Ethan Rafferty netted at Crossmaglen as Armagh inflicted a first defeat of the league on Fermanagh - 1-9 to 0-6.

Substitute Rafferty supplied the only goal of the game eight minutes from time, that score making it 1-8 to 0-4 and leaving Rory Gallagher's men with no way back.

Victory means that the improving Orchard County - who entertain Cork in the last round on Sunday week - cannot be relegated, while Fermanagh have lost crucial ground on both Donegal and Meath in the race at the top of the table.

All three teams now have eight points, although the Royals have a game in hand - a rearranged fixture against Clare tomorrow. Fermanagh then travel to Navan to face Meath in a massive tussle next weekend.

At Cross' today, it was all about Armagh, who had nine different scorers over the 70 minutes and led by five points to four at the break, Niall Grimley pointing a 33rd-minute free after a rare run of points from Aidan Breen, Ryan Jones and Declan McCusker had drawn the visitors level in testing conditions for football.

Aidan Forker, Jarlath Og Burns, Rian O'Neill and Rory Grugan points had got Kieran McGeeney's men off to an impressive start and they pulled away in the third quarter as unanswered points from Charlie Vernon, Jamie Clarke and Mark Shields between the 36th and 50th minutes preceded Rafferty's three-pointer.

McCusker finally added to Fermanagh's tally again in the 68th minute as the Ernemen, who had Che Cullen sent off late on, went more than 40 minutes without a score. Armagh’s discipline was excellent ... their opponents didn’t get a single score from a free.

Armagh - B Hughes; R Kennedy, A McKay, P Hughes; B Donaghy, G McCabe, A Forker (0-1); C Vernon (0-1), N Grimley (0-2f); J Hall, R Grugan (0-1), J Og Burns (0-1); P Casey, R O’Neill (0-1f), J Clarke (0-1f). Subs: S Campbell for P Casey, M Shields (0-1) for G McCabe, E Rafferty (1-0) for R O’Neill, J McElroy for A Forker, C Higgins for J Hall.

Fermanagh - T Treacy; L Cullen, C Cullen, K Connor; U Kelm, J McMahon, C Corrigan; E Donnelly, R Jones (0-1); K McDonnell, D McCusker (0-2), A Breen (0-1); R Lyons (0-1), C Jones (0-1), S Quigley. Subs: D Teague for K McDonnell, J Cassidy for R Lyons, T Clarke for E Donnelly, P McCusker for A Breen.

Referee - S Hurson.

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