Armagh showed their dominance against Cavan in a one-sided Ulster SFC quarter-final match at a rain-soaked Kingspan Breffni stadium.
Armagh 1-14 Cavan 0-12
The Orchard men took an early lead and never looked back. They stretched the lead to nine points just before half-time, thanks to Ben Crealey’s goal. Although Cavan tried to mount some comebacks, they fell short, and Armagh won the match by five points.
Armagh as Favourites
Armagh came in as the favourites, having been close to an All-Ireland semi-final last year. Cavan boasted their most experienced and decorated squad in decades, but the home fans still felt that the match would be close. Both teams will start next season in Division Two, and while Armagh has made incremental progress, Cavan had the advantage of having up to 10 of the squad above or close to 100 caps.
Armagh’s Efficiency
Armagh was much more efficient, having no wides in the first half, which set the tone for the match. Conor Turbitt’s movement and slick finishing caused Cavan huge problems, and Armagh repeatedly cut them open with smart movement and crisp finishing. Cavan had to work much harder for their scores.
First Half Dominance
Armagh set the pattern early on, with two early left-footed points from Turbitt and a 45 from sweeper-keeper Ethan Rafferty easing them in front. Cavan belatedly opened their account after 11 minutes, but Armagh did not panic. Turbitt nailed two frees, and Andrew Murnin hit Armagh’s sixth. Armagh’s dominance was clear as they led by nine points just before half-time.
Second Half Response
Cavan hit four points in a row either side of half-time, but Armagh responded with a hat-trick of scores from Greg McCabe and Turbitt. Cavan’s poor shooting didn’t help their cause, as they kicked 15 wides in all and dropped another couple short. Armagh’s defence was also superb, giving away few scoreable frees. Cavan couldn’t keep up with the pace of the game, and Armagh’s work-rate was excellent.
Armagh’s Memorable Win
In the last 15 minutes, including injury time, Cavan did exert some pressure, but Armagh dealt with it well. The final four efforts on goal in the match were all Cavan wides. It was a forgettable night for Cavan and a memorable win for Armagh, who turned in their best performance of the season.
