Armagh 2-20

Monaghan 2-14

Missed chances and a series of errors cost Monaghan dearly as Armagh staged a strong finish to get their Nicky Rackard Cup campaign off to a winning start but they were pushed all the way by a resilient Monaghan, who will feel hard done by that they did not take something out of this match. The sides were deadlocked at 0-12 to 1-9 at half-time, the Monaghan goal by Tadhg Campbell in the sixth minute and the sides were level seven times times during that opening period. Monaghan started the second-half well and opened a three points lead by the eighth minute, but then conceded an unnecessary goal to hand the initiative back to the home side. In a tit-for-tat second half a goal from a penalty restored Monaghan to the lead in the fifteenth minute, but Armagh were then awarded a penalty in the twenty-first minute, that saw them take a three points lead. With ten minutes remaining they had opened a six points lead and held out in a hectic finish, to clinch victory by six points, although in truth they were not a six points better team on the day.

Armagh - S Doherty; C Rice, A McGuinness, P McGrane (0-1); D Bridges, C Clifford, T Nevin; O Curry (0-1), P Gaffney (0-2); S Toal, N Curry (1-4, 1-0pen, 0-2'65), D Gaffney (0-8f); S Renaghan, D McKenna (1-2), D Magee (0-2). Subs: G McKeown for S Toal, O McCann for S Renaghan.

Monaghan - P Bermingham; C Merrick, P Treanor (0-1), J Guinan; C McKenna, C Gernon, M Murphy (0-3); T Campbell (1-2), E Leonard; P McKenna, M Treanor (0-1), C Boyle; B McGuigan (0-1), S Lambe (0-1f), F Rafter (1-4, 1-0pen, 0-3f). Subs: L McKenna (0-1) for C Boyle, C Power for P McKenna, E Sheehan for C Gernon. 

Referee - C Mooney.

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