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Ruthless Armagh march past Down into Ulster final

Updated / Sunday, 3 May 2026 18:32
3 May 2026; Conor Turbitt of Armagh shoots to score his side's third goal during the Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship semi-final match between Armagh and Down at St Tiernach's Park in Clones, Monaghan. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Conor Turbitt scored Armagh's third goal

Rampant Armagh ruthlessly dismantled Down's dream of stringing another Ulster Championship surprise as they romped to a record-equalling 28 points semi-final win at Clones.

They showed no mercy in brushing their neighbours aside in a demolition derby or momentous proportions, never troubled by a Mourne side that had stunned holders Donegal in the quarter-final.

The pain of this enormous reversal will take some time to heal, made all the more agonising by its implications for the summer ahead, as it pushed Conor Laverty’s side out of the All-Ireland series and into the Tailteann Cup.

Conor Turbitt, Oisin Conaty and Darragh McMullen tormented the Mourne defence all afternoon in a relentless march towards the Down goal.

The Orchard men face Monaghan in the decider in two weeks’ time, and appear to be on a mission to claim a first provincial decider since 2008.

An encouraging start for Down saw wing-back Daniel Guinness charge forward to pick off a couple of early scores as they went 0-03 to 0-01 in front.

3 May 2026; Odhran Murdock of Down in action against Tiernan Kelly of Armagh during the Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship semi-final match between Armagh and Down at St Tiernach's Park in Clones, Monaghan. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Odhran Murdock of Down in action against Tiernan Kelly of Armagh

The energy and directness which had served them well at Letterkenny in a shock win over Donegal was harnessed once again as Shane Annett and Odhran Murdock tagged on scores, all looking good for Conor Laverty’s side at 0-05 to 0-02 after ten minutes.

It could have been better, had John McGeough connected with Pat Havern’s route one deliver to the edge of the square, the corner-forward foiled by the stretching claw of an alert defender.

Armagh’s structured, patient approach was contained until they stepped up the tempo, flicked a switch and blew their opponents away in a devastating 20-minute spell that saw them outscore Down by 2-10 to 0-02.

Feeding off Blaine Hughes’ accurate kick-outs, they powered forward, shifting the Down cover left and right and creating space by overloading the full-forward line.

As the ball bobbled around in midfield, it was McMullen who showed the hunger to seize possession and inject pace into the move which Tomas McCormack finished to the net.

Down struggled to read the clever movement of the Orchard men, who kept the score-board ticking through Turbitt, Oisin Conaty, Tiernan Kelly, Jarly Óg Burns and Cian McConville.

And in the 31st minute, Down goalkeeper Ronan Burns over-committed as he pressed the Armagh kick-out, McMullen winning the battle for possession to punt the ball forward for Turbitt to punch home his side’s second goal.

Down had gone 15 minutes without a score when Havern sliced over a point, and they faced an almost impossible task as Armagh came out for the second half with a 2-12 to 0-07 lead and the wind in their backs.

The manner in which McMullen strolled unopposed through the middle to land a two-pointer suggested that Mourne resistance would be at best fragile, and so it transpired.

Conaty’s weaving runs saw him add another couple to his tally, and Armagh’s absolute dominance of the battle for possession around the middle piled further pressure on a creaking defence.

Down threatened sporadically, and went for goals on a couple of occasions, forcing Hughes into smart saves from Guinness, who unleashed a long-range effort, and Liam Kerr.

But it was Armagh who hit the net for the second time in the 53rd minute, Conaty providing the assist for Turbitt’s clinical finish to the bottom corner, the lead now out to 22 points.

McMullen, McCormack and Burns, who finished with four points from wing-back, ran freely at the Down defence, keeping the score-board ticking, and the O’Neill brothers, Oisin and Aaron, came off the bench to kick two-pointers.

Token scores from Barry O’Hagan, Kerr, Ryan Magill and Guinness did little to ease the pain for a Down side that faces a challenge in restoring morale ahead of the Tailteann Cup.

Armagh: B Hughes; P McGrane (0-01), A McKay, P Burns; J McElroy, T Kelly (0-01), J Og Burns (0-04); J Duffy (0-01), A Murnin (0-03); G McCabe, D McMullen (0-02, tp), T McCormack (1-02); O Conaty (0-05), C Turbitt (2-05, 0-03f), C McConville (0-03, 1f).

Subs: O O’Neill (0-04, 1tp) for McCabe (50), D Magee for Murnin (51), G Murphy for McElroy (54), T Galvin for Turbitt (58), A O’Neill (0-02, tp) for Conaty (59)

Down: R Burns; P Fegan, P Laverty, C Rogers; C Mooney, S Annett (0-01), D Guinness (0-04); O Murdock (0-01), R McEvoy; M Rooney, C Doherty, P McPolin; A Crimmins, P Havern (0-02, 1f), J McGeough.

Subs: L Kerr (0-02) for McGeough (25), J Doran for Crimmins (h-t), R Magill (0-02) for Rooney (38), B O’Hagan (0-02) for Havern (46), F McElroy for McPolin (54), T Close McEvoy, blood (61)

Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).

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