Down 8-14 Armagh 3-9 Down's relentless full-forward line combined for a tally of 6-8 to sink Armagh last Sunday in Casement Park to set up an ESB Ulster MHC final with Antrim, as they look to upset the odds and collect their first piece of provincial silverware in 14 years. Conor Mageean got the ball rolling for the Mourne hurlers when he hit the net inside the first two minutes, which was followed up by Paul O'Neill and the superb full-forward line of Daniel Toner, Conor Dorrian and Conor Doran all raising green flags to put the result beyond the Orchard County. Down lead at the interval through a commanding lead of 5-10 to 2-4, with Armagh's two goals coming from full-forward Conor Coulter to try and stage a revival at the midway stage of the half. Kevin McKernan pointed early in the restart for the trailers but a brace of goals from Conor Doran in a minute buried any outside chance of Armagh getting back into proceedings. Daniel Toner hit Down's eight goal on 52 minutes and the last action of the afternoon was for Coulter to secure a hat-trick of goals, but to no avail as Down would have had their minds set on an Ulster final place in two weeks at that stage. Down - P McNally; J Smith, F Rodgers, M Hughes; M Teague, A O'Prey, M Taylor; S Conlon 0-3, M Cunningham 0-1; P O'Neill 1-0, D Ennis 0-1, C Mageean 1-1; D Toner 3-2, C Dorrian 1-2, C Doran 2-4. Subs - B Toner for Rodgers; K Coyle for Dorrian; D Doherty for O'Neill, C Hughes for Mageean Armagh - C McKee; P Casey, J King, N Hawes; D Nugent, C McNaughton, T Hegarty; R Morgan, M Green 0-1; K McKiernan 0-6, M Lennon 0-1, D McBride; T Duffy, C Coulter 3-1, N Moen. Subs - C Corvan for Hawes; JJ Hughes for Casey; C Rushe for Smith; M Carville for Moen Referee - R Mathews (Antrim) Tweet

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