Armagh still in picture

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO:ARMAGH HAVE suddenly emerged as serious promotion contenders – just a point behind the leaders – after their fusion of pride and passion proved too much for Meath at Crossmaglen yesterday.

But any notion that Armagh will travel to face Cork in the last round of fixtures on Easter Sunday harbouring the slightest element of complacency has already been savagely quashed by manager Peter McDonnell.

“We have played much better and lost,” he observed caustically afterwards, “the game was far too error-ridden and although we were missing some key players like Aidan O’Rourke and Ronan Clarke, we should have been able to play with more fluency and cohesion. Cork will be a huge, huge test for us – this display would come nowhere near what we would need.”

His side lacked sparkle and flair in the first half but suddenly discovered their rhythm just before the break. Full back Finian Moriarty was at the end of a fine flowing movement to hammer in the only goal of the game which was quickly complemented by Aaron Kernan’s second point that sent Armagh in with a 1-5 to 0-5 advantage, Cian Ward and Stephen Bray each having pocketed a brace of points for the Meath.

Kernan’s third pointed free eased Armagh into a 1-7 to 0-7 lead on the restart but the superb Ward, already well on the way to a deserved man of the match accolade, looped over two Meath points to complement his solitary first-half score and then went on to pilfer three more as the visitors battled fiercely.

Armagh’s defensive solidity was tested to the full but with Brendan Donaghy, Ciarán McKeever, Barry Shannon and goalkeeper Philip McEvoy impressive throughout, they managed to blunt Meath’s attacking edge in the closing phase during which substitute Ryan Henderson, Martin O’Rourke and Joe Feeney knocked over the points that made it a hat-trick of wins for the host team.

Meath manager Eamonn O’Brien, while disappointed, nevertheless praised his own team’s effort.

“I thought my players stuck at it well. We saw possession turned over on occasions though and that militated against us. Still, Armagh finished strongly and you can’t argue with that,” said O’Brien after the game.

ARMAGH: P McEvoy; J Feeney (0-1), F Moriarty (1-0), B Shannon; T McClelland, B Donaghy, C McKeever; K Toner, C Vernon; M O’Rourke (0-2), B Mallon, S Kernan; S McDonnell (0-4, two frees), A Kernan (0-4, two frees), K O’Rourke. Subs: T Kernan (0-1) for K O’Rourke (13 mins), R Henderson (0-1) for S Kernan (57 mins), V Martin for K McKeever (59 mins).

MEATH: P O’Rourke; C Magill, A Moyles, E Harrington; S Kenny, K Reilly, D Flood; M Ward (0-2), N Crawford (0-1); S McAnarney, C Ward (0-6, three frees, one 45), B Meade; S Bray (0-3), C King, R McGuire. Subs: J Sheridan for McGuire (half-time), C O’Connor for Flood (half-time), P Byrne for Magill (39 mins), J Queeney for Meade (57 mins), B Farrell (0-1) for King (61 mins).

Referee: G Kinneavey (Galway).