Down manager Gerard Monan was in no doubt what the turning point was in his side's comfortable Ulster SHC quarter-final victory over Armagh.

Scott Nicholson's goal on the stroke of half-time propelled the slow-starting Ardsmen into a 2-8 to 1-7 interval lead, and the result was never in any doubt after that as the newly-crowned Christy Ring Cup champions qualified for a semi-final date with Derry.

"Scott's goal came at the right time," he told the Irish News.

"We would not have been too happy, to be honest, with the way we were playing in the first half. Some things just would not have been acceptable, but I would not want to be too hard on them because it has been a hectic schedule.

"It has been a great week and we probably didn't get the chance to enjoy it as much as we would have liked to, though we enjoyed it pretty well before we returned to training on the Wednesday." Tweet

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