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Armagh City earned a hard-fought point at Mill Meadow, drawing 2-2 with Ladbrokes.com
Championship 2's early pacesetters Wakehurst.
City, without the services of Joe McCourt and Mark Trainor welcomed back Peadar Toal and
Michael O'Neill to the starting line-up, while new signing Joe McEvoy earned a first start and Andy
Moore returned to action for City, returning to the fray as a second half substitute.
After a promising early start from the visitors it was the home side who had the upper hand in an
open first half. Wakehurst were duly rewarded as a quick counter attack unlocked the Armagh
defence, leaving Morgan with no chance and gave the Co. Antrim side a lead inside the half hour.
The Eagles responded brightly however and equalising with in minutes thanks to Francis McCann's
33rd minute strike. The lively winger cut inside his man at pace from the left and fired high into the
net from 25 yards beyond the reach of the Wakehurst stopper.
Just as it looked like the sides would go in even at half-time after Morgan had intercepted vitally to
keep Wakehurst at bay, the home side regained the lead, with an excellent individual effort from the
edge of the box, firing low and hard past Morgan into the bottom corner.
With Armagh slow to get out of the blocks in the second half, Wakehurst failed to capitalise and as
the half progressed it was City who went in pursuit of an equaliser, as manager Marty Rice used his
full complement of substitutes, as well as moving McCann moved up front alongside Nesbitt and
McEvoy in a three man attack.
The game opened up and and time had looked to run out on Armagh's search for a leveller, but with
just over 5 minutes remaining captain Johnny Walker rose high and thundered a header home from
a Francis McCann corner, setting up a frantic final few minutes.
Immediately the hosts went close, while McGlone and Breakey almost got on the end of a free-
flowing City attack, while Walker nearly combined with McCann once more for what would've
been a replica of the captain's equaliser, but the centre-half headed just over.
The 2-2 full-time scoreline ensured each side would take a share of the spoils and was testimony
to the character of the young Armagh side who dug deep in the final minutes. City can now look
forward to next week's away tie with Killymoon Rangers in the Bob Radcliffe Cup.
Armagh City: 1. Morgan 2. R Nesbitt 3. Breakey 4. Walker(c) 5. Toal (Kerr) 6.McGerrigan
(Moore) 7.O'Neill (McGlone) 8. Cusack 9. A Nesbitt 10. McEvoy 11 McCann
Wakehurst 2 - 2 Armagh City
Armagh City earned a hard-fought point at Mill Meadow, drawing 2-2 with Ladbrokes.com Championship 2's early pacesetters Wakehurst.
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