Armagh 2-17 Monaghan 2-7:ARMAGH FINISHED strongly to make it through after a tough battle at Páirc Esler. The Farney men threatened an upset when they closed to within a point midway through the second half, but the Orchard side sensed the danger and pushed on with a goal from substitute Neil Duffy. Armagh led 1-8 to 1-3 at the break.

ARMAGH: S Doherty; B Mallon, N Curry, F Woods; JJ Hughes, R McGrattan (0-1); B McCormack (0-1, free), D Carville (0-2); M Moen (0-2), C Carvill, P Heaney; R Gaffney (0-6, four frees), C Corvan (1-2), P McCormack (0-2, one free), M Lennon (0-1). Subs: N Duffy (1-0) for P McCormack (46), C Reid for Heaney (50), T Duffy for Lennon (66), A Mackle for Corvan (66).

MONAGHAN: H Byrne; A Lambe, P Murphy, P Treanor; M Treanor, P Dowdall, J McHugh; G Boyd, T Hilliard; S Lambe (1-1, one free), S Leonard, E MacSuibhne; B McGuigan (1-0), M McHugh 0-3, 2 pen), R Meegan (0-2). Subs: G Dooley for A Lambe (25), F Rafter (0-1, free) for MacSuibhne (43), PJ Boyle for M McHugh (65).

Referee: D Magee (Down).

DOWN and Armagh meet in the semi-final in a fortnight, with the winner progressing to a date with Antrim in the provincial decider.