Armagh 0-14 Cavan 0-10:Armagh took the opening-day spoils in yesterday's Allianz National League Division Two match in Crossmaglen but they made hard work of it.
Like a middle-distance runner the home side smoothly made up a daunting half-time deficit and spent most of the second 35 minutes hovering on Cavan's shoulder before kicking for home in the closing minutes.
New Armagh manager Peter McDonnell made changes at half-time and they worked. In the first half his team had squandered a succession of chances while Cavan picked away more productively at what came their way.
"In the first half we created opportunities and that was the one positive we were able to take at half-time," said McDonnell afterwards. "But we weren't able to take them. It was vitally important to get someone on with the confidence to take scores. Tony Kernan stepped in to make his senior debut and showed everyone how it should be done."
The introduction of Kernan and his brother, Stephen, was a bit of a surprise with their club Crossmaglen getting ready to face St Vincent's in the All-Ireland club semi-final at the end of this month. McDonnell said he had approached Cross manager Donal Murtagh and asked could he spare any of his players and the latter had said the two Kernans, who have been bothered by injury during the club campaign, could do with the match practice.
Between them they kicked six points with Tony also taking over on the frees after a first half of almost comically bad dead-ball kicking by both Paddy McKeever and Steven McDonnell.
McDonnell also paid tribute to Aidan O'Rourke, who was back in the county jersey for the first time in over a year. The manager said he hadn't seen any better centre backs in the county championship and was glad to have the Dromintee player back on board.
McDonnell's Cavan counterpart Donal Keogan paid tribute to his side's second half. Having seen their interval lead, 1-5 to 0-3, evaporate quickly after the break, Cavan hung on tenaciously - edging ahead as Armagh caught them and only decisively fell behind in the closing minutes.
"We'd have felt happier at half-time if we'd got another goal or an extra few points, particularly as we gave away a silly free just before the break. We knew they'd come out stronger in the second half with the wind behind them. We were going to struggle physically because that's not our game - we play a running game."
Cavan's edge in the first half owed a lot to Armagh's disastrous shooting - seven wides against three - but was partly founded on a good display by the improvised centrefield of Lorcan Mulvey and John Cunningham, who battled well against Paul McGrane and Gareth O'Neill.
The visitors did well on the breaks and pressurised Armagh's defence. Martin Reilly was prominent, giving Paul Duffy a hard time. He kicked four points, two from play and was always capable of threading intelligent ball into the full forwards. They had to reconfigure by bringing back Anthony Ford to centre back and replacing Keith Fannin, who was living dangerously on a yellow card, with Michael Lyng.
For an hour between the seventh and 67th minute Cavan weren't led and with a rejuvenated Seánie Johnston, back in favour, Ger Pierson and Lyng always capable of something they nearly hung on until the end.
The goal that underpinned the half-time lead came in the 16th minute. Mulvey's long ball broke for Jason O'Reilly and his shot clipped the post and Johnston got on to the rebound and in apparent slow motion rolled the ball through the mud and over the line for a 1-4 to 0-1 lead.
Keogan acknowledged goalkeeper James Reilly had kept his team in it as long as they were. A couple of point-blank saves from the returning Ronan Clarke was complemented by a 57th-minute penalty save after Clarke had been brought down, again one on one with the goalkeeper.
Five points in seven minutes after the break slashed the margin and it appeared as if Armagh would pull away. McGrane's influence grew in the middle and the replacements, initially Tony Kernan and Ciaran McKeever, made a big impact.
It was only in the closing minutes that Clarke and the Kernans closed the gap and opened up a two-point lead. A furious late Cavan attack yielded a point for Barry Watters whose shot flew in on goal and whistled over the bar.
ARMAGH: C McKinney; F Moriarty, B Donaghy, E McNulty; G Smyth, A O'Rourke, P Duffy; G O'Neill (0-1), P McGrane; M O'Rourke (0-1), P McKeever (0-2, two frees), B Mallon; G Swift, R Clarke (0-2), S McDonnell (0-1). Subs: C McKeever for Smyth (half-time), T Kernan (0-5, four frees)for Mallon (half-time), S Kernan (0-2)for McKeever (52 mins), K Toner for Swift (57 mins).
CAVAN: J Reilly; M Hannon, R Dunne, K Fannin; B Watters (0-1), P Reilly, J McCutcheon (0-1); L Mulvey, J Cunningham; M Reilly (0-4, two frees), R Donohoe, A Ford; J O'Reilly, E O'Reilly, S Johnston (1-4, three points frees). Subs: M Lyng for Fannin (34 mins), G Pierson for J O'Reilly (47 mins), M Cunningham for Donohoe (60 mins), S Brady for E O'Reilly (62 mins).
Referee: C Reilly(Meath).
