Fourteen-man Armagh ground out a 0-16 to 0-11 win over Fermanagh in tonight's NFL Division Three final at Croke Park.

Only 8,134 attended this evening's double header, as Armagh were reduced to 14-men when Finnian Moriarty was shown a yellow and black card which equates to a red card in the 26th minute.

Up until that stage, the game was very even, but Armagh certainly stepped up and finished the half strong. Fermanagh were over reliant on Sean Quigley's frees as well as Tomas Corrigan's three points from play.

The Orchard County held a two-point lead at the break, but four points on the trot paved the way for a merited victory.

Fermanagh kicked the opening three points of the game as the impressive Tomas Corrigan sliced over from a tight angle, and then Quigley converted a '45 before the same player converted a free after Barry Mulrone was fouled in the seventh minute.

It wasn't until the 12 minute that Armagh got off the mark as Tony Kernan was accurate with a free from the hands. A minute later, it was 0-04 to 0-01 when Ruairi Corrigan kicked a fine point off his left boot.

Armagh stepped up a gear and points from Clarke, Kernan (free), Aidan Forker and Kernan again (free) edged them in front by the 24th minute.

Two minutes later and Moriarty received his marching orders as he received a second yellow card. Quigley then kicked his third free of the game to level matters in the 29th minute.

Armagh went two ahead when Rafferty from a free and Clarke from play to leave it 0-07 to 0-05. Tomas Corrigan from a tight angle and then Kernan's fourth free ended the scoring for the half.

Armagh started the second half very brightly as they kicked four unanswered points with Kernan scoring two (one from play and one from a free) and Rafferty adding two from frees to make it 0-12 to 0-06 by the 44th minute.

Fermanagh finally broke their duck for the second half when Tomas Corrigan got his third from play in the 48th minute and Quigley followed that up with a converted free.

Armagh thought they had a goal when Murnin scrambled the ball over the line, but a free out was awarded. This seemed to lift Fermanagh slightly as Tomas Corrigan and Quigley (free) added points.

The tide was stemmed in the 58th minute when Ciaran O'Hanlon got on the scoresheet to leave the score 0-13 to 0-09.

Stephen Harold pointed in between two Quigley frees, but Armagh got the last two scores as Kevin Dyas and Harold raised white flags.

Armagh - N Geoghegan; A Mallon, C Vernon, M Murray; J Morgan, F Moriarty, M Shields; C O'Hanlon (0-1), K Dyas (0-1); T Kernan (0-6, 5f), M McKenna, A Forker (0-1); E Rafferty (0-3f), A Murnin, J Clarke (0-2). Subs: C McKeever for M McKenna, E McVerry for A Forker, S Harold (0-2) for A Murnin, G McParland for E Rafferty, C Rafferty for C O'Hanlon.

Fermanagh - T Treacy; M Jones, T Daly, M O'Brien; B Mulrone, R McCluskey, N Cassidy; R Jones, R O'Callaghan; P McCusker, R Corrigan (0-1), D McCusker; T Corrigan (0-3), S Quigley (0-7, 6f, 1'45), C Flaherty. Subs: D Kille for T Daly, A Breen for P McCusker, C Jones for R Corrigan, D McQuade for C Flaherty, S Cullen for R O'Callaghan.

Referee - D O'Mahoney.

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