GAA National Leagues: Armagh impress in Monaghan victory but defeats for Cavan, Fermanagh and Antrim

It was an impressive first outing for Kieran McGeeney’s side, with 11 different player registering scores as they breezed past the Farney men by 12 points without getting out of first gear.

Andrew Murnin put the icing on the cake with a rasping goal right into the top corner of the net in the dying embers, his final tally stood at 1-3.

In reality, the game was over at half-time despite Monaghan’s three second-half two-pointers they were always second best.

Gabriel Bannigan was without all but one of the Scotstown contingent after their run to the All-Ireland club semi-final with Ryan O’Toole starting and by today’s viewing the return of the others can’t come quick enough.

It was nip and tuck across the first half of the opening stanza with both sides getting to grips with their season opener.

The Orchard County started to break away with three scores without reply, two from Conor Turbitt and another from Andrew Murnin opened up a three-point gap.

Monaghan went almost 10 minutes without a score before Dylan Byrne played a brilliant ball inside to find Karl Gallagher. The former AFL recruit opting to fist over the bar with a goal chance on.

The proved to be Monaghan’s last score of the half as Armagh hit six unanswered points to lead 0-15 to 0-4 at the break, with nine different scorers.

It could have been worse for the Farney men going in at half-time as their opponents also registered seven first half wides.

Armagh controlled the tempo of the game on the second half, and were unfazed by a pair of Monaghan two-pointers in a matter of minutes from Andrew Woods and Stephen O’Hanlon.

O’Hanlon raised a third orange flag soon after to narrow the gap back down to eight, but that was as good as it got for the home side.

Murnin finished off a fine, flowing passing move right into the top corner to add further gloss to the win, with Armagh running out comfortable winners.