Antrim 2-20 Armagh 2-12:LOOKING TOWARDS next weekend's All-Ireland SHC qualifier, the Antrim management rested most of their senior players and gave the fringe men their head against Armagh. The gambled paid off as they collected the title for a 10th consecutive season.
However, it took a goal entering injury time to shake off an excellent effort from Armagh. Antrim controlled most of the first half as a ninth-minute goal from Conor McCall, after Armagh full back Ciarán Clifford collided with an in-rushing forward, gave Antrim a 1-3 to 0-3 lead.
They rushed into a 1-9 to 0-5 lead by the 22nd minute with Joey Scullion accurate from placed balls.
Ryan Gaffney kept Armagh in touch with scores from frees and Conor Corvan gave the home defence some anxious moments, but Aaron Graffin swept up a lot of the danger.
It was 1-11 to 0-6 on the half-hour when the visitors were thrown a lifeline. Corvan latched on to a deft pass from Paul McCormack to crack home a goal to leave the interval score at 1-12 to 1-6.
In the opening minutes of the second half, Gaffney and midfielder Kieran McKernan narrowed the gap with points. In the 43rd minute it was 1-15 to 1-10 as Gaffney screwed over a super score from the endline, but points by Eddie McCloskey and Karl McKeegan, who was moved out from corner forward to midfield, stretched Antrim’s advantage.
Seven points (1-18 to 1-11) separated the sides after 57 minutes before Armagh served notice that they hadn’t gone away. A close-in Paul McCormack free was blocked down and the Keady man rifled the rebound to the net. The free had been awarded when Herron fouled and received his second yellow card.
With five points between the sides and minutes left, Paddy Doherty slammed the door shut on Armagh when his rocket crashed off a post and in a goalmouth scramble he trickled the sliotar over the line.
ANTRIM: C Cunningham; A Graffin, K McGourty, J McCouaig; K McKeague, M Donnelly, C Herron (0-2); B McFall (0-1), J Black; J Scullion (0-7, 0-5 frees), T McCann (0-3), E McCloskey (0-1); P Doherty (1-2), C McFall (1-0), K McKeegan (0-3). Subs: K Molloy for McKeague, C Carson for Black (both half-time), P Shiels (0-1) for B McFall (55 mins), D Hamill for McCann (66 mins). Yellow cards: McKeague (17 mins), Herron (54, 63 mins), McKeegan (67 mins). Red card: Herron (63 mins).
ARMAGH: S Doherty; M Mallon, C Clifford, JJ Hughes; B McCormack, R McGrattan (0-1, free), N Curry; K McKernan (0-1), J Corvan (0-1); C Carvill (0-1), R Gaffney (0-6, 0-6 frees), M Lennon; M Moen, P McCormack (1-0), C Corvan (1-2). Subs: D Carvill for Lennon (44 mins), C McKee for Hughes (48 mins), M Maguire for Moen (66 mins). Yellow cards: JJ Hughes (31 mins), McGrattan (39 mins), Mallon (63 mins).
Referee: D Magee (Down).
