Down unchanged
27 June 2008
Ross Carr has kept with a winning side for Sunday’s
Ulster SFC semi-final against Armagh after Ambrose
Rogers was passed fit to play.
Rogers was a doubt for the
provincial semi-final after picking up an ankle
ligament injury in the extra time replay win
over Tyrone but intensive medical work has helped
the attacking ace recover in time.
Dan McCartan remains at full
back in place of the suspended Martin Cole.
Down (SFC v Armagh) - B McVeigh;
L Howard, D McCartan, D Rafferty; A Carr, L
Doyle, P Murphy; D Gordon, J Lynch; R Murtagh,
A Rogers, D Hughes; J Clarke, B Coulter, R Sexton.
It’s seven years since
these neighbours and great rivals last met in
the All-Ireland qualifiers and nine years since
their last Ulster championship clash.
Armagh have won the last three
championship ties with Down who are seeking
their first victory over the Orchard County
since 1992. Armagh beat Cavan in this year’s
quarter-final while Down edged out Tyrone by
a point in a replay. Armagh are attempting to
reach the final for the seventh time in ten
seasons while Down are chasing a place in the
final for the first time since 2003 where they
lost a replay to Tyrone. Down last won the title
in 1994 while Armagh’s last success was
in 2006.
Last Five Championship Clashes
2001: Armagh 1-13 Down 2-4 (Qualifiers Round
1)
1999: Armagh 3-12 Down 0-10 (Ulster final)
1998: Armagh 0-16 Down 0-11 (Ulster quarter-final)
1992: Down 1-12 Armagh 0-9 (Ulster 1st round)
1991: Down 1-7 Armagh 0-8 (Ulster 1st round)
Paths to the semi-final final
ARMAGH
Armagh 0-17 Cavan 0-13
Scorers
S McDonnell............0-6
S Kernan..................0-3
A Kernan.................0-2
R Clarke..................0-2
P McGrane..............0-1
P McKeever.............0-1
C Vernon.................0-1
K Toner...................0-1
DOWN
Down 2-8 Tyrone 2-8
Down 1-19 Tyrone 0-21 (Replay ,Äì
after extra-time)
Scorers
B Coulter...............2-3
L Doyle...................0-8
A Rodgers..............1-2
A Carr....................0-4
D Gordon...............0-3
P Murphy..............0-2
R Sexton.................0-1
P McMcCumiskey.0-1
D Hughes..............0-1
J Clarke.................0-1
K McKernan.........0-1
Flashback
Armagh and Down last met in the championship
in 2001 when Armagh won a first round qualifier
tie by 1-13 to 2-4 at Casement Park in what
was the first season of the new championship
format. Armagh beat Monaghan in the next round
but lost to Galway in Round 3. Armagh: Paul
Hearty; Enda McNulty, Gerard Reid, Justin McNulty;
Aidan O’Rourke, Kieran McGeeney (0-2),
Andrew McCann; Tony McEntee, Paul McGrane (0-1);
John McEntee (0-3), Barry O’Hagan (0-1),
John Toal; Steven McDonnell (1-2), Martin O’Rourke,
Oisin McConville (0-4). Subs: Paddy McKeever
for O’Hagan. Down: Mickey McVeigh; John
Clarke, Ciaran Byrne, Brendan Grant; Brendan
Kearney, Liam Doyle, Simon Poland; Plunkett
McConville, Sean Ward (0-1); Shane Mulholland
(0-1), Michael Walsh (0-2), Aidan O’Prey;
Ronan Murtagh, Benny Coulter (1-0), Shane Ward.
Subs: Micheal Magill for McConville, Mickey
Linden (1-0)) for Murtagh, Conor Daly for O’Prey,
Brian Burns for Poland.
