Armagh too strong for Cavan

Ulster Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final:
Armagh 1-12 Cavan 0-9

Armagh gained revenge for last year’s Ulster Senior Football Championship defeat to Cavan with a quarter-final victory in the Athletic Grounds.

Armagh were well organised defensively and were the dominant side in a poor first half.

They kicked eleven wides in the opening period and should have led by a lot more than 0-5 to 0-2 at the break.

All but one of the first-half scores came from frees. The one point that was scored from play by Jamie Clarke came after a free rebounded off the post.

Cian Mackey was unable to start through injury and, like Dunne who sustained an injury in an incident in the warm-up, he was another huge blow to Cavan’s hopes of winning the game.

They scored the first two points of the game from frees by Eugene Keating in the opening seven minutes but failed to score again until the 45th minute.

In between times, Armagh scored eight points in a row.

Cavan rallied briefly with three points in a row, David Givney with two of them, to reduce the deficit to 0-9 to 0-6 but a goal by Caolan Rafferty after 52 minutes ensured victory for Armagh.

Both sides missed a number of goal chances and the game was littered by poor shooting and turnovers.

Armagh were comfortably the better side, however, and Aaron Kernan came off the bench to score three points.

Cavan had James McEnroe and Robert Maloney-Derham black carded late on while Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty was sent-off after picking up a yellow followed by a red.

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Scorers for Armagh: C Rafferty 1-0, J Clarke 0-4 (2f), A Kernan 0-3 (1f), E McVerry 0-2 (2f), E Rafferty 0-2 (one ’45’), M Shields 0-1.

Scorers for Cavan: G McKiernan 0-2 (1f), E Keating 0-2 (2f), D Givney 0-2, F Flanagan, M McKeever, C Mackey 0-1 each.

ARMAGH: P McEvoy; J Morgan, C Vernon, A Mallon; M Shields, B Donaghy, C McKeever; K Toner, A Findon; E McVerry, K Dyas, C Rafferty; S Campbell, E Rafferty, J Clarke. Subs: A Kernan for Shields (40), K Carragher for Campbell (51), T Kernan for McVerry (57), G McCooey for Clarke (69).

CAVAN: C Gilsenan; J McLoughlin, R Dunne, F Flanagan; J McEnroe, A Clarke, D O’Reilly; G McKiernan, D Givney; D McVitty, N McDermott, M Reilly; E Keating, J Brady, K Brady. Subs: C Mackey for O’Reilly (HT), T Mooney for McDermott (HT), R Maloney-Derham for K Brady (HT), M Argue for Clarke (57), J Hayes for McEnroe (BC, 62), M McKeever for Maloney-Derham (BC, 69).

REFEREE: Marty Duffy (Sligo).

Report: gaa.ie

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Meanwhile, the Ulster Council CCC have confirmed that both Ulster Senior Football Championship Semi Finals and Final will be played in St Tiernach’s Park Clones.

For all Ulster Championship fixtures, news and ticketing information, view www.ulster.gaa.ie/ulsterchampionship2014