Cavan 0-12
Armagh 1-14
ARMAGH BOOKED THEIR Ulster senior football championship semi-final spot with a dominant five-point win over Cavan at a rain-drenched Kingspan Breffni Park this evening.
Kieran McGeeney’s side face Donegal or Down next, while the Breffni county head for the Tailteann Cup — a competition in which they were runners-up last year.
Conor Turbitt was excellent again for the Orchard with 0-7 (2f, 1m), while Ben Crealey bagged their goal to cap a powerful first-half showing. In other positives, Rian O’Neill and Aidan Nugent made their respective returns from the bench.
But McGeeney will now look to improve on the second half: Cavan dominated their kick-out, and they scored just four points.
Mickey Graham will be left disappointed with Cavan’s showing. They hit 16 wides — Armagh had just three — and really should have done better down the home straight after clawing their way back into the game.
Watch the Full-Time Highlights of Cavan v Armagh in the Ulster Senior Football Championship here on #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/kkLyl0KS2l
— The GAA (@officialgaa) April 22, 2023
Armagh made a bright start, 0-3 ahead before Cavan opened their account in the 11th minute. Turbitt hit two points from play and fly-goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty added a ’45. The hosts were wasteful in attack, but Cian Madden and Oisin Brady soon got them up and running.
Armagh scored six of the next seven points, as they opened up a 0-9 to 0-3 led by the half-hour mark. Turbitt was on song with 0-3 (2f) of that, while Andrew Murnin, Shane McPartland and Rory Grugan got in on the act as they made their dominance show on the scoreboard, their attack imperious.
Paddy Lynch, like many of Cavan’s key men, was well shackled but a bright spark for the Breffni. He broke that sequence with the first of his points from play, and added a free. But Jamar Hall soon cancelled that out and a 33rd-minute goal made it 1-10 to 0-4. It was midfielder Healy who raised the white flag, palming home after an excellent team move but there were questions about a potential square ball.
To Cavan’s credit, they responded well, and found a way to counter Armagh’s well set-up defence. Conor Brady and Madden reduced the deficit to seven points — 1-10 to 0-6 — at the break.
Lynch drew first blood on the restart, with Gearóid McKiernan breaking free to follow suit and make his impact felt. While Cavan pressed high and thwarted the Armagh kick-out for the most part, Rafferty managed to play one over the top, off which Greg McCabe ended their 13-minute scoreless period. Turbitt tacked on a mark and another from play, before Conor O’Neill made it 1-14 to 0-8 in the 56th minute. That would be Armagh’s last score.
McKiernan (two) and Lynch were on target from open play thereafter, but Cavan’s shooting — and more so, shot selection — let them down time and time again.
Substitute Tiarnan Madden was denied a championship debut goal in the 67th minute, after returning talisman O’Neill popped up with a remarkable block. Captain Raymond Galligan nailed the subsequent ’45, but that would be the game’s last act of note.
Cavan were left to rue several bad wides down the home straight as a disappointing evening came to tame close.
Scorers for Cavan: Paddy Lynch 0-4 (1f), Gearóid McKiernan 0-3 (1f), Cian Madden 0-2, Conor Brady, Oisin Brady and Raymond Galligan (’45) 0-1 each.
Scorers for Armagh: Conor Turbitt 0-7 (2f, 1m), Ben Crealey 1-0, Ethan Rafferty (’45), Andrew Murnin, Shane McPartland, Rory Grugan, Jamar Hall, Greg McCabe, Conor O’Neill 0-1 each.
Cavan
1. Raymond Galligan
2. Killian Clarke, 3. Padraig Faulkner, 4. Jason McLoughlin
5. Ciarán Brady, 6. Oisin Kiernan, 7. Gerard Smith
8. Gearóid McKiernan, 9. James Smith
10. Conor Brady, 11. Dara McVeety, 12. Jonathan McCabe
13. Cian Madden, 14. Paddy Lynch, 15. Oisin Brady
Subs
- 19. Niall Carolan for Jason McLoughlin (28 — injury)
- 20. Tiarnan Madden for Jonathan McCabe (HT)
- 18. Conor Madden for Oisin Kiernan (58)
- 17. Conor Moynagh for James Smith (63)
- 21. Brandon Boylan for Ciarán Brady (67)
Armagh
1. Ethan Rafferty
2. Conor O’Neill, 3. Aaron McKay, 4. Aidan Forker
5. Greg McCabe, 6. Ciarán Mackin, 7. Jarlath Óg Burns
8. Ben Crealey, 9. Shane McPartlan
10. Stefan Campbell, 11. Jamar Hall, 12. Jason Duffy
13. Rory Grugan, 14. Andrew Murnin, 15. Conor Turbit
Subs
- 24. Rian O’Neill for Jamar Hall (43)
- 25. Aidan Nugent for Andrew Murnin (54)
- 21. Stephen Sheridan for Ben Crealy (57)
- 17. Ciaran Higgins for Shane McPartlan (69)
Referee: Paul Faloon (Down).
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