Conor Turbitt of Armagh celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Round 2 match between Derry and Armagh at Celtic Park in Derry. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile.
All-Ireland SFC Group 1
DERRY 0-15 ARMAGH 3-17
By Michael Wilson at Celtic Park
Derry face a make or break final All Ireland group game against Westmeath in two weeks after the Oak Leafers were dismantled by a rampant Armagh side in Celtic Park on Sunday.
A bright start from the home side gave way to defensive calamity in a game that was over long before the final whistle, Kieran McGeeney's men now assured of a top two finish in a group in which top spot will be decided by the Orchard's meeting with Galway.
But while Armagh had bounced back in style from their Ulster final heartbreak, Derry's championship woes continue after a game which makes it seven goals conceded in two home championship games. More worryingly for Mickey Harte, Derry look a shadow of the team that lifted the Division One title in April.
Harte made three changes from the side that started in Salthill, Donncha Gilmore, Eunan Mulholland and the fit again Conor Doherty coming in to replace the suspended Gareth McKinless, the injured Ciaran McFaul and Declan Cassidy.
Most of the almost 10,000 strong crowd arrived expecting a Derry reaction to their successive championship defeats to Donegal and Galway and initially at least it appeared they may get it. Early scores from Emmett Bradley, Conor Glass (mark) and a Shane McGuigan free had Harte's team 0-3 to 0-1 up six minutes in but from there it descended into a first half horror show with Derry cast as their own worst enemy.
Countless turnovers, passes from the hand and foot going astray, acres of space in the Derry '45' - you name it, Derry produced it during a 20 odd minute spell kickstarted by Ross McQuillan's 13 minute gift of a goal.
Derry were playing a hugely high risk game that saw almost every player ahead of the ball inside the Armagh '45'. That's fine if you're retaining possession but Derry weren't and Armagh couldn't really believe their luck.
The Oak Leafers had already got away with a couple of near misses when the normally reliable Conor McCluskey was turned over by Tiernan Kelly and off Armagh sprinted into the empty Oak Leaf half where Oisin Conaty teed up blood sub Ross McQuillan for the inevitable goal and a 1-03 to 0-3 lead.
A Paul Cassidy point steadied the Derry ship but the respite proved temporary. The Armagh goal drained the confidence from Derry who were now second guessing every pass. Gone was the quiet control and patience associated with the team over the past four seasons and it was replaced with panic.
It was a mindset typified by a second gift goal only five minutes after the opener. Brendan Rogers was this time the unlikely culprit of a loose pass which was seized on by Aaron McKay in midfield. Again the Derry half was empty and when McKay found the excellent Conor Turbitt he strolled through with all the time in the world to hit the Oak Leaf net for 2-03 to 0-4. It meant Armagh had hit 2-2 to Derry's 0-1 in a 13 minute spell.
Every time Armagh won a turnover, and they won plenty, they had an opportunity at goal and should have scored more than the two they managed before the break.
Diarmuid Baker, one of the few Derry bright spots, pulled one back for the home side but Armagh were always ready to strike, further points from Kelly, Aidan Forker, Barry McCambridge and Turbitt helping McGeeney's team to a 2-08 to 0-6 interval lead.
Whatever was said by Mickey Harte within the walls of the Oak Leaf changing room, it appeared to have the desired effect as points from Glass, McGuigan (free) and Ethan Doherty brought it back to 0-9 to 2-08.
Yet they remained so vulnerable to the break and when Ethan Doherty's pass was intercepted Armagh should have had a third goal as five Orchard players bore down on two Oak leaf defenders. Armagh however overplayed their hand and the move petered out with McCambridge fisting wide.
But if it didn't bring any reward on the scoreboard, it did puncture Derry's renewed optimism.
Derry kept battling but the belief was waning and it was all but extinguished by a third Armagh goal, the seventh Derry had conceded in two home championship games this season. And it was an all too familiar route to goal for the opposition. Long kick-out won by the superb Ross McQuillan who immediately released Rian O'Neill on goal. The finish was as emphatic as Armagh performance with the scoreboard now reading 3-10 to 0-11.
And that was that as far as an semblance of a challenge was concerned. Conor Glass continued to battle away but the horse had bolted and it said everything about the nature of the contest that Kieran McGeeney was able to run his bench to give players game-time as Derry finished with 14 after a black card for the already booked Ciaran McFaul.
With Galway defeating Westmeath in the other group game, the result means Derry have entered the knock-out phase a game early, the loser of their final group game against Westmeath facing elimination. The best Derry can hope for is third place and an away play-off and on this form even that is not guaranteed. More worrying is the need for a tactical rethink. This was a day to forget.
Derry scorers: Shane McGuigan (0-7, 4f), Emmett Bradley (0-1), Conor Glass (0-3, 1m), Paul Cassidy (0-1), Diarmuid Baker (0-1), Ethan Doherty (0-1), Lachlan Murray (0-1),
Armagh scorers: Conor Turbitt (1-4, 1f, 1m), Ross McQuillan (1-0), Rian O'Neill (1-1), Oisin Conaty (0-2), Rory Grugan (0-1), Tiernan Kelly (0-2), Aidan Forker (0-1), Barry McCambridge (0-1), Niall Grimley (0-1), Oisin O'Neill (0-1), Shane McPartlan (0-1), Aidan Nugent (0-1, 1f)
Derry: Odhran Lynch, Conor McCluskey, Chrissy McKaigue, Diarmuid Baker, Conor Doherty, Donncha Gilmore, Emmet Bradley, Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers, Ethan Doherty, Eunan Mulholland, Paul Cassidy, Niall Toner, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray. Subs: Ciaran McFaul for E Bradley, 41mins; Declan Cassidy for N Toner, 48mins;
Armagh: Blaine Hughes, Barry McCambridge, Aaron McKay, Peter McGrane, Joe McElroy, Connaire Mackin, Aidan Forker, Rian O'Neill, Ben Crealey, Stefan Campbell, Rory Grugan, Tiernan Kelly, Oisin Conaty, Niall Grimley, Conor Turbitt. Subs: Ross McQuillan for P McGrane (blood sub) 10-62mins; Jason Duffy for S Campbell, 49mins; Oisin O'Neill for R O'Neill, 55mins; Greg McCabe for A Forker, 55mins; Shane McPartlan for B Crealey, 65mins; Aidan Nugent for C Turbitt, 66mins; Darragh McMullen for C Mackin, 73mins;
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)
