National GAA Leagues: Donegal and Tyrone were victorious but defeated the remaining Ulster teams

A second-half disallowed goal from Armagh’s Ross McQuillan proved fatal in the end, but Roscommon’s platform for victory was built in the first half.

A brace from Diarmuid Murtagh in the first minute set the tone after Oisin O’Neill had opened Armagh’s account at the other end, and the Roscommon captain was set up for a goal in the third minute.

It would be all the better for the hosts as Blaine Hughes’ subsequent kick-off failed and Enda Smith was put into the net.

The teams exchanged a pair of goals before Murtagh hit two more shots, while the crossbar denied Dylan Rowan a third for the hosts.

However, they took a further lead with a Daire Cregg free and a third point from Murtagh – this time from a free – before Armagh briefly went up with points from Cian McConville and Ross McQuillan.

However, two pointers from Cregg and two more scores extended the lead to 14 before Armagh enjoyed a good three-point spell, but Cregg free on the stroke of half-time left Roscommon with a strong 2-14 to 0-8 advantage.

Smith extended the lead immediately after the break, but Armagh stormed back with the next six points, including two successive throws from Oisin O’Neill.

The Orchardmen thought they had their back in the 47th minute when McQuillan crashed home, but the goal was disallowed because his side left less than four players in their half and instead of a four-point gap, it was eight points with Murtagh exploiting a free in front of the posts.

That four-point swing was decisive in the end but so was Roscommon’s third goal in the 61st minute.

With only six of them, the substitutes combined as Jack Duggan fed the ball inside for Paul Carey to slot home, but Armagh were not finished and two throws from O’Neill and McConville either side of Thomas McCormack’s point brought them to within four.

They had a great scoring chance minutes before play when Jason Duffy fed the ball to McConville, but he could only deflect it into the arms of Aaron Brady.

Armagh continued to press, but Greg McCabe’s shot whistled at the death as they slid to defeat with Roscommon winning back-to-back wins over Ulster opposition.