Going into Sunday’s game at Clones, Down faced the challenge of emulating the emotion and intensity that carried them to a stirring win over holders Donegal in Letterkenny.

And for the first 10 minutes, they seemed to have unlocked the formula once more, with an early marker laid down by Daniel Guinness and Odhran Murdock, two of the outstanding performers from the Donegal game.

After Murdock rose highest to win the throw-in, Guinness scampered clear and split the posts.

A Pat Havern free, Guinness’ second score, Shane Annett’s effort and a superb point from influential Mourne skipper Murdock – which he scored after launching his side’s attack with a turnover at the other end – had Down 0-5 to 0-2 in front.

Armagh, in contrast, struggled to find their range during the opening exchanges. While their first two scores came from Oisin Conaty and Conor Turbitt, they were guilty of three bad wides during Down’s ascendancy.

But after a score from the excellent Jarly Og Burns was followed by Andrew Murnin kicking the Orchard’s fourth wide, Armagh decided enough was enough, and after captain Aaron McKay showed exceptional grit to win a breaking ball and send his side down the field, Tomas McCormack sidestepped Peter Fegan and beat Ronan Burns with a low drive into the net.

While Og Burns and Guinness traded scores after the goal, Armagh stormed clear with an unanswered 1-8.

Their second goal will be a painful part of the Down post-mortem as Darragh McMullen won a kick-out from Blaine Hughes – who replaced Ethan Rafferty before throw-in – rounded the stranded Mourne keeper Burns and pumped the ball in for Turbitt, who shrugged off Ryan McEvoy to palm into the unguarded net.

While Havern knocked over the final score of the half, Down looked a spent force by the interval, with Armagh’s tally of six fisted points evidence of the ease with which they had cut into the Mourne defence.