Ulster SFC: Armagh v Down – Match Preview, Pivotal Players and Previous Meetings

April 27th, 2024

Armagh v Down

St Tiernach’s Park Clones, 5.15pm (Live on GAA GO)

Referee: Liam Devenney (Maigh Eo)

A lot can change inside twelve months, especially in the world of Gaelic Football and it’s been one whole year since Down and Armagh renewed their age-old rivalry.

The two great foes meet once again at the same juncture as last year, at the same venue, with the dangling prize of a spot in the Ulster final up for grabs when the two lock horns in Clones today.

Armagh came out on top in 2023 thanks to four goals from Andrew Murnin, Shane McPartlan, Ciaran Mackin and Rian O’Neill to contest their first Ulster decider in 15 long years.

And twelve months on, Armagh are arguably in a better position with an all-round stronger squad. Peter McGrane and Oisin Conaty both emerged in the league as guaranteed starters.

Oisin O’Neill is back fit although his role has been very much limited to that of an impact sub while Blaine Hughes has been magnificent between the sticks.

Armagh easily dealt with their Division Two defeat to Donegal as they blew Fermanagh out of the water at Brewster Park two weeks ago. They looked like a team primed for a real tilt at an Ulster title.

Just the previous night, Down had secured their spot in the Ulster semi-final, but manager Conor Laverty wasn’t happy with how his side performed. Down looked sluggish but a few bursts of bright periods were enough to wrestle their way past a depleted Antrim team.

That’s two games in a row now that Down have failed to live up to the hype, that devastating Division Three final loss to Westmeath perhaps still lingering in the back of their minds.

But looking back at last season and on paper, the Mourne men have improved, given the personnel they have available. Barry O’Hagan has returned as has Caolan Mooney, although he is currently injured.

Odhran Murdock will be available for selection this time having missed out last year due to his involvement with the Down u20s and he’ll be a major boost for the men in red and black at centerfield.

Laverty’s match ups will be key this weekend but the problem for the Kilcoo native is deciding which fires he wants to put out.

Stefan Campbell, Conor Turbitt and Jarly Og Burns all claimed majors against Fermanagh, Grugan gave a man of the match performance and Andrew Murnin is Armagh’s best ball winner inside. Rian O’Neill played at midfield but drifted in and out of the forward line.

It looks like Kieran McGeeney’s team is further down the track and while Down need to win to keep their dreams of competing for the Sam Maguire alive, Armagh need a place in the Ulster final more and they look best placed to achieve that.

ARMAGH

Blaine Hughes
Paddy Burns
Aaron McKay
Peter McGrane
Joe McElroy
Ciaran Mackin
Aidan Forker
Rian O’Neill
Ben Crealey
Stefan Campbell
Rory Grugan
Oisin Conaty
Conor Turbitt
Andrew Murnin
Jarly Óg Burns
Ethan Rafferty
Barry McCambridge
Tiernan Kelly
Greg McCabe
Connaire Mackin
Darragh McMullan
Jason Duffy
Ross McQuillan
Aidan Nugent
Oisin O’Neill
Shane McPartlan

DOWN

John O’Hare
Peter Fegan
Ryan McEvoy
Ceilum Doherty
Miceal Rooney
Pierce Laverty
Shealan Johnston
Jonny Flynn
Odhran Murdock
Daniel Guinness
Liam Kerr
Ryan Johnston
Barry O Hagan
Pat Havern
Danny Magill
Kevin Anderson
Ryan Magill
Finn McElroy
James Guinness
Oisin Savage
Conor McCrickard
Shane Annett
Rory Mason
Gareth McKibben
Eamonn Brown
Paddy McCarthy

Pivotal Players

Armagh – Aidan Forker

The versatile Maghery man has been a consistent member of the Armagh team since making his debut in 2012. That year he made his bow lining out at wing forward against Down in the McKenna Cup, but has played almost everywhere during his career.

A renowned attacker at club level, Forker had a brilliant year at full forward in 2020 after helping Maghery win the Senior Championship for the second time.

For Armagh, Kieran McGeeney has looked to him to be the team’s go-to man-marker, but his offensive instinct and overall versality allows him be a launchpad for so much of the orchard County’s attacking play.

His display against Fermanagh last day out was an encapsulation of his experience – reading the game well, timing moves forward and floating a couple of dangerous balls into the square to mix up Armagh’s attacking dynamic.

Down – Miceal Rooney

Kilcoo clubman Rooney was one of Down’s best performers in the Quarter Final win over Antrim two weeks ago. He pierced through to clip over a first half point and took care of his defensive duties well on an afternoon where Down were more sturdy than spectacular.

Rooney’s effective ability to move the ball from defence to attack, a hallmark of his club role with Kilcoo, has been replicated in the Red and Black of his county. An All-Ireland Club winner with the Magpies in 2022, Rooney picked up the Man of the Match award in last year’s County Final win over Burren, his eighth Down SFC medal.

Dynamic, clever and full of work rate, expect to see Rooney popping up anywhere and everywhere on the Clones pitch this afternoon, and he’ll keep the Armagh rearguard on their toes with his support run routes and penetrating forages into space with the ball in hand.

Previous Three Meetings in Ulster SFC

30/04/2023

Ulster SFC Semi Final

Armagh 4-10 Down 0-12

Clones

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)

On a miserable day in Clones, Armagh displayed an insatiable appetite for this local derby and first half goals from Andrew Murnin and Shane McPartlan set them on their way to an Ulster Final appearance. Ciaran Mackin and Rian O’Neill hit the rigging again in the second half as they won out comfortable winners against a Down side who came into this game on the back of a home win against Donegal. One year on in the same venue, Down will be hoping for a much tighter encounter.

Armagh: E Rafferty, C O’Neill (0-1), A McKay, A Forker (0-1), Ciaran Mackin (1-0), G McCabe, J Og Burns, B Crealey, S McPartlan (1-0), J Duffy (0-2), J Hall (0-1), R O’Neill (1-0), R Grugan (0-1, 1F), A Murnin (1-1), C Turbitt. Subs: Connaire Mackin for Crealey, S Campbell (0-1) for McPartlan, R McQuillan for Hall, A Nugent (0-1) for Turbitt, Ó Conaty for Murnin, C Cumiskey (0-1) for Ciaran Mackin

Down: N Kane, P Laverty, S Annett, M Rooney, D Magill, N McParland, M Rooney, D Guinness, C Poland, R McEvoy (0-2, 2F), C Doherty, R Johnston (0-1), L Kerr (0-1), P Brannigan (0-1), P Havern (0-6, 5F), E Branagan. Subs: S Johnston for Annett, A Gilmore (0-1) for E Branagan, D McAleenan for Doherty, R Carr for P Branagan, C McCrickard for Poland

19/05/2019

Ulster SFC Quarter Final

Armagh 2-17 Down 3-13 (AET)

Páirc Esler

Referee: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow)

Armagh came from three points down in an extra-time thriller to earn their first Ulster SFC win under Kieran McGeeney. Caolan Mooney’s challenge on Burns led to his dismissal, Down leading by 1-5 to 0-7 at the break but facing into the second half with only 14 players.

Down handled the numerical disadvantage well, but goalkeeper Rory Burns’ black card put them on the back foot. Mark Hynes came on in goals for his Ulster SFC debut and when Armagh scored 1-2, they were leading 1-13 to 1-8 in the 67th minute, Donal O’Hare scored a goal out of nothing and points from Paul Devlin and James Guinness tied it up. Down were back up to 15 players for extra time and when they went three points up it looked a huge lead for tiring Armagh limbs to claw back.

A point from Ryan Kennedy followed a Stefan Campbell point immediately after the restart, respired new life into the game. Andrew Murnin hit 1-1 to turn the game on its head again and Rían O’Neill kicked what turned out to be the insurance point. Down’s late goal wasn’t enough to stay in the Ulster Championship.

Armagh Scorers: R O’Neill (0-8, 4fs), A Murnin (1-1), M Shields (1-0), J Clarke, R Kennedy & S Campbell (0-2 each), A Nugent & J Morgan (0-1 each).

Down Scorers: D O’Hare (1-2, 2fs), P Devlin (1-2, 2fs), P Havern (1-1), J Guinness (0-2), J Johnston (0-2, 1f), C Poland, C Francis, C Harrison & B O’Hagan (0-1 each).

04/06/2017

USFC Quarter Final

Down 0-15 Armagh 2-07

Páirc Esler

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)

Down ended a 25 year wait for a championship win over neighbours Armagh with this 0-15 to 2-7 Ulster SFC quarter-final success. Down raced into an early four-point?lead when Ryan Johnston hit the target. Armagh claimed their opening score at 13?minutes, with Mark Shields firing his shot to the roof of the net after the Mourne defence had failed to clear a dropping free kick.

Connaire Harrison’s point provided just brief respite for Eamonn Burns’ side, but at 21 minutes Jamie Clarke produced a touch of magic to send Stefan Campbell in, and when his shot was saved by Cunningham, Andrew Murnin seized the rebound to net from close range and give Armagh the lead for the first time and they led by 2-4 to 0-9 at the break.

Down points from O’Hanlon, Mooney and Conor Maginn give them the lead again and just two points separated the sides as the game approached its final ten minutes. Armagh needed a goal from a Clarke free in the in the 12th?minute of stoppage time, but he blazed over the bar as his side headed for the Qualifiers.

Down Scorers: D O’Hanlon (0-4, 2f), C Harrison (0-2), C Mooney (0-2), M Cunningham, C Maginn, S Millar, J Johnston, R Johnston,?B O’Hagan & D McKibben (0-1 each).

Armagh Scorers: M Shields (1-0), A Murnin (1-0), P Hughes, A McKay, S Sheridan, A Forker, J Clarke, A Duffy & G McParland (0-1 each).