GAA:Down booked their place in the Ulster SHC semi-final with considerable ease after defeating Armagh 4-29 to 0-09 at Casement Park. They will now take on London after they had earlier staged a remarkable comeback against Derry at the same venue.
Johnny McCusker and Aidan Clarke caused the main damage to a 14-man Armagh side with two goals apiece. Donal Carvill was sent off at the start of the second half.
The opening exchanges told little of how the outcome would transpire as Down held a narrow 0-06 to 0-05 lead after 20 minutes.
Then Connor Woods fed a ball in for McCusker who fired the ball into the Armagh net with Down going on to open up a 1-13 to 0-6 lead at the break.
Carvill received a straight red card five minutes into the second period for an off the ball incident with McCusker. It didn’t stop the latter continue to put points on the board for Down.
Armagh’s Fintan Woods had a goal disallowed on a square ball call, but in truth they were always second best.
Substitute Clarke fired home Down’s second goal with 20 minutes to go when the Armagh defence failed to clear Paul Braniff's free.
McCusker added to the misery when he got his second from close range after Fintan Conway fired a long ball into the area.
Down’s final goal came in the closing minutes when Clarke converted an untidy piece of play.
Earlier in the day London came from behind to defeat Derry 2-12 to 0-15. Derry had held a narrow 0-7 to 0-6 at the break before they went six points clear in the second half with Ruairi Convery in particularly good form.
However Mark Mythen scored two vital goals for London in a three minute period to turn the game on its head.