ARMAGH CITY 1-1 INSTITUTE
5 April 2008

Institute were unlucky not to take all three points form their crunch leagues match at Armagh, in a game where they were easily the better side.

The first half in particular saw Institute dominate the game, Armagh only making it into the Institute half on a handful of occasions. Gregg started his side with Ryan Semple playing up front alongside Ryan McCreadie, John O'Loughlin taking Semple's more accustomed place on the right wing. The novel pairing up front started as they meant to go on after five minutes with a quick one-two let down by McCreadie's finishing, and a relatively easy save for the home keeper. Lowry's cross five minutes later found McCreadie, whose on target shot was cleared. But although Stute kept the pressure on and Semple looked busy up front, they were unable to get past the Armagh defence.

One of the better chances of the half was O'Loughlin's low cross streaking across the face of the goal, and although both Semple and McCreadie were well placed to tip it in, neither of them managed to get a boot to it in time.

There were only ten minutes of the half remaining before Alan Ryan actually had to move – making quick work of gathering Armagh's edge of the box free kick, repeating the performance within five minutes, again from a free kick.

With less than five minutes of the half remaining, Semple found McCreadie, who blasted in from short range, the Armagh keeper managing to parry the shot – the rebound coming back out to McCreadie, but bouncing awkwardly so that he couldn't quite get it on target – but it was oh, so close.

Kyle Moran started the second up front, McCreadie dropping back onto the left wing for Steven Campbell. Stute picked up where they left off, but it was the home side who opened the scoring, very much against the run of play, the result of a free kick; Boyle's initial clearance not clear enough and Austin McCann tucking the ball past Ryan in the 55th minute. However, Institute equalised almost immediately, Kyle Moran tidying away the rebound after McCreadie's shot rebounded off the crossbar.

Armagh had clearly found a bit of hope, however, and gave the visitors a run for their money for the last half hour, which made for much more enjoyable spectating. Moran had several attempts go off target or find the keeper, Lowry and McCreadie both saw shots saved and Armagh had one wide within the next ten minutes, after which the pace slowed up a little. The next best chance of the half for Institute was from O'Loughlin's corner in the 75th minute, Ogilby getting his head onto it, and the Armagh keeper doing well to parry it. Armagh almost scored on the rebound from this, Alan Ryan pulling off a stunning save to keep the sides level. The home supporters were on their feet minutes later when the ball passed Ryan, the referee noticing the offside flag almost too late to prevent a catastrophe for the visitors. But despite fairly intense pressure from the home side in the last five minutes, the Stute defence held firm and the game finished a somewhat disappointing draw for a side that really deserved more.

Team: Alan Ryan, Ruairi Boyle, Martin Cutmore, Eamonn Seydak, Ruairi McClean, David Ogilby, Ryan Semple (Andy Crawford, 70), Philip Lowry, John O'Loughlin, Ryan McCreadie (Declan Divin, 94), Steven Campbell (Kyle Moran, 45).

Unused subs: Graeme Philson, Ciaran Ferry.