Last gasp goal from Louth's Sam Mulroy breaks Armagh's hearts in Inniskeen

Armagh were left shell shocked this afternoon, as a fluke goal by Sam Mulroy in the dying seconds of the game secured a famous one-point win for Louth.

The Orchard men led by two with the seconds ticking off the clock, and seemed well set-up defensively to prevent Louth from attempting a potential equalising two-pointer. With the clock nearing the 70th minute, Mulroy had no choice but to try his luck from beyond the 45-metre line. And his luck was certainly in. His shot dropped short, but wasn’t dealt with by Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty and ended up in the back of the net.

This game had all the hallmarks of Championship football, with a sold-out Grattan’s Park in Inniskeen making themselves heard under the summer sunshine.

Armagh did their best to add to the electric atmosphere early on, as they fired home into the back of the net in the second minute. A well-worked move was finished off by Jarly Og Burns putting the ball on a plate for corner back Gareth Murphy, whose marauding run paid dividends, as he received possession and slotted home superbly into the bottom corner.

Cian McConville followed that up with a point, before Louth got on the scoreboard via Dara McDonnell and Ciaran Downey. Rafferty was a late change, replacing the injured Blaine Hughes in nets and the attacking goalkeeper got up the field and assisted a point for Ross McQuillan – another late addition to the starting XV.

Louth’s James Maguire was next on the scoresheet, but Armagh pulled five clear after two points from Turbitt and one from Conaty. For the rest of the first half however, Louth were the stronger side.

Sam Mulroy opened his account with a spectacular point and a two-point free, either side of a Ryan Burns score. McConville got his second of the game at the other end, but Gavin Devlin’s team got level for the first time after scores from Downey and Dara McDonnell. They then took the lead, with Downey hitting the mark once again.

A McQuillan point was cancelled out by Conor Grimes and Maguire scores, but Armagh drew level when Rafferty nailed a two-point free. Louth took the lead in at the half-time break though, 0-14 to 1-9, after Maguire and Craig Lennon raised white flags.

However, Armagh very nearly got their noses in front right before the short whistle when Darragh McMullen played the ball across the face of goal and McConville went for a palmed finish, but Mulroy heroically cleared the ball off the line.

Louth picked up where they left off with Lennon getting the first score of the second half, seconds after the throw-in. But just as Armagh did in the first half, two minutes after the restart they found the back of the Louth net once more. Louth full back Donal McKenny was turned over in his own back line by Conaty, who drove forward with a goal in mind. Although his initial shot was blocked, the Tir na nOg ,man followed in and converted on the rebound.

The Crossmaglen Rangers duo of McConville and Oisin O’Neill both scored frees to put Armagh two ahead. The lead was short lived though, as Louth went down the other end and found the back of the net themselves. Dara McDonnell it was who raised the green flag, drilling low into the bottom corner from close range.

Armagh had the perfect response, with McQuillan notching his third before Burns landed a two-pointer. Momentum was swinging back and forth, with both sides landing blows. Lennon and McQuillan cancelled out each other’s scores.

The next six scores were split evenly, with Dara McDonnell, Downey and Conor Early on target for Louth and Jason Duffy, Darragh McMullen and Burns doing likewise for Armagh. In the midst of that spell, Armagh almost added a third goal, when Conaty rounded the Louth goalkeeper, but corner back Emmet Carolan denied him with a last-ditch block.

Armagh led by three with less than four minutes to go after Duffy fisted over, but a nervy finish was in store after Mulroy converted a free.

The ending was like something out of a film script. With the seconds ticking away, Louth’s main man Mulroy had a ‘hit and hope’ effort from 50 metres out, under pressure from the Armagh defence. He was hoping to get the two-pointer and take the game to extra-time, but instead his shot was dropped into the net by Rafferty and proved to be the winning score.

There were scenes of heartbreak for Armagh but scenes of absolute jubilation for the Louth supporters who flooded onto the field in celebration and didn’t leave it until long after the full-time whistle had blown.

They’re into the last eight, for Armagh, they’re into Round 3 next weekend, with the draw taking place tomorrow.

MATCH STATS

Louth: Niall McDonnell; Emmet Carolan, Donal McKenny, Daire Nally; Conal McKeever, Dara McDonnell (1-3), Craig Lennon (0-3); Sean Callaghan, James Maguire (0-3); Paul Matthews, Sam Mulroy (1-4, 1tpf, 1f), Conor Grimes (0-1); Kieran McArdle, Ciaran Downey (0-5), Ryan Burns (0-1).

Subs: Ciaran Byrne for Grimes (50), Tommy Durnin for Matthews (50), Tadhg McDonnell for McKeever (52), Conor Early (0-1) for Callaghan (58), Conall McCaul for Burns (66).

Armagh: Ethan Rafferty (0-2, 1tpf); Peter McGrane, Aaron McKay, Gareth Murphy (1-0); Greg McCabe, Tiernan Kelly, Jarly Og Burns (0-2, 1tp); Ross McQuillan (0-4), Joe McElroy; Cian McConville (0-3, 1f), Darragh McMullen (0-1), Tomas McCormack; Conor Turbitt (0-2, 1f), Jason Duffy (0-2), Oisin Conaty (1-1).

Subs: Oisin O’Neill (0-1, 1f) for McCabe (temp, 30), McCabe for Kelly (41), Daniel Magee for McCormack (59), Rory Grugan for McQuillan (64), Aidan Forker for McConville (67).

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork).