Armagh vs Derry LIVE score updates from All-Ireland SFC Group Four clash

Irish Daily Mirror

24-05-2025

For the second year in a row, Armagh and Derry meet in the group stage of the All-Ireland series as the Ulster rivals go head-to-head at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.
For the third successive year, the Orchard County go into the All-Ireland series as beaten Ulster finalists after losing out to Donegal after extra-time in a pulsating provincial decider earlier this month.
This time around, however, Kieran McGeeney's men are the All-Ireland champions and, as such, have a huge target on their backs.
Derry have had seven weeks to prepare for this contest after being beaten by Donegal by 10 points in the Ulster SFC preliminary round in Ballybofey at the start of April.
The Oak Leafers were comprehensively beaten in Celtic Park when these sides met this June and their subsequent victory over Westmeath in Newry was the last time Derry won a game in 70 minutes.
They defeated Mayo on penalties in the preliminary quarter-finals and salvaged a draw against Galway in the League, but are winless under Paddy Tally, something the Tyrone native will be keen to address as soon as possible.
With games against Galway and Dublin to come for both counties, Armagh and Derry can ill-afford not to take something from this evening's all-Ulster battle.
We'll have all the latest team news and build-up ahead of throw-in at 5pm.
Armagh have received what Aaron Kernan describes as an 'unbelievable boost' to their All-Ireland defence with the return of Rian O'Neill to the squad ahead of the Ulster final.
His Crossmaglen Rangers clubmate didn't make the matchday 26 for that one-point extra time defeat to Donegal but Kernan expects him to be phased back in soon.
'The soundbites are that yeah, it is a possibility," Kernan told the Irish Mirror.
"Whether it's this weekend or not, I'm not sure, but certainly he has been back in training with the squad since the week prior to the Ulster final.
'Obviously he would have missed a lot of football since the All-Ireland last year and since his club campaign last year, but still, he's a young man. He'll not be long getting up to the speed of it.'But yeah, like I mentioned, just whether it's this weekend and he makes an actual panel of 26, I'm not sure. The inner workings of that group, if you bump into them in the street, they ain't going to tell you anyway.'O'Neill has yet to feature for Armagh under the new rules - but the two-point arc appears tailor made for a player of his kicking ability.Kernan added: 'I think he showed his full array of talent with that two-point arc, even though it was only that Railway Cup competition at the end of the year to test out the new rules.'So I would certainly see, as he's being eased back in, that will be the role or that's where you'll see him most prominent will be in those two-point zones.'
All-Ireland SFC round two: Derry 0-15 Armagh 3-17
Derry slipped to a third consecutive Championship loss at Celtic Park as Armagh claimed a facile 11-point win.
The result leaves Kieran McGeeney's men in pole position to top Group One as a draw against Galway in a fortnight's time will be enough for the Orchard County to progress straight through to the last eight.
Derry, meanwhile, take on Westmeath in their final group game knowing that anything less than a win would see them exit the All-Ireland series.
Mickey Harte's men have shipped nine goal in their three Championship defeats and they could have conceded more as they suffered a malfunction in front of the home support for the second time in three outings.
Armagh butchered two more goal chances with Oisin Conaty hitting the post in the first half while Aidan Forker played one pass too many with Barry McCambridge unable to turn the ball home at the far post.
Derry also finished with 14 players with Ciaran McFaul sent off after picking up a black card when already booked.
It compounded another day to forgot for Harte's side. They were 2-8 to 0-6 down at the break with Conor Turbitt and Ross McQuillan finding the net.
They managed to land the first three scores of the second half via Conor Glass, Shane McGuigan (free) and Ethan Doherty.
However, they were unable to keep Armagh at bay and a 10-minute spell without a score undermined their efforts and Rian O'Neill struck for his side's third goal to end the game as a contest before McFaul dragged down Joe McElroy for his black card.
Armagh had 13 different scorers on a day when 3-13 of their 3-17 tally came from open play. With Galway and Armagh set to finish in the top two, Derry must beat Westmeath to finish third in the group, meaning the best they can hope for is a preliminary quarter-final away from home.
Derry scorers: Shane McGuigan 0-7 (0-4fs), Conor Glass 0-3 (0-1m), Ethan Doherty 0-1, Paul Cassidy 0-1, Lachlan Murray 0-1, Diarmuid Baker 0-1, Emmett Bradley 0-1.
Armagh scorers: Conor Turbitt 1-4 (0-1f, 0-1m), Rian O'Neill 1-1, Ross McQuillan 1-0, Oisin Conaty 0-2, Tiernan Kelly 0-2, Barry McCambridge 0-1, Aidan Forker 0-1, Rory Grugan 0-1, Niall Grimley 0-1, Oisin O'Neill 0-1, Aidan Nugent 0-1 (0-1f), Shane McPartlan 0-1, Ben Crealey 0-1 (0-1m).