24-05-2025
Rafferty repels Derry fightback as Armagh get off to winning start
Armagh 2-21 Derry 2-17
ALL-IRELAND champions Armagh got this season's campaign off to a winning start against Derry on home soil.
Four Ethan Rafferty saves denied a spirited Derry comeback from 13 points down late on with Conor Glass and Dan Higgins hitting Derry goals.
The news before thrown-in was Rian O'Neill's first inclusion since last year's All-Ireland final win over Galway, coming in for Aidan Forker.
Derry's change saw Anton Tohill make his championship debut in a switch from Niall Loughlin who was listed in the initial selection.
WATCHING ON: DUP Sports minister Gordon Lyons (second right) attends his first GAA match, the Armagh vs Derry Senior Football Championship, at the Athletic Ground in Armagh. Picture date: Saturday May 24, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Peter Morrison/PA Wire
Armagh were three up at half-time before hitting the first four points of the second half to exert control of the game before McCambridge fisted to the net.
Conor Glass kicked the game's opening score before Armagh, with the wind at their back, roared into action. Murnin and Conaty notched points before the latter added a two pointer for a 0-5 to 0-1 lead after eight minutes.
Derry were living on scraps from their kickouts but Ethan Doherty's running game asked questions or Armagh.
Paul Cassidy and Ruairi Forbes hit Derry points before an error led to a two pointer from Turbitt helped the home side on their way to a 0-10 to 0-4 lead. Rian O'Neill was among the scorers while older brother Oisin was forced off injured.
The inspirational Glass, Cassidy and McGuigan had points to bring Derry back into the but they needed a Niall Toner block on the line to deny McCambridge a goal.
At the other end, Ethan Doherty blasted over when a goal was in to make the interval score 0-12 to 0-9 in Armagh's favour.
Ross McQuillan added his second point in the first attack before Jarly Óg Burns and Jason Duffy fisted Armagh six points clear as they dominated the Derry kick-out.
The champions' dominance continued with a Murnin point at the end of a four-minute spell when Derry couldn't get hands on the ball.
After a stoppage for an injury to Glass, McCambridge fisted a Murnin shot ahead of McKinless to the net for a 1-16 to 0-9 Armagh lead.
McGrogan (45) and Toner (free) replied for Derry. McGuigan landed a two pointer but it was Armagh who still held the upper hand in many sectors. When Turbitt raced past Patrick McGurk to bag a game's second goal he stretched the lead to nine points.
McQuillan, Conaty and Grguan added three points as they opened up the margin again with 55 minutes on the clock.
Rogers got in for a goal but he was denied by a full-length Rafferty save when Derry needed any sort of lifeline. It was same minutes later when Rafferty denied Rogers with another stellar stop before McQuillan notched a fourth of the day.
The Derry pressure eventually paid off when Glass slotted to the net with Dan Higgins adding a second goal in the next play.
Derry almost found the net again but Tommy Rogers – cousin of Brendan – was denied by Rafferty.
McGuigan added a two-point free after a three-versus-three infraction as Derry took the 13-point lead back to four points before he missed a two-point chance from play. Glass did the same seconds later before Rafferty denied Brendan Roger again in the last play.
Next up for Derry is a visit of Galway with Armagh taking on Dublin in Croke Park.
Scorers for Derry: C Glass 1-3, S McGuigan (tpf, tp), P Cassidy (1 tp) 0-5 each, D Higgins 1-0, E Doherty, R Forbes, P McGrogan (45) and N Toner (f) 0-1 each
Scorers for Armagh: C Turbitt 1-2 (tp), O Conaty (1 tp), R McQuillan 0-4 each, R Grugan (2f), A Murnin 0-3 each, B McCambridge 1-0, J McElroy, D McMullen, R O'Neill, J Burns and J Duffy 0-1 each
DERRY: B McKinless; P McGurk, E McEvoy, D Baker; R Forbes, B Rogers, P McGrogan; C Glass, C Doherty; C McFaul, P Cassidy, N Toner; A Tohill, S McGuigan, E Doherty Subs: D Higgins for Tohill (39), R Mulholland for McGurk (54), C Devlin for McFaul (60), T Rogers for Toner (62), D McDermott for McGrogan (66)
ARMAGH: E Rafferty; P Burns, B McCambridge, P McGrane; R McQuillan, T Kelly, J Burns; J Duffy, B Crealey; D McMullen, R Grugan, O Conaty; R O'Neill, A Murnin, O O'Neill Subs: C Turbitt for O O'Neill (INJ 14), S Campbell for Duffy (52), N Grimley for R O'Neill (56), J McElroy for Grugan (61) G McCabe for McQuillan (62)
Attendance: 14, 979
Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone)
