Down call on McArdle and Clarke

The Down team to face Armagh in tonight's Ulster SFC quarter-final shows just one change to the side that lost last year's All-Ireland final to Cork.

Corner back Damien Rafferty from Newry Shamrocks remains sidelined by a troublesome groin injury, termed osteitis pubis. His place has been taken by Benny McArdle.

Down manager James McCartan said: "Damien has had a bit of a setback. It has recurred and there doesn't seem to be a magic wand to cure it.

"We thought what we were doing would have had it cured at this stage, so it is very frustrating for him."

For tonight's encounter at the Morgan Athletic Grounds (throw-in 7.30pm), the Mourne men bring John Clarke back into their attack with Conor Maginn ruled out with a hamstring problem.

Kalum King and Peter Fitzpatrick continue their midfield partnership in the absence of Ambrose Rogers, who still has not made a full recovery from the cruciate knee ligament injury that forced him to miss last year's All-Ireland semi-final and final.

Meanwhile, Conor Garvey and 2010 All-Star Benny Coulter have both shaken off hamstring injuries to take their places at right half-back and full-forward respectively.

"There are no gimmes in the Ulster Championship. Unless we are prepared to battle in the Athletic Grounds we could come up short," admitted McCartan, whose side finished fourth in Allianz Football League Division 1 this year.

"The Armagh dressing room is coming down with Ulster Championship medals, ours is not. That's something that we have to try and put right to some extent if we can, starting on Saturday."

DOWN (SFC v Armagh): Brendan McVeigh; Dan McCartan, Dan Gordon, Benny McArdle; Conor Garvey, Kevin McKernan, Declan Rooney; Kalum King, Peter Fitzpatrick; Danny Hughes, Martin Clarke, Paul McComiskey; John Clarke, Benny Coulter, Mark Poland.