Monaghan reached the Sam Maguire semi finals tonight in the most dramatic of circumstances, Rory Beggan proving the hero in a heart stopping penalty shootout.

Conor McManus, Rian O’Neill, Jack McCarron, Shane McPartland, Kieran Hughes, Michael Bannigan, Oisin Conarty and Rory Grugan were all on target twice with Gary Mohan atoning for his first miss before cruelty fell on Calum Cumiskey, with Beggan denying him twice, as Monaghan motored into the final four, more penalty woe for Armagh.

As the Croke Park crowd eagerly awaited the second All-Ireland quarterfinal of the day, Armagh started slightly the sharper, Aidan Forker firing over the first score.

Twelve minutes in though and it was Monaghan who led, Conor McCarthy and the dangerous Jack McCarron sphering points over for 0-1 to 0-2 score.

Rian O’Neill, determined to atone for his red card last time, levelled matters with a free only for the alert Gary Mohan to parry a point over from close range, in instant retaliation.

It was proving to be a tight and tense affair, Armagh edging ahead again twenty minutes in after quickfire points by O’Neill and Andrew Murnin.

Back came Monaghan, Mohan’s second point making it 0-4 apiece.

Then came O’Neill’s third, and best, point, a sweetly struck long-range free which curled over.

McCarthy made his presence known with the equalising Monaghan point, but Murnin became the fourth player to reach two points, in the process nudging Armagh into a narrow, one-point, 0-6 to 0-5, advantage at the break.

The second half picked up where the caginess of the first left off, Monaghan played an ace card though with the fortieth minute arrival of substitute Conor McManus.

Mirroring O’Neill’s fine free from the same point, McManus pointed within three minutes of being on the field.

Not to be outdone, O’Neill fizzed his fourth over only for Mohan to take his tally to three.

Blazing scores from Forker and McCarron brought the teams to 0-8 each entering the final twenty minutes, the sides yet to be separated by more than a point.

McCarthy hit a fabulous third but again came the immediate reply, Rory Grugan’s timely first point of the match levelling for Armagh.

Michael Bannigan and Grugan swapped scores before O’Neill fifth fearless free and Bannigan’s fizzing effort, like Grugan’s second not far from goal, levelled matters for the eleventh time.

McManus and Forker made it 0-12 going into additional time where Monaghan were reduced a man, substitute Sean Jones seeing the black card for an adjudged, deliberate ankle tap.

Yet, it was a fittingly scrappy four minutes of added time, Armagh not at all going for it and to extra time at Croke Park we went.

Armagh nosed themselves in front early into ET, Ross McQuillan zipping over from the left but minutes later, suffered the loss of the inspirational Forker to injury.

But despite having the extra man, Armagh refused to attack, only managing a couple of tame wides.

Profligacy which was punished near the closing of the first half of extra time, McManus calmly slotting a free for his third, even stevens at 0-13 to 0-13 as penalties loomed large.

An incisive Bannigan effort was ruled just wide by Hawkeye in the next closest opening as fatigue and tension sapped the quality of the spectacle.

Entering the dying embers came late twists though as O’Neill first point from open play, brilliantly struck looked to have taken Armagh through at the last.

But from a long-range free, Monaghan went short, drew the foul and McManus was coolness personified, his fourth, a transformative figure on the game and to penalties we went!

Would it be third time lucky in a shootout for Armagh?

McManus, O’Neill, McCarron, Shane McPartland and Kieran Hughes were all faultless before Rory Beggan saved from Calum Cumiskey putting Monaghan in the driving seat, but Mohan saw his effort saved by Ethan Rafferty as we went around again!

With tension sky high, there were nine flawless penalties, Mohan redeeming himself, before Cumiskey was denied again by Beggan cueing pandemonium as Monaghan reached the semi-final stages in the most dramatic of circumstances.