McKenna Cup: Tyrone edge out 13-man Armagh 0-16 to 0-14 in feisty final

Tyrone clinched a seventh McKenna Cup in eight years as they edged out Armagh 0-16 to 0-14 in a feisty final.

Armagh led 0-5 to 0-2 but Tyrone fought back to lead 0-9 to 0-6 at half-time.

The Orchardmen levelled at 0-12 to 0-12 but had James Morgan sent off as Tyrone moved two ahead again.

Rory Grugan blazed a penalty chance to put Armagh ahead over the bar before the Red Hands' Ronan McNamee and Armagh's Aaron McKay were sent off for exchanging punches as Tyrone held on.

After several players had been involved in a couple of earlier skirmishes, McNamee and McKay exchanged blows totally off the ball in the 69th minute and continued their pugilistic antics as they made their way off the pitch before being restrained by mentors.

Tyrone forward Darren McCurry was named man of the match after hitting nine points in an Athletic Grounds match which will have served as an excellent warm-up for their upcoming respective Football League campaigns.

In front of a remarkable crowd of 11,318 and with the controversial hand pass rule consigned to history after the earlier Central Council ruling, Armagh made the better start as three Niall Grimley frees and a superb Stefan Campbell effort from play gave them a 0-5 to 0-2 lead after 20 minutes.

At that stage, man mountain Campbell was giving Armagh a tremendous long ball outlet in attack while Jamie Clarke's silky skills were also causing problems for the Tyrone defence.

However, Tyrone then started to get their running game going - best exemplified by Niall Sludden's 24th-minute point.

A run of five straight points left Tyrone two clear by the 29th minute and after a Grugan free cut the Red Hands' lead to the minimum, McCurry responded with two more points before the break.

The Red Hands maintained a margin of at least two points in the 15 minutes after half-time before a controversial Clarke point under the experimental mark rule began a run of three levelling Armagh scores.

Referee Joe McQuillan did not appear to hear Clarke's call for the mark and amid confusion, the Crossmaglen man resumed play to run on and kick over the point from 30 metres.

The game's dismissals all came in the final 18 minutes of action.

After McCurry had nudged Tyrone ahead again, defender Morgan was sent off for a second yellow card for an initially over-vigorous challenge on Red Hand sub Darragh Canavan, with the off-balance Armagh defender then appearing to accidentally step on the back of the youngster's head.

McCurry's resultant free doubled Tyrone's lead but Armagh skipper Grugan then missed the chance to put the Orchardmen ahead as he ballooned his penalty over the bar after Hugh Pat McGeary had handled on the ground in the small square.

Next came the silliness involving McNamee and McKay which will rule them out of league action next weekend.

After already being sent off, what possessed them to continue their dispute in front of live TV and online cameras is anyone's guess.

After frees from McCurry and Grugan at either end, Grimley had a chance to get Armagh on terms four minutes into injury with a difficult free chance from distance but was off target and McShane's score at the other end sealed Tyrone's win.

Tyrone: N Morgan; C McLaughlin, R McNamee, L Rafferty; T McCann, A McCrory, M Cassidy; C Grugan, D McClure; N Sludden, R O'Neill, C McCann; D McCurry, P Harte (capt), C McShane.

Subs: AN Other, R Brennan, D Canavan, K Coney, M Donnelly, R Donnelly, R Gray, HP McGeary, K McGeary, C Meyler, R Sludden.

Armagh: B Hughes; C Mackin, A McKay, J Morgan; R McCaughley, B Donaghy, G McCabe; S Sheridan, N Grimley; J Hall, R Grugan, R McShane; S Campbell, R O'Neill, J Clarke.

Subs: S O'Hanlon, D Loye, C Vernon, J Duffy, J Grugan, R McQuillan, O MacIomair, E McDonnell, J Og Burns.