Armagh rally late to snatch dramatic draw against Cork

A dramatic Armagh comeback rescued an Allianz Football League Division 2 draw from their trip to Cork with stoppage-time points from Aidan Nugent and Oisín Conaty.

The Rebels had trailed until second-half goals from Chris Óg Jones and Luke Fahy turned the tide but Rory Grugan's 69th-minute strike brought Armagh back within one.

Conor Corbett added a point but it wasn’t enough. Cork still had the final shot from Steven Sherlock but his left-footed effort faded inches wide.

It meant already qualified Armagh advanced to the final behind Donegal, while the late defeat denied Cork third place, finishing fourth.

There were changes on either side before the throw-in as Rían O’Neill, Tiernan Kelly, and Jason Duffy replaced Stefan Campbell, Andrew Murnin, and Aidan Forker for Armagh. On the home front, goalkeeper Micheál Aodh Martin and Maurice Shanley took over from Christopher Kelly and Kevin Flahive.

In cold conditions, this open and entertaining game equalled the scoring of the hurling semi-final that preceded it.

Cork had a strong wind at their backs in the first half and Colm O’Callaghan made the most of it. He supplied Paul Walsh for a first-minute mark to open their account before slotting two of his own, including a lovely curling kick.

Shanley added another but Conor Turbitt was in fine form at the other end. He reeled off three fine points, two from play and one free he won himself.

Armagh’s movement began to trouble the hosts. Conaty cut through the Cork defence in the 17th minute but blazed over the bar. They returned two minutes later for the lead goal.

Grugan’s gorgeous pass split the rearguard and while Connaire Mackin’s shot was well saved by Martin, corner-back Peter McGrane pounced to palm home. 1-05 to 0-05 now.

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