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Armagh 1-11 Fermanagh 0-08

Ronan Clarke played a key role in Armagh's victory over Fermanagh
Ronan Clarke played a key role in Armagh's victory over Fermanagh

Armagh won the Ulster SFC replay to claim their seventh provincial title in ten years in Clones with a comprehensive victory over Fermanagh in a game that lacked the quality and intensity of last week's original drawn encounter.

Inspired by the brilliant Aaron Kernan, they broke the brave resistance of a Fermanagh side seeking their first ever title.

The sides were level four times in the first half, and deadlocked at 0-04 each at the break, with Kernan hitting two Armagh frees, including the stoppage time equaliser.

Armagh gradually pulled away in the second half with scores from Ronan Clarke, Brian Mallon, Kernan and Steven McDonnell, who clinched victory with a 69th-minute goal.

The sides were level at 0-02 each at the end of the opening quarter, after Ryan Keenan and Eamon Maguire had swapped points with Armagh's Ronan Clarke and Aaron Kernan (free).

But the wasteful shooting that had blighted the Erne men in the drawn game re-emerged, and they hit nine wides in the first half.

Tony and Aaron Kernan got the Orchard men going again after McDonnell and Clarke had been off target with clear-cut chances.

Erne sub Tom Brewster hit a long range score, and Mark Little finally converted a Fermanagh free, following misses by Matthew Keenan and Ryan Keenan.

The sides were deadlocked on 0-04 each at the end of a poor, error-ridden first half, but Armagh began to impose themselves on the contest in the early stages of the second half, easing ahead through Brian Mallon, before Clarke's long-range effort opened out a two point advantage for the first time in the game.

Barry Owens' involvement lasted just eight minutes, the former All Star full-back stretchered off with a knee injury 13 minutes into the second half, but Brewster's free renewed Erne spirits.

However, it was Armagh who used their experience to exert a measure of control, and when Kieran Toner stopped the rampaging Marty McGrath in his tracks with a classic and crucial tackle, the counter-attack saw McDonnell kick his first point in the 58th minute.

Fermanagh soon found themselves trailing by four, and the game was slipping away in front of a crowd of 32,121.

They scored just twice in the final quarter, while the Orchard men closed the game out with scores from McDonnell and Aaron Kernan, with his fourth free, before McDonnell grabbed the only goal of the game, netting from close range after Clarke had blasted against the crossbar.

Armagh: P Hearty, A Mallon, F Bellew, F Moriarity, A Kernan (0-04, 4f), A O'Rourke, C McKeever, P McGrane, K Toner, C Vernon, B Mallon (0-01), M O'Rourke S McDonnell (1-02, 1f), R Clarke (0-02), T Kernan (0-02, 1f).
Subs used: P Kernan for A Mallon, S Kernan for T Kernan, P Duffy for Vernon, B Donaghy for Bellew.

Fermanagh: R Gallagher, S Goan, S McDermott, P Sherry, D Kelly (0-01), R McCluskey, T McElroy, M McGrath, M Murphy, C McElroy, M Keenan, R Keenan (0-01), E Maguire (0-02), L McBarron, M Little (0-01, f).
Subs used: T Brewster (0-02, 1f) for M Keenan, B Owens for McBarron, S McCabe (0-1) for McElroy, J Sherry for Owens, S Doherty for R Keenan.

Referee: M Deegan (Laois).

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