Don't say the league doesn't matter around these parts. In setting, this match was typical of March and the last days of pre-summer football. A sodden pitch, thick streams of chimney smoke shooting westward from the housing estates leaving no illusions as to the influence the wind, and neighbouring teams intent on clawing and dragging out of each other with the relentlessness of tiger cubs.

But when Diarmuid Marsden accepted a pass from David Wilson and arced Armagh's only score of the second half (in the 30th minute), the roar from the stands rang with summer bloodlust.

Play-off football to come for Armagh, something for Tyrone to think about should the orange and red meet again in finer days. It was a dogfight this, a game of attrition broken by sporadic moments of brilliant scoring.

"In the first half we were well happy until John (Rafferty) was sent off, the forwards were really clicking until then. We just didn't know if six points was going to be enough facing into that wind in the second half. Thankfully, Diarmuid's late point saw us through," offered Brian Canavan afterwards.

Suffering from a want of possession in the first half, Tyrone stayed in touch mainly through the dead ball ability of Adrian Cush, but nonetheless found themselves down 1-7 to 0-4 at the break.

Throughout a god awful final half hour, they steadily chipped away at that deficit, Cush and Eoin Gormley popping frees as well as nailing scores from open play.

With 10 minutes remaining, they were within two points and the visiting support began to see the light with the introduction of Peter Canavan, who spectated due to flu despite being named as a starter.

But it was Gormley who continued to lead the revival, rushing to claim a pass from Brian Dooher and chipping a marvellous point on the turn to leave one between the sides with five minutes remaining.

Under all sorts of pressure, Armagh continued to concede frees and possession - the midfield partnership of Jarlath Burns and Paul McGrane faded after a bright first half - and a steal looked on the cards. The visitors fluffed it, though.

First, Fay Devlin thumped an intended pass into the next parish and then, with one minute left, Gerard Cavlan proved equally errant from a scoreable position.

Still Tyrone pressed but the unflappable Kieran McGeeney, excellent all afternoon, robbed Cavlan on a break and threaded a pass to Wilson who spied Marsden.

After nailing 1-1 in the first half, Marsden spent the second half roaming the wilderness but obviously managed to stay hot throughout the hour; his shot curled high and true and the home side were safe.

In the first half, Marsden spearheaded a very imaginative Armagh attack, planting himself at full forward and burning Chris Lawn as McGeeney, Burns and McGrane rained long ball down on him. John Rafferty, promising before his dismissal for two bookable offences, clipped a couple of early points but it was Marsden who caught the eye, slicing a gorgeous score with the outside of his right boot after seven minutes and taking his goal chance when Tyrone's brittle back line finally caved in after 17 minutes.

No sooner did he begin to rest than Cathal O'Rourke took the lead, hoofing a long-range point after 26 minutes, pivoting to shoot another from the kick-out and then icing a fine ninety seconds with a third score, the last of the half.

With the first half went the football. The last 30 minutes were classically Ulster in definition and so prevalent was the fouling that referee Mickey McGrath was left with a nigh impossible task.

Tyrone always looked likely to have resilience enough to recover and the amount of possession they won as the game ebbed must have reassured manager Danny Ball. Yet their failure to take the game might yet haunt them. As it is, they must now twiddle thumbs `till the championship. Meanwhile, there is a happy buzz about the streets of Armagh.

Armagh: B Tierney; E McNulty, G Reid, M McNeill; K Hughes, K McGeeney, A McCann; J Burns, P McGrane (0-1); J McNulty, C O'Rourke (0-3), J Rafferty (0-2), J Byrne, D Marsden (1-2), P McKeever. Subs: A Neill for J Burns (48 mins), P Loughran for J Byrne (50 mins), D Wilson for P McKeever (53 mins).

Tyrone: F McConnell; P Devlin, C Lawn, P McGurk; C Holmes, S McCallan, C Gourley; D McElroy, P Canavan; G Cavlan (0-1), E Gormley (0-4, 2 frees), C Loughran, A Cush (0-4, frees), C McBride, S Lawn. Subs: F Devlin for P Devlin (17 mins), B Dooher for C McBride (44 mins), P Canavan for S Lawn (50 mins).

Referee: Mick McGrath (Donegal).