WHEN a match in bleak conditions at the end of February produces four goals and 19 points and a pulsating finish with a last-minute winning point, it would be churlish to complain about the standard of the football. It was thus at Pairc Ui Rinn yesterday after a full-blooded and muddy encounter.

A case could have been made for calling off this match, as the pitch, which looked immaculate at the start, cut up badly. By the end many of the players were covered in mud, with jersey numbers blotted out.

Although Cork may feel hard done by, a lengthy list of misses from promising positions plagued their efforts. At least a dozen good opportunities were squandered. Chief among the culprits were Philip Clifford, Padraig O'Mahony and Ciaran O'Sullivan.

To make matters worse, it must be considered that a heart-breaking goal in the second minute of the second half seemed to have broken Cork's spirit entirely. Diarmuid Marsden had tormented the Cork defence all day and now, with Cork looking to recover a two-point deficit, he lobbed the ball tentatively into the Cork goalmouth. Des McAuley, took his eye off the ball for a split second and the greasy ball was allowed to drop over the line. The other three goals were of a superior quality. The first for Cork arrived in the sixth minute, with the home side trailing by a point (0-2 to 0-1). A shrewd pass by Joe Kavanagh to Philip Clifford put the corner man clear and he drove the ball firmly and confidently past Mark Campbell.

Armagh were level after 10 minutes when Marsden scored from play. Then Paddy McKeever set up Cathal O'Rourke to put Armagh ahead 1-5 to 1-3 at the break. To Cork's great credit, they responded quickly to Marsden's goal when the Kavanagh-Clifford combination struck again for the latter to drive a superb shot to the net to reduce the arrears to two points once more, 2-5 to 2-3.

Armagh were three points clear again by the 12th minute through the efforts of Clifford and O'Sullivan, but Cork drew level at 2-7 each midway through the half, only for Armagh to open up a two point lead again through Kieran Hughes and O'Rourke.

With six minutes left, Armagh introduced Peter Loughlin to the match and he was to prove the catalyst which sank Cork's effort. As throughout the match, Paddy McKeever on the right wing was crucial in the Armagh attack.

With the score at 2-9 each, after O'Mahony had scored a brilliant point from long range, McKeever raided down the right wing, pumped the ball diagonally across the goal and, as it dropped tantalisingly under the crossbar, Loughlin rushed in to get the first touch to deflect it over the bar for the winning score.

ARMAGH: M Campbell; E McNulty, G Reid, M McNeill; K Hughes (0-1), K McGeeney, A McCann; P McKeever (0-2), P McGrane (0-1); P Dynes, C O'Rourke (1-3, 1 free), J Rafferty; J Byrne, D Marsden (1-2), D Mackin. Subs: A O'Neill for Dynes (45 mins), P Loughlin (0-1) for Byrne (45 mins), D Wilson for Rafferty (57 mins).

CORK: D McAuley; M O'Donovan, R McCarthy, A Lynch; M Cronin, O Sexton, D Wiseman; L Honohan, N Murphy; M O'Sullivan, P O'Mahony (0-3, 2 frees), F Collins; P Clifford (2-2, 2 frees), J Kavanagh (0-2), M O'Sullivan. Subs: C O'Sullivan (0-2) for Collins (37 mins), S O hAilpin for Wiseman (54 mins).

Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).