Mayo come back from the dead to draw dramatically in Armagh

ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE ROUND 4

Armagh 1-17

Mayo 1-17

ARMAGH

THERE was drama aplenty in The Athletic Grounds in Armagh tonight as Mayo came from eight points down to draw with the All-Ireland champions. Indeed, the western warriors could have won the game in the dying seconds but Colm Reape's shot went inches wide and they had to be happy with a draw.

Afterwards, Mayo boss, Kevin McStay was disappointed not to have won, but very proud of his side's efforts in a thrilling second half when they out-played the home side for long periods.

“I'm delighted we came out and played in the second half and a point is probably the fair result in the circumstances,” he stated afterwards. “We played in the second half and only played for a period of the first. We were lazy at times in the first half and went to sleep but our boys were just fantastic in the second half. I'm not looking for a moral victory or anything like that. It was there to be won – we didn't win it, but to get ourselves in that position, we played an awful lot of football.”

The contest was indeed a game of two halves for Kevin McStay's men, with a poor first period giving way to a pulsating second half.

The difference in styles was stark in the opening half as Armagh deservedly built up an eight-point lead. Mayo were pondersous and complicated for long periods while Armagh were direct, decisive and exciting. The All-Ireland champions defended behind their two-point arc and then raced out at speed. When they reached the attacking zone they kept on going, whereas their guests regularly turned back whenever the Armagh posts came into view.

Armagh's goal arrived after 16 minutes when Darragh McMullan combined down the right and when the ball flew across the goalmouth, raiding corner-back Paddy Burns was on hand to gain possession step inside flailing Mayo bodies and crash the ball to the roof of the net.

Jordan Flynn was Mayo's best player in the first half. He kicked two points and found pockets of space with his late runs into the attacking zone. He was also combative around the middle where Armagh seemed to be regularly in the ascendancy.

Conor Reid had a glorious chance of a Mayo goal after 25 minutes following determined play in the middle from Eoghan McLaughlin, but the Moy Davitts man's effort came back off the inside of the post.

The half finished with Armagh's excellent attacker Conor Turbitt sending a line-ball between the sticks after the buzzer had sounded and the home side went to the dressingroom with a 1-10 to 0-5 advantage.

However, the second half was a different matter entirely. Mayo threw off the shackles and cut loose. They won more than their share of possession around the middle with Jack Carney, Stephen Coen, David McBrien and Davitt Neary tearing into everything.

Aidan O'Shea came off the bench in the third quarter and added to the momentum as Stephen Coen kicked a two-pointer before Neary nearly lifted the roof of the stand with a goal of great quality. The Breaffy winger burst onto a loose ball, regained possession and cracked a rocket to the net. That was the impetus Mayo needed and when Ryan O'Donoghue landed a two-pointer they were on a roll.

Matthew Ruane was finding space through the middle and when Neary balanced the scores in the 60^th minute and O'Shea kicked Mayo in front the traveling supporters were dancing.

The lead stretched to two when O'Donoghue got on the end of a one-two with O'Shea but there was still time for Armagh to come back. Stefan Campbell halved the deficit and in the 68^th minute Conor Turbitt balanced the scores after Fergal Boland was pinged for over-carrying and then was penalised 50 metres for throwing the ball away.

It was a harsh lesson, but Mayo had still time to win it. They carried the ball down the pitch as the clock ticked on and eventually Reape had the ball in his hands in the right corner-forward position. He dodged inside one defender and then shot for the winner but the flight took the ball just wide of the upright and both sides had to be happy with a draw.

A full math report, analysis and after-match reaction will be carried in Tuesday's Mayo News.