Allianz Football League Division One

ARMAGH 1-7 MONAGHAN 0-10

By Orla Bannon at the Athletic Grounds

Conor McManus picked up a straight red card on his first start of the year, but Monaghan were still able to salvage a draw from an incident-packed Division One game with Armagh in the Athletic Grounds.

McManus was dismissed early in the second half when Monaghan were leading 0-9 to 0-4, immediately after Micheal Bannigan struck the post, and from there Armagh took over.

One major talking point was Rian O’Neill’s missed penalty which hit the crossbar and was judged not to have crossed the line before being cleared by Rory Beggan.

It was a let-off for Monaghan – who hit 15 wides - but only a temporary one because substitute Conor Turbitt enhanced his reputation as a young man with an eye for goal, with a major in the 53rd minute.

Points from Stefan Campbell, Oisin O’Neill and Tiernan Kelly helped Armagh take the lead for the first and only time in the 63rd minute.

Jack McCarron’s free at the end of normal time drew Monaghan level and they played keep-ball for over three minutes of injury time to claim a share of the spoils.

Although they so many wides, including 10 in the first half, and played for over 10 minutes with 13 men following Dessie Ward’s black card, Monaghan showed a lot of character to hang for the draw when Armagh had all the momentum in the second half.

Armagh played well after the break and it looked like they would go on to earn a third straight league win when Kieran McGeeney’s substitutions paid off handsomely with 1-3 from play. In the end, both sides will have regrets and feel they could have won it, but will also be content to take something from a game against quality opponents.

After two such impressive victories over Dublin and Tyrone, Armagh were fancied to put on another show in front of 11,348 in the Athletic Grounds but it was Monaghan who dominated the opening half.

They put severe pressure on Blaine Hughes’ lineout, forcing him to go long into a strong breeze and Darren Hughes plucked several of them out of the night sky with robust and disciplined Monaghan defending causing Armagh into costly turnovers.

However Monaghan could not convert their dominance on the scoreboard and the 0-8 to 0-4 half-time score didn’t tell the real story.

Armagh were able to push Monaghan out to the flanks but Shane Carey, Ryan McAnespie, Micheal Bannigan and Killian Lavelle were able to thread over some well-crafted points.

Armagh were living off scraps and didn’t score from play until the 35th minute through Jason Duffy but with the aid of a strong wind for the second half, Armagh must have been confident the four-point deficit was well within their range.

They set about that task after McManus was sent off in a goalmouth incident after Bannigan hit the near post in a double-blow moment for Monaghan.

From there it looked like Armagh’s game, but Monaghan held on to claim their second league point of the season.

Scorers for Armagh: Conor Turbitt 1-1, Rian O’Neill 0-2 (2f), Jason Duffy, Tiernan Kelly, Stefan Campbell, Oisin O’Neill 0-1 each

Scorers for Monaghan: Conor McManus 0-4 (2f), Jack McCarron 0-2 (2f), Killian Lavelle, Ryan McAnespie, Micheal Bannigan, Shane Carey 0-1 each

Armagh: Blaine Hughes; Paddy Burns, Aidan Forker, Aaron McKay; Connaire Mackin, Niall Rowland, Jarly Og Burns; Ciaran Mackin, Stephen Sheridan; Jemar Hall, Rory Grugan, Tiernan Kelly; Jason Duffy, Rian O’Neill, Aidan Nugent

Subs: Conor Turbitt for O’Neill (22, blood sub), Oisin O’Neill for Sheridan (HT), Stefan Campbell for Rowland (HT), Rian O’Neill for Duffy (46), Mark Shields for Hall (56), Niall Grimley for Connaire Mackin (65)

Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Kieran Duffy, Conor Boyle, Ryan Wylie; Ryan McAnespie, Dessie Ward, Killian Lavelle; Darren Hughes, Niall Kearns; Andrew Woods, Micheal Bannigan, Shane Carey; Gary Mohan, Jack McCarron, Conor McManus

Subs: Kieran Hughes for Kearns (18), Karl O’Connell for McAnespie (50), Aaron Mulligan for Mohan (62).

Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry).