GAA: Goals key as Armagh book Ulster final showdown with Derry

They say goals win games – and that cliché was never more true than in today’s Ulster Senior Football Championship semi-final.

Armagh hit four of them – two in each half – to see off near neighbours Down and book a meeting back at Clones in a fortnight’s time with Derry for the final.

Kieran McGeeney’s men capitalised on Down’s inability to deal with the high ball in, while Conor Laverty’s side were too wasteful from an attacking perspective to trouble Ethan Rafferty in the Orchard goal

It was Down who drew first blood as full forward Pat Havern swung over a looping free from the ’45 inside the opening two minutes.

Armagh levelled when Aidan Forker pushed forward from corner back to drive over from distance with his left foot following a patient build-up. The Orchard County then took the leadfor the first time in the tenth minute.

After Rian O’Neill’s 50-metre free came back off the post and Andrew Murnin’s follow up was blocked, Jason Duffy managed to pop it over the bar from close range.

Down did have two opportunities in quick succession to get back on level terms shortly afterwards, but Ryan Johnston’s attempt from a mark dropped short and then then Liam Kerr was off target from the left.

At the other end, Duffy almost found the net after a mix-up in the Down defence allowed Jemar Hall to play him in. His shot came back off the bar before Rory Grugan converted the free following a foul.

AS the rain clouds opened over St Tiernach’s Park on a gloomy day, Havern managed to notch his second free of the day on 19 minutes. But disaster struck for the Mournemen less than 60 seconds later.

Shane McPartlan’s attempt for a point was dropping short, but Murnin took advantage of hesitancy in the Down goalmouth to rise highest and palm to the net to put Armagh 1-3 to 0-2 ahead.

And even though Havern converted his third free of the day on 24 minutes, Armagh struck for goal for a second time on 26 minutes.

This time it was all about the power of McPartlan and he bustled his way through at least four Down tackles before lashing past Down keeper Niall Kane with a superb left-foot finish to make it 2-3 to 0-3.

Down eventually registered their first point from play on the half hour mark as Ryan Johnston swept over from 35 metres to close the gap to five points. That deficit was reduced even further two minutes before the end of the first half when Patrick Branagan cut in from the left to point.

Conor O’Neill hooked over from Armagh before deep into stoppage time, Liam Kerr pulled another one back for Down, to leave Armagh ahead 2-4 to 0-6 at the break.

It took Armagh just over 60 seconds after the restart to find their aim as Jemar Hall slotted over before Murnin added a point to his first half goal to make it 2-6 to 0-6 five minutes into the second period.

And the result was all but secured on 47 minutes.

Rian O’Neill’s speculative effort dropped under the bar and appeared to take a deflecting off Down midfielder Ryan McEvoy and Armagh’s Ciaran Mackin before nestling into the bottom corner. Duffy then added his second point to make it 3-7 to 0-6 midway through the half.

As if to put the icing on the cake for the men in orange, Rian O’Neill slipped his marker and was coolness personified to slot under Kane for a fourth goal. While Havern did convert a pair of close-range frees, to bring it back to 4-7 to 0-8, it made little difference to Armagh’s overall dominance.

Further points from Armagh subs Aidan Nugent and Callum Cumiskey added to the Armagh tally, while one of Down’s replacements, Andrew Gilmore, registered a point for his side.

As the tie edged towards stoppage time, yet another sub, this time Stefan Campbell, curled over for Armagh from a tight angle.

Ryan McEvoy knocked over a couple of late frees for Down but that mattered little.

This was Armagh’s day and you feel they have more gears to go through when it comes to final day.

MATCH STATS

ARMAGH: E Rafferty; C O’Neill (0-1), A McKay, A Forker (0-1); Ciaran Mackin (1-0), Greg McCabe, J Og Burns; B Crealey, S McPartlan (1-0); J Duffy (0-1), J Hall (0-1), R O’Neill (1-0); R Grugan (0-1, free), A Murnin (1-1), C Turbitt

Subs: Connaire Mackin for Crealey (35+2mins), R McQuillan for Hall (51mins), S Campbell (0-1) for McPartlan (51mins), A Nugent (0-1) for Turbitt (56mins), O Conaty for Murnin (61mins), C Cumiskey (0-1) for Ciaran Mackin (67mins)

DOWN: N Kane; P Laverty, S Annett, M Rooney; D Magill, N McParland, D Guinness; C Poland, R McEvoy (0-2, both frees); C Doherty, R Johnston (0-1), L Kerr (0-1); P Branagan (0-1), P Havern (0-6, 5f), E Branagan

Subs: S Johnston for Annett (40mins), A Gilmore for E Branagan (40mins). D McAleenan for Doherty (49mins), R Carr for P Branagan (52mins), Eamon Brown for Poland (58mins)

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)