Monaghan never in trouble against Armagh

Monaghan 1-18 Armagh 0-9

Marvellous Monaghan charged into the Ulster SFC semi-final with a 12-point demolition of Armagh at Casement Park.

In front of a crowd of 11,675, Seamus McEnaney’s men performed with a passion that 14-man Armagh simply could not live with.

Brian Mallon was sent off just before half-time, but it’s doubtful if the Orchard side, even with 15 men, could have lived with Monaghan in this sort of mood.

Tommy Freeman bagged 1-4, including a brilliant 13th-minute goal that sparked their ferocious display, while Paul Finlay contributed seven points.

Steven McDonnell fired over three points in the opening 10 minutes to help Armagh assert themselves on the contest.

Jamie Clarke had just given them a 0-4 to 0-1 lead when Tommy Freeman ghosted in for a goal, slotting a low finish past Paul Hearty from Ciaran Hanratty’s perfectly timed pass.

Aaron Kernan and Paul Finlay exchanged points, before McDonnell’s fourth had Armagh back in front, and goalkeeper Hearty denied Conor McManus an equalising point when he stretched his massive frame to pluck the ball from a foot above the crossbar.

Eoin Lennon and Dick Clerkin imposed themselves on the midfield battle for a sustained period of pressure in the final 15 minutes of the half, and they were rewarded by a couple of glorious points from goalscorer Finlay, as well as scores from McManus and Finlay.

Armagh failed to test stand-in goalkeeper Darren Hughes, who had been named at full back, but handed the number one shirt in an emergency move after injury ruled out Shane Duffy and reserve ‘keeper Sean Gorman quit the squad.

And Armagh suffered another serious blow in the 35th minute when playmaker Brian Mallon received a straight red card for striking out at Rory Woods.

Finlay’s fourth point sent Monaghan in with a 1-7 to 0-6 interval lead, and Freeman stretched the advantage within 30 seconds of the restart.

Within four minutes they were eight points clear, with Finlay, Hanratty and centre back Vinnny Corey all slotting over points.

Jamie Clarke pulled back a point for Armagh, but they struggled to get any fluency into their game, until a flowing move ended with wing back Paul Duffy unleashing a ferocious shot, which stand-in ‘keeper Daren Hughes did well to deflect over the bar.

Monaghan turned up the tempo again, scoring six of the game’s final seven points, with Finlay driving over a couple of gems from a ’45 and a sideline ball.

Dick Clerkin saluted the rapturous crowd after thumping through a couple of long-range scores, and Damien Freeman and substitute Hugh McElroy also hit the target.

Armagh reverted to route one strategy, but a series of dropping deliveries were punched away by goalkeeper Hughes, on his way to a clean sheet.

Armagh: P Hearty, A Mallon, B Donaghy, V Martin, P Duffy (0-1), C McKeever, F Moriarty, C Vernon, K Toner, M Mackin, A Kernan (0-1, f), G Swift (0-1), B Mallon, S McDonnell (0-4), J Clarke (0-2).

Subs: K Dyas for Martin (h-t), J Lavery for Mackin (h-t)

Monaghan: D Hughes, JP Mone, D Mone, C Walshe, D Freeman (0-1), V Corey (0-1), G McQuaid, D Clerkin (0-2), E Lennon, S Gollogly, P Finlay (0-7, 3f, 1 ’45), K Hughes, C Hanratty (0-1), C McManus (0-1, f), T Freeman (1-4).

Subs: R Woods for Gollogly (21), H McElroy (0-1) for Hanratty (51), F Caulfield for K Hughes (57), N McAdam for D Freeman (67)

Referee: M Sludden (Tyrone).