Armagh progressed to the
2008 Ulster decider with a workmanlike 1-12
to 0-11 defeat of Down in a lung-bursting derby
at Clones.
The winners - through to a
seventh provincial decider in a decade - were
on top throughout and played some nice possession
football to make little of the dismissal of
Martin O’Rourke at the start of the second
half.
Armagh bossed the first half
but couldn’t quite make their superiority
tell on the scoreboard. They led by just a goal
at the break, 1-5 to 0-5. Stephen Kernan fired
that major against the breeze to give the Orchard
County a five-point lead with ten minutes left
in the half, but they seemed to lose their way
a bit after that score.
It was all Armagh in the opening
stages and Kernan fired them ahead on three
minutes after his team-mates had spurned a couple
of chances. James Colgan was booked for a high
tackle on Martin O’Rourke but Paddy McKeever
missed the resultant free.
Charlie Vernon saw his goal
effort well saved by Down goalkeeper Brendan
McVeigh. Danny Hughes opened Down’s account
after Paul Murphy had hit the post. Ronan Clarke
got out in front of his man and caught a high
delivery to hit a trademark point on the turn.
Brendan Donaghy fisted over
the third Armagh point after Kernan’s
pass carved the Down defence open. On ten minutes,
Clarke won a free off Damien Rafferty but this
time McKeever skied his shot badly and the Orchard
attack couldn’t manufacture an opening
from the scraps.
When Ronan Murtagh knocked
over a Down score, it was hard to believe only
a single point separated the sides with twelve
minutes played. Armagh had controlled the opening
exchanges but led only by 0-3 to 0-2.
Clarke stretched the gap with
a beautiful strike off the outside of his right
foot after linking up with his partner in crime
Steven McDonnell: 0-4 to 0-2 and an exquisite
score. McDonnell’s shot went wide off
the outside of a post but he made amends instantly
by converting a free from the ground.
Mourne County centre back Liam
Doyle’s left knee buckled under him on
20 minutes and play was held up while the No.6
received treatment. Dan Gordon cleverly bought
a free from Armagh No.6 O’Rourke and the
result was a pointed free from Aidan Carr.
In the 26th minute, Armagh
scored one of the best goals seen in a long,
long time. The score epitomised teamwork as
Peter McDonnell’s men worked the ball
from back to front, with Francie Bellew twice
involved, before Stephen Kernan stepped inside
his man to hit the net via the extended arm
of McVeigh. Deservedly, the pre-match favourites
led by five.
Doyle was forced to retire
and Carr missed a Down free as their day went
from bad to worse. Wing back Carr was unlucky
when his shot from distance went inches wide
but the No.5 prevailed at the third attempt
from a free in the 30th minute. With half an
hour played, Armagh led by double scores, 1-5
to 0-4.
Carr (wide) and Clarke (post)
missed chances at either end and the former
then converted his third point from a free to
bring Down even closer with a minute left in
the first half. But the goal was the difference
at the short whistle and Armagh, who would have
wind advantage on the restart, should have been
further ahead.
The second half started as
the first had ended with a Carr point from a
free and - despite their dominance - Armagh
led by just two. Armagh suffered a severe setback
when Martin O’Rourke was sent off for
a late tackle three minutes after the resumption
but McKeever’s free restored their three-point
advantage.
A brace of Carr frees - bringing
his tally to 0-6 - closed the gap to one point
and Armagh introduced Aaron Kernan (who failed
a fitness test before the game) with 25 minutes
to play. Daniel McCartan’s foul on Clarke
culminated in a McDonnell point from a free
and the 14 men led by two, 1-7 to 0-8, with
48 minutes played.
Armagh No.15 Stephen Kernan
followed up with a super point after McDonnell’s
Garyowen and the men in orange led by a goal
with quarter of the game left. They could have
led by more but for wides from Clarke and McDonnell,
while the uncharacteristically quiet Benny Coulter
was off target at the other end.
Dan Gordon’s lovely point
from play had Down within two and Ambrose Rogers
made a fine last-ditch intervention to deny
his midfield counterpart Paul McGrane a scoring
opportunity. Despite the pressure they were
under, Armagh were content to play keep ball
until McDonnell casually floated over a free
from the turf after Clarke was felled.
With an hour left, Kernan’s
goal still divided the teams, 1-8 to 0-8, but
Down were happy to be within striking distance
having been comprehensively outplayed, even
with a numerical advantage for practically the
entire second half.
Clarke banged a great point
off his left foot with seven minutes to go and
that score gave them a bit of leeway at last.
When Carr sent a free wide from close to goal,
Armagh could smell victory but James Colgan
ensured a nervy finish when he registered with
a huge kick to make it 0-10 to 1-10 with less
than four minutes of normal time remaining.
It was a two-point game when
Paul McComiskey found the range from a soft
Down free two minutes from the end but Aidan
O’Rourke kicked a wonderful Armagh point
with 60 seconds left to give the Orchard a three-point
advantage again.
The game was well and truly
over when substitute Brian Mallon added the
insurance point in the second minute of added
time and that score assured them of a 1-12 to
0-11 success and a meeting with Fermanagh in
three weeks’ time.
Armagh - P Hearty, A Mallon,
F Bellew, F Moriarty, B Donaghy (0-1), A O’Rourke
(0-1), C McKeever, P McGrane, K Toner, C Vernon,
P McKeever (0-1, 1f), M O’Rourke, S McDonnell
(0-3, 3f), R Clarke (0-3), S Kernan (1-2). Subs
- A Kernan for Donaghy, B Mallon (0-1) for P
McKeever, T Kernan for Vernon, P Duffy for S
Kernan.
Down - B McVeigh, L Howard,
D McCartan, D Rafferty, A Carr (0-6, 6f), L
Doyle, P Murphy, D Gordon (0-1), J Colgan (0-1),
R Murtagh (0-1), A Rodgers, D Hughes (0-1),
J Clarke, B Coulter, R Sexton. Subs - K McKernan
for Doyle, P McComiskey (0-1, 1f) for Clarke,
J McGovern for Sexton, S Kearney for Murtagh.
Ref - J McQuillan (Cavan)
