ULSTER ladies' football champions Armagh booked their place in the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals for the first time since 2006 with a comfortable 23-point win over Laois in Tullamore on Saturday.
Inspired by captain Caroline O'Hanlon, who found the net after just 64 seconds, and finished with 2-6 on her way to collecting the Player of the Match award, the Orchard County never looked troubled.
Just how much manager James Daly and his backroom team can learn from this will remain to be seen as Laois put up little in the way of resistance.
In all, Armagh had nine different scorers, the six starting forwards and their two midfielders - O'Hanlon and Niamh Henderson - as well as substitute Siobhan Feeney, who kicked two points.
However, the day was blotted with second half injuries to full-forward Kelly Mallon (ankle) and corner-back Mairead Tennyson, who left the field with what looked like a serious shoulder injury, and no doubt Daly will be hoping both influential players will be available for the semi-final in a few weeks' time.
With a strong wind at their backs, Armagh built up a 1-5 to no score lead before Laois finally registered their first point of the day through Martina Dunne in the 19th minute.
It could have been more for the Ulster champions only for Laois netminder Ciamh Dollard first denying Mallon and then Aoife McCoy two goalbound efforts.
Two goals in the space of two minutes from Armagh gave them an unassailable lead, Mags McAlinden's effort catching Dollard out as it looped in over her head in the 20th minute and then McConville finishing from a tight angle in the 22nd minute after a well-worked move from one end of the pitch to the other.
McKenna and O'Hanlon tagged on two late points with Martha Kirwan getting Laois's second score of the half in the 30th minute that left them 3-7 to 0-2 in arrears at the break.
The first 10 or so minutes of the second half saw both sides hit four points each but when O'Hanlon grabbed her second major in the 43rd minute, Laois became undone as they found themselves 4-11 to 0-5 adrift.
The captain's effort epitomised her performance as she tore through the Laois defence, seeming untouchable, playing one-twos with a number of her team-mates before firing to the back of the net.
Martina Dunne was doing her best to keep Laois's side of the scoreboard ticking over and she fired over some great points, but it was never going to trouble goalkeeper Katie Daly and her Armagh defence.
O'Hanlon and substitute Feeney added further points before McAlinden got her second and Armagh's fifth goal of the day eight minutes from time
DOWN survived a second half fightback from Sligo in Clones on Saturday to book their
place in the semi-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland IFC for a second successive year with a 2-14 to 3-10 win.
The Ulster champions found themselves behind early on when Stephanie Reilly hit the back of the net after just two minutes.
But with veterans Aileeen Pyers and Kyla Trainor to the fore, along with 18-year-old Mairead Grant, in her first year in the senior ranks, they soon settled and raced into a 2-10 to 1-6 half-time lead.
Captain Trainor scored the first goal and finished with a personal tally of 1-3, while Pyers got the second just before the break and finished with half of Down's points tally.
The Mourne county would be thankful for that eight-point advantage at the break as they managed just four second half points.
At one stage they led 2-14 to 1-7, however, a late Sligo rally saw them score an unanswered 2-3 in the closing stages to leave it a nail-biting finish.
Full-forward Noelle Gormley, who finished with seven points, was instrumental in keeping the Connacht side in the game.
Sligo's Emma Hansberry's pace caused concern for Down in the second half but the defence coped well with the onslaught, while goalkeeper Sinead Brannigan also spared the Mourne girls' blushes with some great saves.
MATCH STATS
Armagh: K Daly; M Tennyson, C Morgan,
L Kenny; S Reel, N Marley, R O'Reilly;
N Henderson (0-1), C O'Hanlon (2-6, 0-3f);
S McCleary (0-1), F McKenna (0-2, 0-1f),
A McCoy (0-1); L McConville (1-2), K Mallon (0-2), M McAlinden (2-0)
Subs: S Grey for Henderson (30), S Feeney (0-2) for McConville (38), S Mackle for McKenna (42), E Lavey for Mallon (45), C Duffy for Reel (52)
Laois: C Dollard; C Dunne, G Dunne, M Young; M Murphy, F Dooley, Meagan Dunne (0-1);
A Moore, T Lawlor (0-1); M Kirwan (0-1), Martina Dunne (0-6, 0-3f), E McVey; R Williams,
LM Maher, J Dunne Subs: N Kirwan for Williams (36), R Phelan for Young (36), A Keogh for J Dunne (39), L Nurney for Dooley (51)
Referee: G Chapman (Sligo)