A virtuoso display from Steven McDonnell inspired Armagh to a big win over Westmeath in round two of the Allianz National League Division Two campaign at Crossmaglen on Sunday.
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Armagh 2-19 Westmeath 0-08
The Killeavy club man had a personal tally of a goal and nine points and oozed class throughout the 70 minutes as the Orchard County bounced back from their opening defeat by Meath.
Read Colm McAlinden's blog: Evergreen in the orchard
All McDonnell's points came from play and ironically his only miss of the day came from a late free which rebounded to safety off an upright.
Afterwards the 30-year-old forward insisted that he hasn't looked further ahead than the remainder of the National League campaign as Armagh bid for their second All Ireland title.
McDonnell is one of the few surviving members of the 2002 panel which beat Kerry to lift the coveted Sam Maguire.
His team mate of eight years ago and fellow forward Ronan Clarke missed Sunday's game through injury but took part in a grueling session after the game under the watchful eye of fitness and strength and conditioning coach Micky McGurn.
Clarke will be hoping to be fit in time for Armagh's next NFL game against Laois after a three week break in the competition.
"We won't be looking any further than that game and I haven't even thought about the Championship," said McDonnell.
"It was important to get two points on the board after losing to Meath and had we lost we'd have found ourselves in a relegation battle.
"Of course I was happy to have scored 1-9 and I will continue to play football until I stop enjoying it.
"It's good to see so many youngsters in the squad and competition for places can only be healthy."
The result was never in any doubt from the moment McDonnell opened his account after only 14 seconds.
In the sixth minute the full forward skillfully fisted home an Anthony Kernan pass for the opening goal of the game.
The home team scored four unanswered points before the break - two of them from McDonnell - as they built up a 1-9 to 0-5 interval lead.
Westmeath could only muster three points in the second half as Armagh, inspired by McDonnell and midfielder Charlie Vernon, turned on the style.
Predictably those two players played a big part in goal number two which came in the 53rd minute combining to set up Finian Moriarty who drove the ball high into the net to make it 2-12 to 0-6.
After that Armagh racked up a further seven points with only two in reply and McDonnell was denied a second goal when the visiting keeper pulled off a fabulous point blank save at his near post.
Sunday's GAA results:
Division One
Tyrone 1-11 1-12 Mayo
Galway 1-20 1-14 Monaghan
Division Two
Donegal 3-11 0-5 Laois
Armagh 2-19 Westmeath 0-08
All-Ireland Club Hurling semi-final
Dunloy 0-12 2-18 Portumna
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