Armagh will face holders Derry in the Ulster senior football championship final in two weeks’ time after hammering four goals past neighbours Down in Clones this afternoon.
It finished 4-10 to 0-12 in the Orchard men’s favour at St Tiernach’s Park, where Andrew Murnin and Shane McPartlan supplied the first-half goals in a devastating six-minute spell for the winners.
The semi-final derby had been all square on 0-3 apiece when Murnin got in for the first goal on 20 minutes and McPartlan’s superb strike would back it up and send Kieran McGeeney’s men towards a 2-4 to 0-6 lead at the half.
Jemar Hall and Murnin put six between the sides within five minutes of the restart and Mackin would supply the third goal by palming in a high ball that left Down with a mountain to try and climb in the closing 20 minutes.
The Mourne men wouldn’t register their first score of the second-half until Pat Havern’s free sailed between the Armagh posts in the 58th minute and, by that stage, Rian O’Neill had already banged in a fourth goal for McGeeney’s side.
Their focus now switches towards what is set to be a much taller order against Rory Gallagher’s Derry side the same venue a fortnight from today.
TweetWatch the Full-Time Highlights of Armagh v Down in the Ulster Senior Football Championship Semi-Final here on #GAANOW
— The GAA (@officialgaa) April 30, 2023
Full-Time Score:
Armagh: 4-10
⁰Down: 0-12 pic.twitter.com/LuY7OkWn5T