Early Armagh goals kill off Fermanagh

• Published date: 15 April 2024
• Publication title: Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland)

Kieran McGeeney’s Orchard side had the win in the bag before the interval, with Fermanagh punished for turning the ball over as Armagh broke at pace to find the net on a couple of occasions, as they went in at the break with a 3-4 to 0-2 advantage

And they remained in control throughout the second half to set up that last-four meeting with the Mournemen.

Armagh were on top from the outset as Andrew Murnin and Rian O’Neill landed the opening scores, although Fermanagh did have a glorious goal chance in the fifth minute when Oisín Smyth got on the end of an Ultan Kelm pass in front of the goal, but Armagh defender Aaron McKay blocked his shot on the line.

Fermanagh then lost Kelm to a black card as he was adjudged to have pulled down Murnin and Armagh swooped for two goals during the spell.

The impressive Rory Grugan danced his way through a porous Erne rearguard in the 16th minute before feeding the ball across the goal for Conor Turbitt to palm home.

And two minutes later the away side hit the back of the net again, Armagh forcing a turnover before breaking forward. And although Murnin had his shot saved by Ross Bogue, the ball spilled kindly to Jarly Óg Burns to tap home to make it 2-2 to 0-0.

Fermanagh finally opened their account in the 22nd minute through a Seán Cassidy free but Armagh replied with points from Ciarán Mackin and Óg Burns before they then struck for goal number three.

Again, Fermanagh were guilty of coughing the ball up, and Turbitt, Joe McElroy and Murnin combined to tee up Stefan Campbell who palmed in at the back post to put the game out of the Ernemen’s reach by the 28th minute.

Complete control

Fionan O’Brien did rattle over a point for the home outfit late in...