Armagh too strong for Limerick
Armagh 4-10 Limerick 0-11
Armagh guaranteed that there will be four Ulster counties into the quarter-finals of the Bank of Ireland SFC with a demolition of a Limerick side, flattened by four goals and over reliant on captain Muiris Gavin at a sodden Dr Hyde Park this afternoon.
Gavin struck nine points with two from play, and his 21-metre free in the 19th minute had the sides level at 0-3 apiece.
In dreadful conditions and a constant drizzle, Armagh knocked in a goal 40 seconds later to signal their intent – Steven McDonnell striking home past the right hand of Seamus O’Donnell.
Two long-range scores from midfielder Paul McGrane had bolstered the Ulster side early on as Limerick sought to get in and ruffle the All-Ireland champions.
Half-forward Stephen Kelly impressed with his pace and one first-half score as did Conor Fitzgerald and Stephen Lucey who played in Limerick’s hurling qualifier against Offaly on Thursday.
Yet Limerick lacked that crucial punch in the final third, with Gavin their sole provider of scores from placed balls.
By the interval, he had four of Limerick’s 0-6 tally, with Armagh in the ascendancy thanks to another goal, this time from the returning Ronan Clarke in the 32nd minute.
McDonnell struck two second half goals for Armagh’s fifth and sixth of this summer’s championship to put the result beyond doubt.
