Monaghan ... 1-10 Armagh ... 1-6: Kieran Tavey's late goal rescued Monaghan from defeat against a vastly understrength Armagh side at Crossmaglen yesterday.

Although this free-ridden encounter offered little to cheer the 4,000 attendance, Monaghan's new boss Colm Coyle was quick to express his dissatisfaction.

"I am glad of the win, but it was very disappointing. Our forwards played well enough in the first half. With the wind in the second, I thought we would have pulled away but we didn't," he said.

"This was a very understrength Armagh side but they stuck in and tore at us. We struggled but scraped through in the end," added Coyle.

Monaghan led 0-3 to 0-2 after 12 minutes and points from Rory Woods, Tavey and Dermot Duffy had them 0-7 to 0-4 ahead at the interval.

The standard deteriorated further in the second half and Monaghan's embarrassment deepened when Des Mackin chipped goalkeeper Glen Murphy for an equalising goal eight minutes from time. In a follow up move, Macken was through again but Murphy redeemed himself with a point-blank save.

Against the run of play, Monaghan grabbed a 55th minute goal and secured a final place against Tyrone with an injury-time point.

MONAGHAN: G Murphy; C Flanagan, D McKenna, P McKenna; J Conlon, D Duffy (0-1), JP Mone; A Rooney, J Hughes; D Freeman (0-2), D Meehan (0-2), T Freeman (0-1); K Tavey (1-1), R Ronaghan (0-1), R Woods (0-1). Subs: P Ronaghan for Hughes, P Coyle for Mone (half time), D Smith (0-1) for Rooney (43 mins), V Corey for Ronaghan (44 mins).

ARMAGH: K McKinney; G McCoy, G O'Reilly, A Mallon; K Fearon, P Waters, B Shannon; C McKeever, M Mackin; M O'Rourke (0-2), B Mallon, L OHare; M McKeever (0-2), D Mackin (1-0), S Kernan (0-1). Subs: W McSorley for McKinney, R Hamill for C McKeever, G Loughran (0-1) for M McKeever, K O'Brien for O'Reilly (half time), S McNamee for Shannon (55)

Referee: J Murray (Antrim)