GAA SFC Round-up:Armagh put in a storming finish to deny neighbours Down 1-15 to 1-10 in their Ulster SFC quarter-final showdown at the Athletic Grounds this evening while Wexford were easy winners over Offaly in their Leinster encounter in Tullamore.
Jamie Clarke scored Armagh’s goal with Mark Poland finding the net for last year’s All-Ireland finalists in difficult wet conditions at the Armagh venue.
Clarke’s goal came in the fifth minute when Ciaran McKeever took a pass from Tony Kernan before picking out Clarke, who fired low and found the corner of the net.
Poland’s effort came in the 22nd minute in what was a fine individual effort after cutting open the Armagh defence.
There was little between the sides at the break with the Orchard County holding a narrow 1-08 to 1-06 lead.
The telling period of the match came in the closing stages when Armagh scored seven of the last eight scores to put daylight between them and the Mourne men.
Earlier Wexford were comfortable 2-16 to 0-08 winners over Offaly in their Leinster SFC encounter at Tullamore.
In a one-sided affair it was the hosts who came off second best as Ciaran Lyng and Redmond Barry found the Offaly goal either side of half-time.
Lyng scored the opening goal of the game after 20 minutes and when Ben Brosnan fired over his fourth point at the end of the first period it gave Wexford a commanding 1-09 to 0-06 lead at the break.
The writing was already on the wall at that stage and matters didn’t get any better in the second period.
Barry found an empty the net in the 54th minute and effectively killed the game off to make it 2-11 to 0-07.
Offaly only managed two points in the whole of the second period as Wexford strolled to victory.
Results
Leinster First round
SFC Offaly 0-08 Wexford 2-16 Tullamore
Ulster Quarter-final
SFC Armagh 1-15 Down 1-10 Athletic Grounds