Five red cards brandished as Armagh overcome Tyrone

Tyrone finished the game with just 11 players following an astonishing five-fold dismissal at the Athletic Grounds, where a late flare-up marred a convincing derby win for Armagh in the Allianz Football League.

Michael McKernan, Padraig Hampsey, Peter Harte and Kieran McGeary, along with Armagh's Greg McCabe, were sent off after a flare-up in stoppage time, all straight red cards flashed by referee David Gough in a sensational finale to a tense battle of Ulster neighbours.

Another fine Orchard performance was somewhat overshadowed by the late drama that played out in front of a sell-out crowd of 14,328.

They dominated the All-Ireland champions during a slick first half which saw them go 11 points ahead, and while the Red Hands pegged them back to four points late on, it never looked like they would turn the game around.

Armagh got off to a flier with Greg McCabe’s goal after just five minutes, rifled past Niall Morgan from Rian O’Neill’s delightful lofted pass.

They could have had a couple more goals, as Stephen Sheridan drove through three tackles to fire in a shot that Morgan did well to keep out.

And the Tyrone 'keeper had to be on his toes to finger-tip Ciaran Mackin’s sizzling shot over the bar.

The Orchard were in complete control, playing this game very much on their own terms, moving with method, assurance and a shared trust.

Tyrone, in contrast, were a shadow of the team that swept to Sam Maguire Cup triumph last September, hesitant, unambitious and lacking in ideas.

They managed just two points in the opening quarter, from Darrah Canavan and corner back Michel McKernan, and even a massed defence couldn’t hinder the clever Orchard movement that led to scores from Rian O’Neill, Rory Grugan , Aidan Nugent and Tiernan