Armagh have extended their dubious record of not having recorded a win in Division 1A - and they're fortunate not to have added to their tally of defeats.
The Ulster champions, who have not won a competitive match since August 1st last year, garnered only their second league point at Oliver Plunkett Park, Crossmaglen, yesterday, against a Cork side who insisted on giving them a generous helping hand.
Ten wides in the opening 20 minutes emphasised Cork's erratic finishing and provided Armagh with a lifeline that they eventually transformed into a point. Cork led by 05 to 0-3 at half-time, principally through the authority of midfielders Nicholas Murphy and Michael O'Sullivan. Armagh's senior citizens, Ger Houlahan and Kieran McGeeney, formed a two-pronged creative force, but the inability of their full-forward line to win aerial possession proved a drawback as the Cork defence closed ranks quickly and distributed the ball smoothly in a series of lightning counter-thrusts.
Murphy, Micheal Cronin and Philip Clifford managed to prove the exceptions to the rule by firing over points and when Clifford added his second, Cork had established a 0-4 to 0-2 lead in the 26th minute, Stephen McDonnell and debutant Murray having found the range for the host side. When Ronan Skelton pointed from a free, Cork immediately responded with a Ciaran O'Sullivan point from a 45 that further copperfastened their interval cushion. And it was in a lively ten-minute spell just after the break that the visitors threatened to boss the match completely, Clifford and Daly pointed with Murphy and O'Sullivan still calling the shots at mid-field.
But McGeeney's prodigious workrate and the tenacity of Mark McNeill, Kieran Hughes and Andrew McCann in the Armagh rearguard served to frustrate Cork's efforts to dominate and instead the visitors found themselves resisting an Armagh blitz that, unfortunately from their perspective, was noteworthy only for their insistence on delivering the ball straight into Cork hands.
Time and again Armagh surrendered possession tamely , yet in the mediocrity Skelton still managed to plunder a point to which the busy McDonnell added another.
Cork spurned further chances and paid the penalty when Armagh's Paul McGrane, who had a quiet match by his own high standards, sent over a predigious 50 metre kick that salvaged a point.
Armagh: M Campbell; M McNeill, G Reid, J McNulty; K Hughes, J Byrne, A McCann; P McGrane (0-1), K McGeeney; R Skelton (0-2), G Houlihan, S McDonnell (0-3); M McCrory, D Macken, M Murray (0-1). Subs: A O'Neill for McCrory, P McKeever for Murray, P Loughran for Skelton, D Wilson for Houlihan.
Cork: K O'Dwyer; M O'Donovan, D Wiseman, J Miskella; G Canty, C O'Sullivan (0-1), K Daly (0- 1); N Murphy (0-1), M O'Sullivan; J Kavanagh, M Cronin (0-1), BJ O'Sullivan; P Clifford (0-3), F Collins, D Davis. Subs: A Lynch for Canty, S Og O hAilpin for O'Donovan, S O'Brien for BJ O'Sullivan, T McCarthy for Cronin.
Referee: J Bannon (Longford).
