Late penalty drama at Anderson Park saw Jack Scott hold his nerve to dispatch a rasping effort into the top corner to give Armagh a well-earned win after an impressive second half.
Swindon started the game brightest winning the ball back immediately from an Armagh kick off. However it was the County side that had the first real effort of the game Jack Scott shooting over the bar after starting the move with a nice ball over the top.
Swindon got their first chance in the fifth minute Oliver Artwell heading over Oliver Case’s free kick. The deadlock would be broken from the resulting corner Anthony Cheshire rising highest to dispatch a bullet header into the bottom left corner of the net.
The high pressing of the English side making it very difficult for the Orchard men to get out of their own half. Things would become scrappy as a series of high balls reigned, neither able to get their foot on the ball and play.
The stand out performance of the opening half coming from Town’s Harry Darson’s who drove his side forward at every opportunity.
Armagh almost equalised on the stroke of half time with Jack Scott’s header from a corer saved well by Louis Owens in the Swindon goal.
HALF TIME: SWINDON TOWN 1-0 COUNTY ARMAGH
The county side would restore parity three minutes into the second half. A Jack Scott free kick spilled by Owens allowing Adam Wright to pounce and poke home from six yards.
A minute later Armagh almost went into the lead with James Black’s speculative effort sailing high and wide. The physicality of the local side began to show and have a real bearing in their control of the game.
A brilliant cross from John McGovern finding Scott’s head, Owens making up for his earlier blunder to save well. As conditions grew windier at the Coleraine venue the ball remained in the air, a battle for aerial supremacy ensued.
The introduction of Alberto Balde added real pace to the Armagh attack. Balde getting in behind from his introduction, finding himself one on one only for Owens to bravely dive at his feet and save.
Owens would set up an attack for his side on the counter, Shay Edwards beating the centre halves for pace. His one on one effort was also superbly saved by David Walsh, those couple of minutes a real tale of two keepers.
Six minutes from time Balde would get beyond the ridged Swindon defence once more only for Owens to come sharply off his line, make a tackle and clear the danger.
The real drama would come from the fifty seventh minute onward, a high ball from the English academy causing trouble, with a foul on their striker.
The referee first awarded a penalty before seeing the linesman had his flag up for offside. After some consultation between the two a free out was awarded.
From that free Armagh broke Wright taken down inside the area and the County side were awarded a penalty. Jack Scott who had an excellent game to this point held his nerve to power an effort into the top right corner of the net.
The drama did not end here as Swindon pushed for an equaliser, winning a corner in what would be the final play of the game. The ball was headed home only to be disallowed for a foul on the Armagh keeper, much to the displeasure of the men in red.
The final whistle would sound seconds later confirming a win for Armagh in the dying embers of the game.
Co. Armagh: David Walsh, Jesse Carson, Caolan Connell, Shea Conway, Chris Hutchinson, Jack Scott, Shane Adamson, James Black, Adam Wright, John McGovern, Harry Anderson.
Swindon Town: Louis Owens, Oliver Case, Oliver England, Christian Rowe, Anthony Cheshire, Thomas Moore, Oliver Artwell, Massimo Giamattei, Shay Edwards, Harry Darsons, Adam Coombs.
Credit, Odhrán Crumley @odhranc14