ARMAGH 1-08 DOWN 1-05
ARMAGH were crowned Ulster Minor Football Champions after defeating rivals Down in an intense battle in Clones on Sunday.
While both sides displayed a ruthless ability of champagne football en route to the final, Sunday’s game was more a match of cat and mouse. Both sides cancelled each other out and like a game of chess Armagh made the right moves at the right time.
Down can gather themselves up knowing they were not too far away from victory and like the team of 2005, who lost to Armagh in the Ulster Final and then went on to win the All-Ireland, they have much more to offer the championship.
Armagh play Kildare, while Down take on Leinster Champions Dublin in the quarter-finals.
It was by no means a cracking game of free-flowing football, but when neighbours meet, especially in Armagh v Down games, there seems to be little between the teams.
The two sides played similar systems but at the end of the day Armagh were too strong.
They targeted Down’s key men, such as captain Ross McGarry, Robbie White and Mattie Bagnall and to a large extent nullified their threat.
Down failed to utilise McGarry. He is an excellent target man, but Down were forced to play down the wings and this suited the Armagh defence.
And Armagh’s back lines were simply awesome. Crossmaglen’ s Ronan Finnegan was magnificent at full back. He made numerous telling blocks and under the high ball he won a lot of battles. Armagh captain Declan McKenna and Culloville’s Niall Rowland divided their time trying to keep White and McGarry quiet and to a large extent they did that.
Crossmaglen’s James Morgan and Killeavy’s Kealan Downey also impressed and Downey even managed to nip up and score a point.
Down’s defence were also quite strong, with Kilcoo’s Ciaran McClean cancelling out the threat of Andrew Murnin, Glassdrumman’s Ryan Doran did an excellent man-marking job on Gavin McParland and corner back Darragh O’Hanlon got among the scores for the Mourne men.
Both sides enjoyed periods of dominance in midfield but it was Armagh’s ingenuity in attack, which won the game.
And while Down also had bags of creativity up front they failed to execute their efforts as efficiently as Armagh.
One main example of this is when McGarry took a 30-metre free before half-time. He cleverly attempted to sneak the ball under the bar but it crashed off the woodwork and went out.
At the other end of the field Armagh’s Robbie Tasker cheekily tried to lob Down keeper James Deeney, but the ball went over the bar.
Things like that decided the game and Armagh enjoyed the rub of the green.
Tasker showed flashes of his potential, while Mullaghbawn’s Eugene McVerry delivered when it mattered but the game was won when Ballymacnab’s Rory Grugan fired over two late points when Down looked to be closing in.
Both camps acknowledge that they can play better in quarterfinals. They won’t have the baggage of local rivalry and will be able to play with the freedom they have grown accustomed to.
Armagh have an Ulster Minor title and a few bragging rites but there is nothing to say the sides won’t meet again in September.
Armagh: Stephen O’Reilly, Kealan Downey, Ronan Finnegan, Kevin Nugent, Declan McKenna (captain), Niall Rowland, James Morgan, Peter Carragher (0-1), James Donnelly, Rory Gruggan (102), Andrew Murnin, Conor King, Robbie Tasker (0-2), Eugene McVerry (0-1, a free) and Gavin McParland (0-1). Subs used: Ryan Rafferty. Subs: Darren Kelly, Christopher McCaffrey, Dean Nugent, Niall McConville, Thomas McAlinden, Padraig Hollywood, Paul McGeown and Shane Mone.
Down:. James Deeny, Ryan Doran, Shane McNamee, Darragh Hanlon (0-1), Kevin McClorey (0-1), Ciaran McClean, Fergal McEvoy, Caolan Mooney (1-0), Niall McParland, Mark Haughey (0-1), Robbie White (0-1 a free), Keith Quinn, Mattie Bagnall, Ross McGarry (captain), and David McCabe (0-1 a free).Subs used: Niall Cunningham, David McEntee Donal O’Hare and Patrick Quinn. Subs: Kieran Maguire, Miceal Devlin, Ollie McClean, James McClean and Patrick Boyle.