Mayo 3-13
Armagh 0-9

Mayo remain on course to retain the Tom Markham Cup after comfortably accounting for Armagh in this afternoon's All-Ireland MFC quarter-final at Croke Park.

The Connacht and All-Ireland champions proved much too strong for the beaten Ulster finalists, with two goals from Connacht final man of the match Brian Reape shortly after half-time putting the result beyond any doubt.

The game was evenly contested up until just before the halfway stage when Fionan Duffy's goal put daylight between the sides for the first time. Mayo went on to lead by 1-6 to 0-4 at the break before taking complete control in the second period.

Points from Oisin O'Neill and Ryan McKeown gave the Orchard County an early 0-2 to 0-1 advantage, but it was the only time in the game that they led as the winners hit back with scores from Gary Boylan and team captain Cian Hanley (two, one free) to lead by 0-4 to 0-3.

Armagh regained parity, 0-4 each, after 25 minutes, but the Westerners hit an unanswered 1-2 coming up to the break to stamp their authority on proceedings. Barry Duffy edged them back in front before Fionan Duffy raised their first green flag after being set up by Hanley. Reape added a point to leave five in it at the interval.

On the restart, Fionan Duffy tagged on two more points before Reape ended the game as a contest with a great finish to the roof of the Armagh net in the 38th minute.

TJ Byrne shot another point before Reape scored his second major to stretch Mayo's lead to 13 points, 3-9 to 0-5.

Hanley put 14 between the teams before Oisin O'Neill got three points back for the Ulster boys. But late scores from Conor Byrne and Oisin Horan sealed a facile win for Enda Gilvarry's impressive charges.

Scorers - Mayo: B Reape 2-1, F Duffy 1-2, C Hanley 0-3 (1f), M Ruane 0-1, G Boylan 0-1, B Duffy 0-1, TJ Byrne 0-1, S Conlon 0-1, C Byrne 0-1, O Horan 0-1. Armagh: O O'Neill 0-4 (3f), R McKeown 0-1, R Hughes 0-1 (1f), J Burns 0-1, C McConville 0-1, C Grimley 0-1.

Mayo: Matthew Flanagan; Conor Kilkenny, Séamus Cunniffe, Eoin O'Donoghue; Jason Forkan, Barry Duffy, Seán Conlon; Gary Walsh, Matthew Ruane; Gary Boylan, Cian Hanley, Sharoize Akram; Fionán Duffy, TJ Byrne, Brian Reape. Subs: Conor Byrne for G Boylan (39), Stephen Brennan for Kilkenny (45), David Clarke for Forkan (50), Liam Byrne for F Duffy (55), Oisín Horan for Conlon (58), Keith Hopkins for Ruane (60).

Armagh: Ryan Kearney; Fergus Quinn, Aidan Rushe, Cathal Donnelly; Pádraig Judge, Cathair McKinney, Conor McNicholl; Jarlath Burns, Ryan McKeown; Jack Rafferty, Oisin O'Neill, Kyle Mallon; Ryan Hughes, Shane Conlon, Caolán McConville. Subs: Conor Murphy for McKeown (HT) Cathal Boylan for Mallon (41), Conor Grimley for Conlon (41), Ciarán Higgins for P Judge (44), Conor Murphy for C McNicholl (47), P Quinn for R Hughes (55)

Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon). Tweet

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