Hurlers edge out Armagh in Nickey Rackard Cup thriller
James Hardiman scored the winner for Roscommon against Armagh this afternoon.
Roscommon survived an almighty scare before edging out Armagh in a dramatic Nickey Rackard Cup encounter this afternoon.
The visitors played some of their best hurling of the year to hold a comfortable four-point lead at half time before losing their way completely in the third quarter.
Armagh were 0-18 to 0-15 ahead with seven minutes remaining but, led by outstanding centre-back Conor Cosgrove, the Rossies dug deep with midfielder James Hardiman firing over a memorable winner deep into injury time.
Roscommon, who hit 18 wides over the 70 minutes, had seven different scores during that opening half and hit 0-12 from play on their way to establishing a 0-14 to 0-10 lead at half time.
Cian Murray was buzzing in the half-forward line with five points from play, while Paddy Fallon landed a beautiful sideline cut from 45 metres.
In contrast, all but one of Armagh’s ten first-half points came from Alex O’Boyle’s placed balls, so the message would have been clear in the Roscommon dressing room at the break — stop the fouling.
The free count reduced in the second half but the introduction of Tomás Galvin just before the break gave Armagh another attacking dimension, and he hit the ground running with two early second half points.
By the end of the third quarter, an increasingly nervous Roscommon had been outscored by 0-6 to 0-1, and all their good work of the opening 35 minutes had been undone.
But they pressed the reset button, despite squandering a host of chances. Three Conor Cosgrove points brought them level before Conor Renaghan looked to have won it for the Orchard County in the third minute of injury time.
But Cosgrove held his nerve from a difficult free to restore parity before James Hardiman fired over the winner to leave Roscommon with three wins from as many games ahead of the crucial games against Donegal and Mayo.
ROSCOMMON: E. Lawless; M. Ward, J. Dillon, D. Mullen; J. Donnelly, C. Cosgrove (0-4, two frees), J. Dowling; D. Finn, J. Hardiman (0-2); B. Lawlor (0-1), C. Mulry (0-3), C. Murray (0-6), B. Mulry (0-1), J. Martin (0-1), P. Fallon (0-3, two frees, one sideline cut). Subs used: S. Canning for B. Mulry (42 mins), L. Óg Coyle for Dowling (53 mins), R. Fallon for Lawlor (53 mins), A. Donnelly for P. Fallon (65 mins), ARMAGH: F. Woods; T. Nevin, S. Renaghan, N. Lennon; D. Fox, B. Shortt (0-1), A. Fox; F. Donnelly, C. Renaghan (0-1); O. O’Hare, P. Gaffney, J. O’Connor; L. O’Flaherty, C. Duffy, A. O’Boyle (0-13, ten frees, two ‘65s). Subs used: T. Galvin (0-3) for Duffy (35 mins), R. Gaffney for O’Flaherty (43 mins), O. Curry for A. Fox (46 mins), S. Óg McGuinness for O’Connor (56 mins), P. McBride for Donnelly (67 mins), Referee: M. Connolly (Sligo).
*Match report and reaction in Tuesday’s Roscommon Herald.
