Ulster Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-final

Down 4-24
Armagh 0-9
Down showed no mercy as a brace of goals each from Johnny McCusker and Aidan Clarke, powered the Mourne County to a 27-point win over Armagh in this Ulster SHC quarter-final tie at Casement Park this afternoon in the Ulster Hurling Championship Quarter-final.
This was a powerful performance by a Down side who have already exited this year's Christy Ring Cup.
McCusker, Clarke and Paul Braniff accounted for 4-15 between them; in a game which Armagh will simply want to forget.
Johnny McCusker was the scorer-in-chief for the eventual winners with 2-5, while free-taker Paul Braniff bagged 10 points.
Despite Down coasting to a facile victory, this game began on a positive note for both sides, with the teams hard to separate early on.
Just a point was between the sides in the ninth minute (0-4 to 0-3) after a Ger Enright score for Armagh, ensuring he became the Orchard County's third scorer, following points from John Corvan and Paul Breen.
However, this was as close as the Orchard County got to their Down counterparts, who led by 1-13 to 0-6 at half-time.
Braniff was sublime from frees, while the full-forward was unlucky not to sneak a goal in the 14th minute, after his effort was blocked out for a 65, which Down failed to convert.
Breen kept Armagh in touch from placed balls, but it wasn't long before Down got a vital three-pointer.
The game's opening goal arrived in the 19th minute from McCusker, who was a late replacement in the starting line-up for Paul Keith at left-corner-forward.
McCusker battled the ball to the net, with a sublime first-touch strike; after a well placed pass from half-forward Connor Woods.
McCusker was on fire for Down and bagged 1-2 without reply in a three-minute spell, to give his side a 1-8 to 0-5 lead in the 22nd minute.
Down registered their fourth wide soon after, but this was a mere blip as the scores continued to flow from the Mourne County.
Stephen Clarke, Woods and Braniff (0-3) added points before the break, to a lone John Corvan score for Armagh; to ensure a 10-point interval lead.
Six players had now registered scores for Down at this stage, but it was Armagh who began brightly on the resumption.
Paul Breen added the first score of the second half for Armagh, within 40 seconds of the restart, but the Orchard County were unable to build on this positive start.
Armagh failed to add to their tally for another 26 minutes; as Down ran rampant.
Braniff continued to show great accuracy from placed balls, while Aidan Clarke and McCusker were on target with goals, to give Down a 3-19 to 0-7 lead as the game entered the final quarter.
Aidan Clarke comfortably sealed the issue, with Down's fourth goal three minutes from the end, to ensure a 27-point win.
Down will now face London in the Ulster SHC semi-final on June 13th, with the winners of that clash facing Antrim in the Ulster SHC final on Sunday June 27th.
Down: G Clarke; P Hughes, S Murray, S Ennis; D Flynn, F Conway, M Ennis; A Savage (0-1), E Clarke; C Woods (0-4), S Clarke (0-1), C Coulter; J Coyle (0-2), P Branniff (0-10, 5f), J McCusker (2-5).
Substitutes: A Clarke (2-0) for S Clarke (31); M Hughes for P Hughes (53); D Flynn (0-1) for Conway (57); B Ennis for Branniff (57); F Conway for C Coulter (61)
Armagh: J Burke; D Carvill, P Gaffney, B Breen; B McCormack, F Woods, B McCann; J Corvan (0-2), C Christie; R Gaffney, P McCormack, G Enright (0-1); P Breen (0-5, 3f), B McNaughton, F Bradley.
Substitutes: M Lennon for B McCann (HT); P Kirk (0-1) for F Bradley (45); P Cunningham for McNaughton (55)
Referee: Garrett Duffy (Antrim)

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