Comment: Hammer-and-tongs clash ultimately leaves Armagh floored

Monaghan were left standing after a dramatic climax to the Ulster sides' meeting. 

DOWN AND OUT: Armagh's Stefan Campbell gets stuck underneath the goals. Picture: INPHO/Ben Brady

Relentless drumming. Hammer meeting hammer flush and direct. Here are the terms of the day. Attack their strengths. Mitigate all weaknesses. Entrap this quarter-final clash in a cage of angst and desperation.

There are never grand shifts in claustrophobic tugs-of-war like this. It is always the same. Therefore, start out by seeking solid ground and falling back on what you know. Armagh compete and show glimpses of class. They always come so close. But Monaghan are splendidly belligerent. They win tight battles.