Live Turbo-charged Armagh stroll to Antrim victory

Armagh had nine points to spare in Saturday's Ulster Championship preliminary round against Antrim.

They will expect a tougher test against Cavan in a fortnight’s time but will go into the quarter-finals with confidence after kicking over 20 points with Conor 'Turbo’ Turbitt excelling.

Kieran McGeeney’s men were without the injured Rian O’Neill, Andrew Murnin and Jarly Og Burns but players such as Shane McPartlan, making his championship debut, impressed with 0-04 from play as a midfielder.

There was also the return from injury of Crossmaglen’s James Morgan, who set the tone with his energic forward surges, and Ben Crealey, who shone at midfield.

Antrim will be disappointed with their performance but they cut Armagh open a few times in the second half, with Conor Stewart scoring the only goal of the game on 52 minutes and Andy McEntee’s men can build on the defeat.

Armagh moved the ball at pace and were 0-10 to 0-04 ahead at the break with Turbitt, McPartlan, Jemar Hall, Tiernan Kelly, Ciaran Mackin, Rory Grugan and Stefan Campbell all on target.

The second half was about keeping their nose ahead and while substitutes Odhran Eastwood and Dominic McEnhill gave Antrim a bit of spark and attacking edge, there was no way back against a dominant Armagh.

Goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty (free), Grugan and the impressive Turbitt kept the Orchard scoreboard ticking over in the second half, with one eye on that quarter-final clash against Division 3 champions Cavan, which will be a much tougher assignment.

McGeeney’s men make the trip to Kingspan Breffni on Saturday, 22 April, where they will hope to have some of their injured players in contention for a starting position, but players such as McPartlan and Crealey will not be willing to give up