Derry destroyed by rampant Armagh in Celtic Park

Derry 0-15, Armagh 3-17

Derry suffered a THIRD successive championship defeat of 2024 to a rampant Armagh who could have won by even more than their eventual 11 point margin in Celtic Park on Sunday.

Just nine weeks after defeating Dublin in Croke Park to become Division One champions, Mickey Harte's team now face a make or break clash with Westmeath just to keep their season alive. But even a victory which would guarantee third place in Group One and an away preliminary quarter-final tie won't stop the questions after this home humbling which brings to SEVEN the number of goals conceded in Derry's last two championship games in Celtic Park, and NINE in those three defeats.

If Derry are to have any say in this year's All Ireland Series, they'll have to make history having already lost three times before the competition even reaches the knock-out phases. And it may necessitate a tactical rethink after Armagh - just as Donegal had - took full advantage of Derry's aggressive attacking strategy which left the home team over exposed that the back.

Confidence has undoubtedly been shaken, so much so that even the most reliable of Oak Leaf players were making mistakes. The only saving grace is that, while on the ropes, Derry remain in the fight though it now will take a dramatic improvement to make any impact.

Harte made three changes from the side that started in Salthill, Donncha Gilmore, Eunan Mulholland and the fit again Conor Doherty coming in to replace the suspended Gareth McKinless, the injured Ciaran McFaul and Declan Cassidy.

Most of the almost 10,000 strong crowd arrived expecting a Derry reaction to their successive championship defeats to Donegal and Galway and initially at least it appeared they may get it. Early scores from Emmett Bradley, Conor Glass (mark) and a Shane McGuigan free had Harte's team 0-3 to 0-1 up six minutes in but from there it descended into a first half horror show with Derry cast as their own worst enemy.

Countless turnovers, passes from the hand and foot going astray, acres of space in the Derry '45' - you name it, Derry produced it during a 20 odd minute spell kickstarted by Ross McQuillan's 13 minute gift of a goal.

Derry were playing a hugely high risk game that saw almost every player ahead of the ball inside the Armagh '45'. That's fine if you're retaining possession but Derry weren't and Armagh couldn't really believe their luck.

The Oak Leafers had already got away with a couple of near misses when the normally reliable Conor McCluskey was turned over by Tiernan Kelly and off Armagh sprinted into the empty Oak Leaf half where Oisin Conaty teed up blood sub Ross McQuillan for the inevitable goal and a 1-03 to 0-3 lead.

A Paul Cassidy point steady the Derry ship but the respite proved temporary. The Armagh goal drained the confidence from Derry who were now second guessing every pass. Gone was the quiet control and patience associated with the team over the past four seasons and it was replaced with panic.

It was a mindset typified by a second gift goal only five minutes after the opener. Brendan Rogers was this time the unlikely culprit of a loose pass which was seized on by Aaron McKay in midfield. Again the Derry half was empty and when McKay found the excellent Conor Turbitt he strolled through with all the time in the world to hit the Oak Leaf net for 2-03 to 0-4. It meant Armagh had hit 2-2 to Derry's 0-1 in a 13 minutes.

Every time Armagh won a turnover, and they won plenty, they had an opportunity at goal and should have scored more than the two they managed before the break.

Diarmuid Baker, one of the few Derry bright spots, pulled one back for the home side but Armagh were always ready to strike, further points from Kelly, Aidan Forker, Barry McCambridge and Turbitt helping McGeeney's team to a 2-08 to 0-6 interval lead.

Derry could, and should have had a penalty five minutes before the break when McCambridge looked to catch McGuigan as he raced to get on the end of Ethan Doherty's excellent pass but referee David Coldrick waved play away. It summed up a half in which just about everything that could go wrong had gone wrong for the Division One champions who trailed by eight.

Whatever was said by Mickey Harte within the walls of the Oak Leaf changing room, it appeared to have the desired effect as points from Glass, McGuigan (free) and Ethan Doherty brought it back to 0-9 to 2-08.

Yet they remained so vulnerable to the break and when Ethan Doherty's pass was intercepted Armagh should have had a third goal as five Orchard players bore down on two Oak leaf defenders. Armagh however overplayed their hand and the move petered out with McCambridge fisting wide. But if it didn't bring any reward on the scoreboard, it did puncture Derry's renewed optimism.

Derry kept battling but the belief was waning and it was all but extinguished by a third Armagh goal, the seventh Derry had conceded in two home championship games this season. And it was an all too familiar route to goal for the opposition. Long kick-out won by the superb Ross McQuillan who immediately released Rian O'Neill on goal. The finish was as emphatic as Armagh performance with the scoreboard now reading 3-10 to 0-11.

And that was that as far as an semblance of a challenge was concerned. Conor Glass continued to battle away but the horse had bolted and it said everything about the nature of the contest that Kieran McGeeney was able to run his bench to give players game-time as Derry finished with 14 after a black card for the already booked Ciaran McFaul.

With Galway defeating Westmeath in the other group game, the result means Derry have entered the knock-out phase a game early, the loser of their final group game against Westmeath facing elimination. The best Derry can hope for is third place and an away play-off and on this form even that is not guaranteed. More worrying is the need for a tactical rethink. This was a day to forget.

Derry scorers: Shane McGuigan (0-7, 4f), Emmett Bradley (0-1), Conor Glass (0-3, 1m), Paul Cassidy (0-1), Diarmuid Baker (0-1), Ethan Doherty (0-1), Lachlan Murray (0-1).

Armagh scorers: Conor Turbitt (1-4, 1f, 1m), Ross McQuillan (1-0), Rian O'Neill (1-1), Oisin Conaty (0-2), Rory Grugan (0-1), Tiernan Kelly (0-2), Aidan Forker (0-1), Barry McCambridge (0-1), Niall Grimley (0-1), Oisin O'Neill (0-1), Shane McPartlan (0-1), Aidan Nugent (0-1, 1f)

Derry: Odhran Lynch, Conor McCluskey, Chrissy McKaigue, Diarmuid Baker, Conor Doherty, Donncha Gilmore, Emmet Bradley, Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers, Ethan Doherty, Eunan Mulholland, Paul Cassidy, Niall Toner, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray. (Subs) Ciaran McFaul for E Bradley, 41mins; Declan Cassidy for N Toner, 48mins;

Armagh: Blaine Hughes, Barry McCambridge, Aaron McKay, Peter McGrane, Joe McElroy, Connaire Mackin, Aidan Forker, Rian O'Neill, Ben Crealey, Stefan Campbell, Rory Grugan, Tiernan Kelly, Oisin Conaty, Niall Grimley, Conor Turbitt. (Subs) Ross McQuillan for P McGrane (blood sub) 10-62mins; Jason Duffy for S Campbell, 49mins; Oisin O'Neill for R O'Neill, 55mins; Greg McCabe for A Forker, 55mins; Shane McPartlan for B Crealey, 65mins; Aidan Nugent for C Turbitt, 66mins; Darragh McMullen for C Mackin, 73mins.

Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)