A last gasp free from Rian O’Neill kept Armagh’s unbeaten start to the league alive against Mayo last Sunday.
Armagh rattled off the final five scores of the game to salvage a draw, with O’Neill claiming three of them.
The Crossmaglen man finished the game as Armagh’s top scorer, hitting 0-6 across the 70 plus minutes of action.
Five of those scores were from the dead ball, although O’Neill could have had another. His first effort was waved wide, but camera angles shown it should have been a point.
But it was his last involvement that Armagh fans will remember for a long time. Now only did O’Neill land the equalising score, he won the free himself.
Armagh forwards coach Kieran Donaghy was full of praise for O’Neill after the game, hailing his leadership.
Equalising score
“He shows great leadership,” said Donaghy. “Whether it be competing in the middle third for kick-outs to try and get us possession.
“I was surprised he missed his first free. As a free taker when you miss a relatively easy first one it can throw a lot of fellas.
“But top-class free takers will find a way to bring themselves around and he has to be given huge credit because the way the breeze was blowing across it was a slightly trickier kick than it looked.
“Huge credit to him for kicking that and it was very important too because, even though it was a draw, the game had gone so far away from us, it’s worth more than a draw if you get me.”
O’Neill has made a habit of producing the good when his sides really need him. His pointed free against Galway last year is further evidence of that.
O’Neill is currently Armagh’s top scorer in the league with his 0-6 from Sunday adding to the 0-4 he hit against Monaghan.
