NFL Division One B/ Armagh 2-9 Down 1-11: Armagh produced a storming last-quarter performance to snatch the points from Down in an enthralling contest at Newry yesterday. The start was delayed by almost 15 minutes to allow the estimated 10,000 attendance gain access to the ground.
Down led 1-5 to 1-3 at the interval and Armagh were still struggling when Ronan Clarke kicked their first score of the second half to make it 1-8 to 1-4 11 minutes after the interval.
But Malachy Macken fisted home a goal to put Armagh level 10 minutes from time and two late points from Oisín McConville set up a dramatic finale.
The pace and intrigue was sustained to the nail-biting end when Down's Damian Rafferty sent what had seemed like a match-winning penalty opportunity over the bar with two minutes remaining in ordinary time.
However, Down manager Paddy O'Rourke did not criticise Rafferty for the miss. "He had the courage to step up to the plate for the crucial penalty. He had scored goals from two penalties in his last three matches."
Armagh manager Joe Kernan was highly impressed with his team's resilience. "We never throw in the towel and it is the secret of our entire make-up. What I saw today convinces me that this side is ready to go on improving."
There was a curious pattern of play over the four quarters; Down controlled the first and third quarters, Armagh the second and final periods.
Armagh kept their anxious supporters waiting until the 16th minute for their opening score, a pointed free by McConville. That score kick-started Kernan's men into positive action. But by this time Down, operating with wind advantage, were leading by 1-3 to 0-0.
Down got off to a blistering start scoring their opening goal in 17 seconds, Brendan Coulter taking a pass from midfielder Dan Gordon to fire home.
Down maintained the pressure but Armagh still cut the deficit to just two points at the interval.
A feature of the stubborn Down performance was the display at right corner back of Martin Cole who did not give Steven McDonnell an inch. Substitute Ronan Murtagh also caught the eye, scoring three points.
Down manager O'Rourke was disappointed with the result: "I have no doubt that we were the better team. We were four points up at a crucial stage in the second half but seemed unable to increase that advantage."
He rejected the view that Armagh's experience won them the game, arguing that their goal was 'a lucky effort'.
ARMAGH: C McKinney; P Duffy, C McKeever, P McCormack; A Kernan, K McGeeney, A O'Rourke; P Loughran, P McGrane; B Mallon (1-1), J McEntee (0-1), M Macken (1-0); S McDonnell, (0-1), R Clarke (0-2), O McConville (0-4, three frees). Subs: A Macken for C McKeever, P McKeever for R Clarke, E McNulty for Duffy.
DOWN: B McVeigh; M Cole, B Grant, D Rafferty (0-2, one penalty); A Scullion, J Clarke, D McCartan; A Rodgers, D Gordon; R Sexton, M Walsh, (0-1), D Hughes (0-3); L Doyle (0-1), B Coulter (1-0), E McCartan (0-1). Subs: P Murphy for Sexton, R Murtagh (0-3) for E McCartan.
Referee: T Quigley (Fermanagh).
