Armagh make first All-Ireland minor final since 2009 after barnstorming second half

All-Ireland MFC semi-final: Armagh 0-16 Mayo 1-6

A barnstorming second half display propelled Armagh into the All-Ireland Minor football championship final for the first time since 2009 at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park in Longford on Sunday.

Aidan O’Rourke’s team proved much too good for a highly rated Mayo side and the Ulster runners-up will now face Derry in the decider in a repeat of the provincial final.

The Connacht champions got off to the perfect start when Andrew Quinn blazed his way through the Armagh defence and crashed in a brilliant goal after just 49 seconds.

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They increased their lead when Kobe McDonald converted a free.

However, that was as good as it got for the Westerners as the Orchard County began to play themselves back into contention.

They began to get on top around the middle and a string of scores from Eoin Duffy (three points, including a free and a mark), Shea Loughran and Diarmuid O’Rourke levelled the match for the first time on 21 minutes.

The final stages of the opening half were evenly balanced as Mayo’s Oisin Deane and Kobe McDonald traded points with Diarmuid O’Rourke and James McCooe to leave the teams deadlocked at the interval: 1-4 to 0-7.

The match was effectively decided in the third quarter as Armagh upped the ante and hit six points without reply from Shea Loughran (three points), Eoin Duffy, Daithi O’Callaghan and Fionn Toale to pull clear.

They were 0-13 to 1-4 ahead by the time this series of power-plays had ended.

Mayo ended a 25 minute spell without a score when Oisin Deane hit the target in the last quarter, but there was no way back for the team managed by Tom Reilly and David Heaney.

Late scores from Aaron Garvey (two points) and Eoin Duffy glossed the final scoreline.

Armagh: M Finnegan; T Fox, G O’Rourke, C Wilson; Fergus Toale, S Woods, D O’Rourke (0-2); J Loughran, D O’Callaghan (0-1); R Marsden, J McCooe (0-1), K McEntee; Fionn Toale (0-1), E Duffy (0-5, one free, one mark), S Loughran (0-4).

Subs: A Garvey (0-2) for Marsden (35); A McGrane for Toale (58); L Bellew for Duffy (60); D McGee for G O’Rourke (62); Ó Gribben for D O’Rourke (62).

Mayo: N Roddy; C Coghill, T Hession, D Butler; D Hurley, M Noonan, M Sheerin; J Moyles, Ó Loughney; H McHale, K McDonald (0-3, 2fs), D Flynn; B Langan, Ó Deane (0-2), A Quinn (1-0).

Subs: C Kavanagh for Loughney (27, inj); J Roddy for Sheerin (HT); E Walsh for McHale (40); J O’Malley (0-1) for Quinn (40); F O’Kinsella for Langan (58).

Referee: J Hayes (Limerick)