Old hands save day for Armagh

Armagh 0-12 Down 0-7: Armagh stepped gingerly, rather than strode impressively, to their third league victory on the trot at Crossmaglen yesterday.

Down, humbled by Kildare last weekend, showed much more passion and skill and in the end Armagh had to rely on their experience, craft and the finishing power of Oisín McConville and Steven McDonnell in particular.

The home confidence was dented in the 18th minute when the lanky Dan Gordon flashed home the only goal of the game to put Down 1-1 to 0-3 ahead after Armagh, incredibly, had hit the woodwork three times in the first 11 minutes.

They were to strike the post twice more in a match, yet had reason to be grateful that Down missed glorious goal chances in the third quarter, after they had trailed by 0-7 to 1-3 at half time.

Down offered a stiff challenge to their hosts for two thirds of the game; but it was in the final phase that Armagh exerted a stranglehold in key areas, retaining the ball better and hitting five points in the last 20 minutes through McConville and McDonnell.

Down made life difficult for themselves by having Ronan Sexton and defenders Seán Farrell and Brendan Grant yellow carded. McConville also received a yellow card deep in injury-time, but by then Armagh had copper fastened their victory.

ARMAGH: P Hearty; A Mallon, J McNulty, E McNulty; A Kernan (0-1), K McGeeney, A McCann; J Toal, P McGrane; M O'Rourke (0-1), J McEntee, O McConville (0-4, three frees), S McDonnell (0-4, two frees), R Clarke (0-2), S Kernan. Subs: C McKeever for A Kernan (41 mins), K McElvanna for McGeeney (56 mins), G Loughran for S Kernan (56 mins). Yellow cards: McConville replaced by G Swift (72 mins).

DOWN: B McVeigh; G Barry, A Scullion, S Farrell; J Clarke, B Grant, A Brannigan; A Molloy (0-1), A Rogers; R Sexton, S Ward, B Coulter (0-2, one free), R Murtagh, D Gordon (1-1), D Hughes (0-2). Sub: S Kearney for Rogers (65 mins). Yellow cards: Sexton replaced by A O'Prey (38 mins), Farrell replaced by J Doran (52 mins), Grant replaced by F McGreevey (0-1, free, 60 mins).

Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).

• Diarmaid Marsden, who has just stepped down after 12 years with the Armagh squad, fractured his ankle playing for his club Clann na Gael (Lurgan) against Donegal side Termon in a challenge game on Saturday.