NFL Division One Semi-final/Armagh 0-19 Mayo 0-14: For an hour of yesterday's Allianz NFL semi-final at Croke Park, both Armagh and Mayo seemed unsure of their intentions. In what was a tightly contested and fairly entertaining encounter that ebbed and flowed with glimpses of fluent teamwork, occasional errors and inability to retain possession, it looked like a case of who wanted it least.
Going into the last 10 minutes Joe Kernan's team led by a point, but then, like someone who gets tired of offering a box of chocolates around the room and decides to eat them himself, Armagh snapped to it and polished off their opponents. They outscored the Connacht champions by 0-6 to 0-2 on the run-in and won by a comfortable five points.
Not surprisingly, it was Armagh's replacements who showed most urgency and the introduction of Philip Loughran, Paddy McKeever and Malachy Mackin strengthened the team around the middle and drove them forward in the final quarter when the team did most of their damage.
Steven McDonnell was given the TG4 Man of the Match award for a return of six points, five from play, but for phases of the match he was well tracked by Mayo's promising corner back Keith Higgins, who switched corners from the start to mark the 2003 Footballer of the Year.
Mayo manager John Maughan could at least reflect on a serious test for his full back line, which - as on their previous visit to Croke Park in last year's All-Ireland - looked fragile.
Higgins was the only newcomer and he coped reasonably well until McDonnell went in at full forward and used the space to take his marker for three points in those final 10 minutes.
But McDonnell wasn't the whole of the problem. Beside him Ronan Clarke showed the sort of form that made his debut year three seasons ago so memorable. The Pearse Óg full forward scored three from play and had a fine match providing a focus for the attack and creating space for others.
James Nallen was switched on to him after early signs of turbulence for David Heaney, but even the experienced centre back couldn't do a lot to cap the problem. Heaney was more effective out the field though and launched some characteristically probing runs from the back.
That deep platform was one of Mayo's more conspicuous successes. Beside Heaney, Peadar Gardiner again showed his credentials as one the game's most in-form attacking defenders. Strangely, Armagh seemed to encourage him - bringing Martin O'Rourke further out and drawing Gardiner down on themselves.
The much-awaited clash of the captains, Ciarán McDonald and his Armagh counterpart Kieran McGeeney, went the way of the winners. It was noticeable from an early stage that McGeeney was playing unusually tight on the Mayo centre forward and did a good job of disrupting the opposition playmaker - flipping away a pass here and blocking down a kick there.
With that much achieved, McGeeney began to expand his repertoire and by the final quarter could be seen driving up field, with McDonald toiling behind him, before setting up Clarke for a score.
Mayo did have chances to exert meaningful pressure and kept pace for the hour, although by the final quarter they were huffing and puffing to stay in touch with a match that had been neck and neck.
Both teams received two yellow cards, but Mayo's were harder to replace in that the departure of the Mortimer brothers stripped the inside line of pace and much of its menace.
They weren't as able to fill the gaps as well as Armagh when forced to come up with a second centrefield after the dismissal of John Toal before half-time and Paul McGrane - very lucky not to see a straight red after pulling down an airborne Ronan McGarrity whom he jabbed with his boot for good measure - within 10 minutes of the restart.
McGarrity played well, running hard and fetching a few high balls, whereas Billy Joe Padden made a couple of penetrating breaks, but, by the end, Loughran was the most effective centrefielder.
With the contest nudging along in evenly matched increments, a short spell before the break provided a surge of excitement. In the 28th minute Alan Dillon came in behind the defence on the end of a good move only to see a well struck shot come back off the bar.
Minutes later, Andy Moran looked to have been brought down by Armagh goalkeeper Paul Hearty, but referee Maurice Deegan ruled that there was no penalty. Almost immediately, play swept to the other end where McDonnell was judged to have been taken down by Higgins.
It was a fair decision in that the Mayo defender got a grip of his man, but Moran's case was actually the clearer. Ultimately, justice was done with Oisín McConville seeing his shot saved, just as had also happened into the Canal End during the 2002 AllIreland final against Kerry.
As on that occasion, McConville had an otherwise productive match, knocking over five points, all but one from play, and the teams went in at the break with Armagh 0-8 to 0-6 ahead.
Mayo closed the gap quickly and for the next 20 minutes the match hovered within reach of both teams.
Armagh's final supremacy included a goal chance for McDonnell, well saved by David Clarke, but the Armagh man pointed the resulting 45 and the Ulster champions motored clear. Next stop Wexford in the final.
ARMAGH: P Hearty; P McCormack, F Bellew, A Mallon; A Kernan, K McGeeney (capt), C McKeever; J Toal, P McGrane (0-1); M O'Rourke, J McEntee (0-1), O McConville (0-5, one free); S McDonnell (0-6, one 45), R Clarke (0-3), B Mallon (0-1). Subs: P Loughran for Toal (yellow card, 31 mins), P McKeever (0-2, one free) for O'Rourke (45 mins), M Mackin for McGrane (yellow card, 46 mins), A McCann for Kernan (55 mins), S Kernan for Clarke (68 mins).
MAYO: D Clarke; K Higgins, D Heaney (0-1), D Geraghty; C Moran, D Nallen, P Gardiner (0-2); R McGarrity, BJ Padden; J Gill, C McDonald (capt; 0-2, one free), A Moran (0-1); C Mortimer (0-3, all frees), T Mortimer, A Dillon (0-4, three frees). Subs: B Maloney (0-1) for T Mortimer (yellow card, 23 mins), M Conroy for C Mortimer (yellow card, 48 mins), A Kilcoyne for A Moran (55 mins), P Harte for Conroy (67 mins).
YELLOW CARDS: Armagh: Toal (31 mins), McGrane (45 mins). Mayo: T Mortimer (22 mins), C Mortimer (48 mins).
Referee: M Deegan (Laois).
