Armagh 2-11 Monaghan2-6A goal and seven points without reply in the final quarter helped Armagh to victory in an entertaining Ulster Under-21 Hurling Shield final at Clones on Saturday.

Monaghan dominated the first half of what was the curtain-raiser to the Derry-Dublin football qualifier but their failure to convert several good chances left a way back for Armagh. Monaghan led at half time by 1-6 to 1-2, Michael Lennon getting Monaghan's goal in the 12th minute and Gary Seeley got Armagh's in the 25th.

Armagh reduced the deficit to two points five minutes into the second half but 16-year-old Gary Boyd's goal in the 11th minute put Monaghan five clear. That, however, was Monaghan's last score. Martin King's goal in the 24th minute put Armagh in front for the first time and they finished with further points from Kieran Christie (two) and Paul Breen.

ARMAGH: J Burke; R Daly, R Hegarty, K Hughes; B Breen (0-3), C McGreevy, K McGreevy; M Hughes, B Gaffney (0-1); B Hallon, M King (1-0), K Christie (0-4); K Quinn, P Breen, G Seeley (1-1). Subs: K Enright for M Hughes, N Rafferty (0-1) for C McGreevy, DP O'Neill (0-1) for K Quinn.

MONAGHAN: D Connolly; P Conlon, P Dowdall, A Lambe; B O'Brien (0-2), S Loftus, J Lee; J McAnespie, D McGahan; D McGill (0-3), M McKenna, M Lennon (1-0); S Treanor, G Boyd (1-0), R Meegan (0-1). Subs: J Connolly for M McKenna, M McQuillan for J Lee, E McHugh for D McGahan, A Dalton for S Treanor.

Referee: K McGuinness (Down).