Armagh punish wasteful Cavan in emphatic win

Cavan suffered a bruising defeat at the hands of Armagh in the Athletic Grounds on Wednesday evening, with turnovers and a comprehensive loss of the kick-out battle at both ends proving decisive as the Orchard County powered to a 21-point victory.

Chris Conroy’s side, who had impressed in their opening-round win over reigning All-Ireland champions Tyrone, were a pale shadow of that performance here. They repeatedly gave away possession cheaply and were completely overrun around restarts, allowing Armagh to dictate the tempo from the outset and build momentum that Cavan never managed to halt.

Playing against the breeze in the opening half, Cavan did manage the first score when Jack Dobson split the posts after good work from Dylan Edwards, who drove inside the 13-metre line before offloading to the forward.

But Armagh’s response was immediate and emphatic. Eoin Duffy curled over a superb two-pointer to erase the deficit and set the tone, and from there the home side seized control.

Fergal Boylan followed with a point and quickly added another after Armagh claimed the resulting kick-out, highlighting the growing gulf between the sides in that sector. Michael McSorley then capped a patient move, bursting through the middle to extend the lead as Armagh began to dominate both possession and territory.

Cavan briefly steadied through a Dobson free after Darren Noonan was fouled, but Armagh’s ability to win primary possession and transition quickly continued to expose the visitors.

Diarmuid O’Rourke landed a fine two-point effort on 15 minutes and, from the next restart, Aaron Haughey struck from distance to push Armagh seven clear. It was a pattern that would define the contest, Cavan struggling to secure their own kick-outs while Armagh repeatedly punished them with scores.

Haughey added another two-pointer as Cavan failed to get sufficient pressure on shooters outside the arc, and although Dobson converted again from a placed ball, the gap continued to widen.

McSorley and Liam McGeary added further points as Armagh stretched their advantage into double figures before Noonan tapped over a free for Cavan’s final score of the half.

Armagh finished the opening period with ruthless efficiency. McGeary and Duffy both tagged on points before a turnover in midfield sparked a rapid counter-attack, finished to the net by Boylan.

Dominance

The Orchard County continued to press right up to the interval, with McSorley and O’Rourke adding further scores to leave it 1-17 to 0-4 at the break, a reflection of their dominance in all areas, but particularly around the middle third.

Cavan needed a strong response on the restart and did show some early intent when Dobson converted a two-point free after Joe Dugdale was fouled. However, any hope of a sustained fightback was quickly extinguished.

Haughey replied from midfield almost immediately, while Aaron Shekleton won a turnover and clipped over a point to briefly lift the visitors. But Armagh’s control never wavered.

Duffy cut in from the right wing to add another point before quickly doubling his tally, as Armagh continued to exploit space and maintain their accuracy in front of goal.

Frustration

Jensen Tynan produced a moment of quality for Cavan, showing pace and composure to fist pass the ball over the head of the Armagh defender and land a point, but Armagh again had the answers. Boylan responded at the other end, while McGeary kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Darren Noonan added a free for Cavan after Dylan Edwards was fouled, but the pattern of the game remained unchanged, with Armagh winning the majority of breaking ball and dictating the tempo.

Substitute Jake Whyte added Cavan’s final score with a neat finish following a counter-attack, but by that stage the outcome was beyond doubt.

Cavan’s frustration was evident late on as Aaron Shekleton was dismissed for a second yellow card, while Jamie Clarke also saw black as their discipline slipped in the closing stages.

Armagh added further gloss to the scoreboard in the final minutes. O’Rourke converted a free before midfielder Seán Burke anticipated a punch clear by Cian McConnell to raise a second green flag, and corner-back Seán Kelly rounded off the scoring with a point.

It was a comprehensive and deserved victory for Armagh, who combined physical intensity with sharp shooting and total control of restarts to overwhelm their opponents.

For Cavan, it was a chastening evening but one that leaves their fate still in their own hands. They now turn their attention to a crucial final group game away to Down in Páirc Esler tonight, where a result of any kind will be enough to secure progression to the quarter-finals.

Armagh team: Liam Carroll; Tomas Fox, Gavan O’Rourke, Seán Kelly(0-1); Aodhan McGrane, Ryan Nugent (C), Diarmaid O’Rourke(0-4,1tp,1f); Aaron Haughey(0-5,2tp), Seán Burke(1-0); Eoin Duffy(0-5,1tp,1f), James McCooe, Keelan McEntee; Fergal Boylan(1-3), Michael McSorley(0-4), Liam McGeary(0-3).

Subs used: Aaron McGuinness for L McGeary; Callum McKerr for M McSorley; Fergal Toale for F Boylan; Tiernan Brown for A McGrane; Ryan McGahan for G O’Rourke.

Cavan team: Cian McConnell; Philip Shannon, Jensen Tynan(0-1), Conor Doyle; Aaron Shekleton (C)(0-1), Harry McMullen, Ben Tully; Joe Dugdale, Jamie Clarke; Dylan Edwards, Shane McCabe, Odhran Madden; Joshua Shehu, Jack Dobson(0-5,1tpf,2f), Darragh Noonan(0-2f).

Subs used: Nathan Quigley for J Shehu; Luke Mulvaney for O Madden; Cormac McEvinney for S McCabe; Jake White(0-1) for D Noonan; Thomas Gilsonan for D Edwards.