Marren penalty plucks a draw from Orchard

Armagh discovered that returning to Division Two will be no cakewalk as they were held to a draw by Sligo's brilliant recovery at Markievicz Park.

The home side came back from a six-point deficit to dig out a draw thanks to Adrian Marren's converted penalty in the sixth minute of time added on.

The match official spotted a tug on substitute Stephen Coen's jersey as the enigmatic attacker tried to get on the end of a Brian Egan ball.

Marren was cool from the spot - to give him a personal haul of 1-6.

Armagh were leading by six points, 2-10 to 0-10, with 11 minutes of the second half left. But in the next 17 minutes, which included six of added time, Kieran McGeeney's charges only scored once more - a fifth point from free-taker Ethan Rafferty - as Sligo hit back with 1-4.

Rafferty's 23rd-minute goal was a peach - it put Armagh 1-4 to 0-4 up - but he missed a crucial free deep in stoppage-time, just one of several wasted opportunities that the visitors were left to regret.

Raiding corner-back Mark Shields finished off a thrilling move for Armagh's second goal - in the 49th minute - as Armagh seemed set to cut loose after struggling to shake off a dogged Sligo in the opening half.

Sligo, who played in fits and starts, stayed within reach of their opponents in the first period and were only a point behind, 1-5 to 0-7, at half-time after good scores from Adrian Marren and Niall Murphy.

SCORERS - Sligo: A Marren 1-6 (1-0 pen, 4f); N Murphy 0-3; M Breheny 0-2 (2f); K Cawley, A McIntyre, S Coen 0-1 each.

Armagh: E Rafferty 1-5 (4f); S Campbell 0-4; M Shields 1-0; C Higgins, O O'Neill 0-1 each.

SLIGO: A Devaney 6; N Gaughan 5, K McDonnell 6, E McHugh 5; K Cawley 6, N Ewing 6, G O'Kelly-Lynch 5; A McIntyre 8, R Donovan 6; C Davey 5, M Breheny 5, J Kelly 6; P O'Connor 5, A Marren 7, N Murphy 6. Subs: S Gilmartin 5 for E McHugh (h-t), K Cawley 5 for Kelly (49), S Coen 6 for Breheny (54), B Egan 5 for Davey (64), L Nicholson for Gaughan (70+1)

ARMAGH: M McNiece 5; M Shields 7, C Vernon 5, A McKay 5; S Heffron 5, N Rowland 6, C Higgins 5; S Sheridan 6, B Crealey 6; A Duffy 5, C White 5, S Campell 8; O O'Neill 5, E Rafferty 7, O Mac Íomhair 5. Subs: P Hughes 5 for Higgins (14); C O'Hanlon 5 for White (ht), J Clarke 5 for Mac Íomhair (47), N Grimley 5 for Crealey (55); G McParland 5 for O'Neill (66).

Ref: Patrick Neilan (Roscommon).