Crossmaglen Rangers eased into the final of the AIB All-Ireland Club Championship with an emphatic 4-12 to 0-06 victory over outclassed Dromcollogher-Broadford at Longford's Pearse Park this afternoon.
The Armagh and Ulster champions recovered from the early loss of Tony McEntee as Aaron Kernan and John Murtagh goals saw them lead 2-06 to 0-04 at the break.
It was more of the same in a one-sided second half as Tony Kernan netted twice to give the Ulstermen a comfortable win and book their place in the St Patrick's Day final against Kilmacud Crokes.
Patrick Donnelly opened the scoring for Limerick and Munster champions Dromcollogher in the first minute, but Crossmaglen showed their intent with an immediate and decisive response.
Just a minute later, Aaron Kernan found Jamie Clarke with a superb through ball from just inside the opposition half and the former clipped the ball clinically over the advancing Eamonn Scollard in the Drom goal.
Oisín McConville and Murtagh added further points before Crossmaglen's early joy was tempered by the enforced withdrawal of Tony McEntee through injury.
Derry McCarthy hit back with a fine surging run and point for Drom in the seventh minute, but it was another 20 minutes before they added to their tally.
The Armagh side struck for a second goal four minutes later, when Murtagh fisted home a fine move from half-back Francie Bellew's pass along the endline to give Crossmaglen a 2-03 to 0-02 lead.
Ray Lynch and Michael Reidy ended the Limerick side's barren spell with points as the half drew to a close, but subsequent points from Stephen Kernan (two) and McConville saw the Armagh men lead by eight points at the interval.
Lynch pointed soon after the restart but Crossmaglen continued to dominate throughout, with 22-year-old substitute Tony Kernan stamping his mark on the game with two fine goals.
His first goal came at the end of an excellent had-passing movement, while he capitalised on a mix-up in the opposition defence to slot home the second as Crossmaglen stormed 4-07 to 0-05 clear.
There was no way back now for Dromcollogher-Broadford and further points in the closing stages from Aaron Kernan, Clarke, Kyle Carragher and McConville saw the 13 consecutive Armagh winners coast home.
Crossmaglen Rangers: P Hearty; B McKeown, P Kernan, P McKeown; A Kernan (0-02, 1f), F Bellew, J Donaldson; T McEntee, D McKenna; M McNamee, J McEntee, J Clarke (1-02); S Kernan (0-02), J Murtagh (1-01), O McConville (0-04, 1f).
Subs used: T Kernan (2-00) for T McEntee (5 mins, inj), S Finnegan for J Murtagh, M Aherne for McNamee, K Carragher (0-1) for Donaldson, J Hanratty for McConville (all 45).
Dromcollogher-Broadford: E Scollard; D O'Leary, T Stack, E Barry; N Conway, T McLoughlin, M Clancy; P Donnelly (0-01, 1f), J Stokes; D McCarthy (0-01), M Reidy (0-02, 2f), S Buckley; G Egan, R Lynch (0-02), G Noonan.
Subs used: K Culhane for Clancy (37 mins, inj), J O'Kelly for Noonan (52), M O'Sullivan for Donnelly (55), D O'Connor for Barry (57), J Ryan for Egan (59).
Referee: Derek Fahy (Longford).
