Armagh City's Under 18 side claimed their place in the next round of the Harry Cavan Irish Youth Cup with this 3-2 win in Strabane against Townsend United.

City were determined to put behind them the previous weeks heavy defeat by Dungannon Swifts in the league and make progress in the cup.

They welcomed back Ritchie Morgan who had been out for three weeks with an injury and the same player was to make an immediate impact when he scored with a well-hit volley from the edge of the box after 15 minutes.

Despite playing against the wind in the first half City had most of the play with the defence and midfield working very hard to ensure that the home team created very few chances.

Up front the pace of Gareth Grimley and Kieran Dixon was always a threat and both had shots saved by the keeper.
But just before half time the home team got an equaliser when one of their forwards was able to shrug off three challenges before unleashing a shot which despite being blocked fell kindly to another of their players who gave Niall Geoghegan in the City goals no chance with a well hit shot.

In the second half with the wind in their favour City immediately went on the offensive and were rewarded after two minutes when Tony Murray slipped the ball through to Paul Toner in the box who held of a challenge to put Grimley in to score his fifth goal of the season.

City continued to push forward and Rory Grugan was unlucky when his fierce drive was diverted over the bar by a home defender following a well-worked short corner involving Lee Lester. The same player was again denied minutes later when his volley from close range was saved by the keeper. However City were to be caught out midway through the half when Townsend again equalised with a header from a corner.

City were further disrupted when they lost defender Brendan Reid and had to dig deep as Townsend went looking for a winner and only a brilliant last-ditch tackle by Brendan O’Hea kept them out.

But a piece of individual skill by Grimley nine minutes from time was to put City in front again. Gathering the ball near the corner flag he skipped past one defender and held of another to unleash a powerful drive, which the keeper managed to push away, but the ball fell again to Grimley who finished with a volley into the corner of the net.

In the final minutes City came under a lot of pressure and had to rely on a block by James Gordon and then a good save by Geoghegan to keep the lead and hold out for a hard fought but deserved victory.

Armagh City: Niall Geoghegan, Tony Murray, Brendan Reid, James Gordon, Brendan O’Hea, Lee Lester, Paul Toner, Rory Grugan, Richard Morgan, Kieran Dixon, Gareth Grimley, Philip Murphy, Gavin Henderson, William Maxwell.