Old hands deliver

National Football League Division One B and A/Armagh 1-9 Louth 0-11:Two of Armagh's old hands, Paul McGrane and Steven McDonnell, conjured up the only goal of the game at Crossmaglen yesterday, and it scuppered Louth's hopes.

Having lost three players to injury in the first 22 minutes - Ciarán McKeever, Gareth Swift and Charlie Vernon - Armagh trailed by 0-7 to 0-5 at half-time, with Darren Clarke, Christy Grimes and midfielder Paddy Keenan having helped to establish Louth's supremacy. But the home team rallied in the third quarter with impressive substitute Kevin Dyas and defensive old hands Enda McNulty and Andy Mallon helping to curb Louth's forays.

With the teams deadlocked at 0-9 each, Louth still managed to get their noses in front again at 0-11 to 0-9 before McGrane and McDonnell strode on to a centre-stage role. McGrane's long delivery was gobbled up by the Killeavy sharpshooter and he thundered in the goal that gave his side their first brace of points in Division One B.

Armagh's Malachy Mackin and Louth full back Colin Goss were both red-carded in the closing stages.

ARMAGH: C McKinney; A Mallon, E McNulty, F Moriarty; P McCreesh, C McKeever, T McClelland; G Swift, C Vernon; P Toal (0-2), J Lavery, P Keenan (0-1), S McDonnell (1-4, three frees), M Mackin (0-1), Micheál O'Rourke (0-1). Subs: K Dyas for McKeever (16 mins), B Donaghy for C Vernon (16 mins), Martin O'Rourke for Swift (22 mins), M Ferris for Keenan (40 mins), P McGrane for Donaghy (60 mins).

LOUTH: S Reynolds; D Brennan, C Goss, D Finnegan; J O'Brien, P McGinnity, R Finnegan; P Keenan (0-3), M Fanning; C Grimes (0-2, one free), M Stanford (0-1), B White, A Hoey (0-1), D Clarke (0-4, three frees), S Lennon. Subs: A Paige for McGinnity (one min), R Carroll for Fanning (49 mins), D Reid for Grimes, JJ Quigley for White (59 mins).

Referee: J Bannon (Longford).