Down trounce tame Armagh

Down 4-24 Armagh 0-9

Down overwhelmed Armagh at Casement Park to set up an Ulster SHC semi-final meeting with London.

Two goals each from Johnny McCusker and Aidan Clarke saw the Ardsmen safely through to the last four.

The Orchard side had to play almost half the game with 14 men after defender Donal Carvill was sent off early in the second half.

Paul Braniff and Connor Woods hit early scores to get Down’s challenge going, but Armagh responded with points from John Corvan, Ryan Gaffney and a couple of Paul Breen frees.

By the 19th minute, Down were just a point to the good at 0-6 to 0-5, but they cut loose with a 1-5 salvo in the space of seven minutes.

Woods slipped the ball inside for Johnny McCusker to first-time to the net on 20 minutes, and the goalscorer steered over a couple of delightful points as well.

Braniff continued to hit the target from frees and play, with Corvan hitting Armagh’s only score of the second quarter.

Down held a commanding 1-13 to 0-6 lead at the interval.

Armagh’s task became impossible when corner back Donal Carvill received a straight red card five minutes into the second half following an off-the-ball incident involving McCusker, who continued to torment the Orchard defence with some delightful scores.

Armagh did threaten sporadically, but Fintan Woods had a goal disallowed on a square ball call.

However, they could not live with Down’s superior stick work and slicker movement, particularly when reduced to 14 men.

Substitute Aidan Clarke added a second Down goal on 51 minutes after Braniff’s free was not cleared, and McCusker flicked home his second from Fintan Conway’s long delivery.

Flynn ended a 26-minute barren spell for Armagh with a converted free, but by that time, the outcome had been decisively secured by a confident Down side, who added a fourth goal three minutes from the end, Clarke scrambling home his sseciondd.

Down: G Clarke, P Hughes, S Murray, S Ennis, D Flynn, F Conway, M Ennis, A Savage (0-3), C Coulter, C Woods (0-3), S Clarke (0-1), E Clarke, J Coyle (0-2), P Braniff (0-9, 5f), J McCusker (2-6).

Subs: A Clarke (2-0) for S Clarke, M Hughes for P Hughes, B Ennis for Braniff, P Flynn for Conway, Conway for Coulter

Armagh: J Burke, D Carvill, P Gaffney, B Breen, B McCormack, P McCormack, B McCann, J Corvan (0-2), C Christie, R Gaffney (0-1), F Woods, G Enright, P Breen (0-5, 3f), B McNaughton, F Bradley.

Subs: M Lynn for McCann, P Kirk (0-1) for Bradley, P Cunningham for McNaughton

Referee: G Duffy (Antrim)