Last-gasp Armagh break Tyrone hearts to reach Ulster final

The foul on Conor Turbitt earned Armagh the last-kick free which secured them a dramatic 0-23 to 0-22 Ulster Semi-Final win over Tyrone

Rory Grugan scored a free with the last kick of the game as All-Ireland champions Armagh edged past fierce rivals Tyrone 0-23 to 0-22 to move into their third straight Ulster Senior Football final.

In a hugely dramatic semi-final that burst into life in the second half in Clones, Tyrone moved two clear in the closing stages thanks to successive two-pointers from Peter Harte and Darren McCurry.

But after Conor Turbitt and Eoin McElholm exchanged scores, Armagh scored the game's final three points through Jarly Og Burns, Stefan Campbell and Grugan - after the hooter - to break Tyrone's hearts in a gripping finale watched by 21,288 at St Tiernach's Park.

Armagh, who lost the 2023 and 2024 finals in penalty shootouts, will face the winner of Sunday's semi-final between Donegal and Down in next month's provincial decider on the weekend of 10/11 May.

In a slow-burn semi-final played out in an intense atmosphere, Armagh were the better team in the first half and took a deserved 0-11 to 0-8 lead at the break.

And while the impressive Oisin Conaty scored the second half's first two points to move Armagh five up, Tyrone two-pointers from Conn Kilpatrick, Harte and McCurry helped swing the game in the Red Hands' favour.

But it wasn't enough for Tyrone to reach their first Ulster final since 2021, with Malachy O'Rourke's side now tasked with regrouping for the start of the All-Ireland round-robin stages next month.

Armagh lead by three at break

Already without Rian O'Neill, Armagh's scoring power was further dented when Conor Turbitt - who missed the quarter-final win over Antrim - was withdrawn in one of three last-minute changes.

But even without the flame-haired sharpshooter, Kieran McGeeney's side had no trouble creating and scoring chances, as Oisin Conaty and Ross McQuillan scores and an Oisin O'Neill two-pointer put them 0-4 0-1 up after Darragh Canavan opened Tyrone's account in the first minute.

Canavan was Tyrone's chief injury concern heading into the game after missing the win over Cavan last week. He was, however, deemed fit to start and lined up alongside his younger brother Ruairi, who replaced Peter Harte just before throw-in.

But while the Canavan brothers only mustered a combined 0-1 in the first half, Darren McCurry (0-5) kept the scoreboard ticking over while an excellent two-pointer from Michael McKernan came at the right time when Tyrone trailed 0-6 to 0-3.

Armagh, however, were more efficient and scored five of the first half's last seven points - all from play - to lead by three at the break, with Ethan Rafferty, Andrew Murnin (2), Callum O'Neill and Oisin Conaty all raising white flags.

Tyrone felt that Armagh keeper Ethan Rafferty should have been penalised for a challenge on Darragh Canavan during the second half

Conaty, a standout for Armagh, scored two more at the start of the second half, and while Kilpatrick's two-pointer helped keep Tyrone in it, the All-Ireland champions looked to be marching into the final when an unanswered three-score surge from Oisin O'Neill, Jarly Og Burns and Ben Crealey moved them 0-17 to 0-11 clear.

But Tyrone kept chipping away and took control of the game in the third quarter with help from their bench. Eoin McElholm scored two from play after being introduced while Harte's two-pointer produced the biggest roar of the day from the Red Hand fans.

After Harte's score, Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney was booked for dissent when he kicked a sideline flag on to the pitch.

And when McCurry scored the resultant two-pointed free, Tyrone were 0-21 to 0-19 ahead.

With six minutes remaining, it was a case of hanging on for Tyrone but Armagh refused to wilt and finished with a flourish as Jarly Og Burns and substitute Stefan Campbell fired over to level the score.

Then, with Armagh in possession as the hooter sounded, Grugan found the onrushing Turbitt, who collided with Peter Harte and won the free that allowed Grugan to tap over the simplest of frees and set the Sam Maguire holders up for another crack at ending a 17-year wait for an Ulster title.

Teams

Armagh: E Rafferty (0-1); P Burns, B McCambridge, T McCormack; R McQuillan (0-2), G McCabe, J Og Burns (0-2); C O'Neill (0-3), B Crealey (0-1); D McMullen, O Conaty (0-4), P McGrane; R Grugan (0-3, 2f), A Murnin (0-2), O O'Neill (0-3, 1 2pt).

Subs: Conor Turbitt for O O'Neill (52), Jemar Hall for Crealey (54), Cian McConville for McMullen, Stefan Campbell (0-1) for Murnin (67), McConville for McGrane (70).

Subs: B Hughes, S McPartlan, C Turbitt, J Hall, T Kelly, C McConville, A Forker, N Grimley, C Mackin, G Murphy, S Campbell.

Tyrone: N Morgan; C Quinn, P Teague, N Devlin; M McKernan (0-2, 1 2pt), R Brennan, K McGeary; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick (0-2, 1 2pt); A Donaghy, J Oguz, C Daly; D McCurry (0-10, 4f, 1 2ptf), R Canavan, D Canavan (0-4, 2f).

Subs: Seanie O'Donnell for Aodhan Donaghy (40), Ben McDonnell for Oguz (46), Eoin McElholm (0-2) for R Canavan (47), Peter Harte (1 2pt) for Daly (54), Padraig Hampsey for Quinn (60).

Referee: D Gough (Meath)