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Armagh edge past spirited Derry in All-Ireland round-robin thriller

Ben Crealey and Conor Glass in action as Armagh edged past Derry in their opening All-Ireland round-robin clash. Inpho

Ben Crealey and Conor Glass in action as Armagh edged past Derry in their opening All-Ireland round-robin clash.

Odhran Crumley
BBC Sport NI Journalist at the Athletic Grounds

Armagh opened their All-Ireland round-robin series with a 2-21 to 2-17 win over Ulster rivals Derry at the Athletic Grounds.

The All-Ireland champions led 2-16 to 0-13 midway through the second half thanks to goals from Barry McCambridge and Conor Turbitt before Conor Glass and Dan Higgins hit the net for Derry cutting the deficit to four.

Despite that Derry comeback, Armagh steadied the ship however to secure the victory.

The Oak Leafers really struggled on their own kick-out through the first half and this ed for much of the home side's success, rattling off four scores in a row with Oisin Conaty, Ross McQuillan and Andrew Murnin on target.

Rian O'Neill, turning out for his county for the first time since last year's All-Ireland final, also landed a score as Armagh led 0-12 to 0-9 at the break playing with the aid of the breeze.

The Orchard County flew out of the blocks in the second half, hitting an unanswered 1-4 in just six minutes, with Murnin's attempt at a point dropping short only to be punched into the net by McCambridge.

Derry replied with an effort from Niall Toner before Shane McGuigan landed a two-pointer.

The Armagh reply was emphatic, hitting 1-5 in less than 10 minutes, Turbitt burning past Patrick McGurk before rolling to the net to give his side a 13-point lead.

It looked like the game was dead and buried before Derry hit two goals inside one minute.

Ethan Doherty cut through the heart of the Armagh rearguard before slipping it to Glass who fired an exceptional finish to the roof of the net.

Derry claimed possession from the very next kick-out and it was the goal scorer who turned the provider as Glass found Higgins the substitute who rolled the ball low beyond Ethan Rafferty to the net.

Paul Cassidy and Shane McGuigan fired over two pointers either side of a Joe McElroy fisted point for the home side as Paddy Tally's men outscored Armagh 2-4 to 0-2 in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Glass and McGuigan had two-pointed efforts tail wide at the death as Armagh held out for a vital two points.

Next Sunday, Armagh return to Croke Park to take on Dublin in a meeting of Group Four's unbeaten sides.

Derry will welcome Galway to Celtic Park with both sides wrestling for their first win of the campaign.

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