Armagh 0-13 Cork 1-10:IT MAY have been billed as a dead rubber but there was rather too much life in the final segment of this National Football League Division Two encounter at Crossmaglen yesterday for the liking of referee Vincent Neary.
Up until then, a tame, pedestrian contest had unfurled with Armagh leading by 0-6 to 0-4 - Cork were restricted to just one point from play up until then - and looking more than capable of cementing their advantage in the second period.
But the landscape was transformed when Nicholas Murphy, Cork's most influential player, cracked in a 58th minute goal which saw his side sprint in front at 1-9 to 0-9, Daniel Goulding having already contributed seven of their points from frees.
The upsurge in the level of passion and commitment saw Armagh's Aaron Kernan and Cork substitute Conor McCarthy red-carded while referee Neary dispensed a series of yellows.
Amid the heightened turmoil, Aidan O'Rourke, Oisín McConville and Paddy McKeever pilfered Armagh points that saw stalemate ensue again by the 69th minute, 1-9 to 0-12.
But the drama was far from over when John Hayes squirmed in in the 73rd minute to cleverly flick over the bar. Cork looked to have plundered an unlikely victory only for Steven McDonnell, a 71st minute substitute, to score a late equaliser with what proved to be his only touch of the game.
No wonder both managers looked bemused at the finish.
"It was an interesting game but, to be honest, I'm glad the final segment turned out as it did," said Armagh's Peter McDonnell.
His Cork counterpart Conor Counihan expressed himself as "well pleased" with his side's effort.
"Considering we were missing a number of players and that several others had played club championship football in the 36 hours leading up to this game, we're happy to be going home with a point, but it might well have been two" said Counihan.
ARMAGH: C McKinney; P Kernan, F Bellew, F Moriarty; A Kernan (0-1), A O'Rourke (0-1), C McKeever; P McGrane, D McKenna (0-1); C Vernon, P McKeever (0-3, all frees), B Mallon; O McConville (0-5, 0-4 frees), G Swift, Michael O'Rourke (0-1). Subs: Martin O'Rourke for Mallon (20 mins), P Loughran for Vernon (50 mins), R Clarke for Swift (55 mins), A Mallon for Moriarty (58 mins), S McDonnell (0-1) for Michael O'Rourke (69 mins).
CORK: A Quirke; D Duggan, D Kavanagh, K O'Connor; P Kissane, S O'Donoghue, J Miskella; N Murphy (1-0), F Gould, S O'Brien (0-1), K O'Sullivan, K McMahon; D Goulding (0-6, four frees, two 45s), J Masters, J Hayes (0-3). Subs: P Kelly for O'Sullivan (half-time); C McCarthy for McMahon (58 mins).
Referee: V Neary (Mayo).
