It was men against boys at Brewster Park tonight as Fermanagh eased past 14-man Armagh in a one-sided contest, 0-12 to 0-7.

With 8,421 in attendance for what was the third meeting of these teams inside two months, a well-drilled and astute home side outmuscled and outsmarted their lacklustre opponents to seal a provincial semi-final date with either Tyrone or Monaghan next month.

For the fourth successive year, Kieran McGeeney's men have thus exited the Anglo-Celt Cup at the first hurdle. The dismissal of midfielder Niall Grimley early in the second half didn't help their cause but can hardly be proffered as an excuse as they were extremely poor throughout. The losers didn't score from play after the restart, with only three frees from substitute Rory Grugan adding to their tally.

The hosts - for whom Seamus Quigley pointed six times - were tactically superior in the opening period and, despite playing into a stiff breeze, turned around leading by six points to four. There were four sets of brothers in the Ernesiders' team and two of those men - Declan McCusker and Ryan Jones - were simply brilliant.

Armagh made two late changes to their starting XV, with Ryan McShane and Ethan Rafferty included in place of Colm Watters and captain Grugan, while Rory Gallagher's well-prepped charges lined out as selected.

Seamus Quigley opened the scoring from a free to give his side a lead they would not relinquish after Sean Quigley had drawn a fine save from Blaine Hughes; McCusker's strike was cancelled out by Mark Shields before wing back Barry Mulrone nudged the hosts two clear again, 0-3 to 0-1.

Ryan Jones surged forward from midfield to stretch Fermanagh's advantage and Rafferty replied with a superb brace - one free and one from play - to leave the minimum between them at the midway stage in the first half.

Fermanagh manager Rory Gallagher and selector Ryan McMenamin. ©INPHO/James Crombie.

Jones popped over his second score on 25 minutes and McParland and Seamus Quigley traded frees to close the first-half scoring.

The tide - as well as the wind! - turned well and truly in Fermanagh's favour in the first minute after the restart when Armagh were reduced to 14 men as midfielder Niall Grimley received a straight red card for elbowing Sean Quigley; Seamus Quigley swung over the resultant free to make it seven-four.

Sean Quigley left it double scores in the 41^st minute and wing back Lee Cullen made it 0-9 to 0-4, then Seamus Quigley nonchalantly swung over a free on 50 minutes following a foul on Eoin Donnelly.

Grugan replied from a straightforward Armagh free - their first score of the second half arriving 19 minutes in. Another Grugan free left just four between them at the three-quarters stage but the out-of-sorts Orchard then hit a number of poor wides before Seamus Quigley cut inside Brendan Donaghy to fist over a point eight minutes from time: 0-11 to 0-6.

A 67^th-minute Quigley free - his sixth point - made it double scores again and all Armagh could muster in response was a solitary consolation point via another Grugan free in the second of five added minutes.

The Qualifiers beckon for the Orchard County, who had 13 wides tonight, while Fermanagh look like a side that's going to take serious stopping in Ulster.

Fermanagh - P Cadden; K Connor, C Cullen, M Jones; B Mulrone (0-1), J McMahon, L Cullen (0-1); E Donnelly, R Jones (0-2); P McCusker, D McCusker (0-1), A Breen; Sean Quigley (0-1), C Jones, Seamus Quigley (0-6, 5f). Subs: C Corrigan for Sean Quigley, D Teague for P McCusker, E Maguire for A Breen, C McManus for K Connor, T Clarke for C Jones.

Armagh - B Hughes; P Burns, A McKay, B Donaghy; C Mackin, G McCabe, M Shields (0-1); C Vernon, B Crealey; R McShane, A Forker, N Grimley; E Rafferty (0-2, 1f), A Murnin, G McParland (0-1). Subs: N Rowland for B Crealey, J McElroy for C Mackin, R Grugan (0-3f) for G McParland, J Hall for R McShane, E McGeown for E Rafferty.

Referee - P Neilan.

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