I suffered through all the games (actually a brilliant world cup, if you weren’t an Ireland fan following them).
Wise man is Andy Farrell, he seems to always come up with words of wisdom in sport and in life, decision to go ahead and meet locals, get feel for the people, tournament etc. Lets hope he continues to nail it in the weeks ahead……..
@Arjuna: and better yet, he always backs it up!
Bring it on!