ARMAGH WILL TAKE on Antrim in this year’s Ulster senior hurling final after the Orchard County recorded a thrilling win over Down this evening.
Despite trailing by 0-13 to 1-1 after half-an-hour of their semi-final at the Athletic Grounds, Armagh ran out seven-point winners against a Down side who finished the game with 12 players following three second-half red cards.
Armagh raced into an early lead thanks to a Cahal Carvill goal and a point from Conor Corvan, but Down quickly assumed control and hit 12 points without reply — six of which came from the stick of Conor O’Prey — to lead by nine points with five minutes remaining in the opening period.
However, Armagh finished the half strongly, with 1-1 from Declan Coulter and a point from Eoin McGuinness leaving just four between the teams at the break. Armagh carried that momentum into the second half and they edged in front on 55 minutes thanks to a goal from Corvan, which left them 3-7 to 0-15 in front.
As Down’s discipline abandoned them, Armagh capitalised and they sealed the victory with a fourth goal in the closing stages from Coulter. It ended 4-12 to 0-17 in Armagh’s favour.
In the first of today’s semi-finals at the Athletic Grounds, Antrim had a very comfortable 3-28 to 0-14 win against Derry, with the goals coming courtesy of PJ O’Connell, Eddie McCloskey and Sean McAfee.
Antrim — aiming for their 15th consecutive title — and Armagh will meet in the final on 10 July, when the Orchard County will hope to make it third-time-lucky by avenging their defeats to the same oppositon in the deciders of 1946 and 2011 and winning the provincial championship for the first time.
