Tim Teahan's All-Ireland Four-Ball Trophy side have continued their entertaining run in the competition with a 5·5-4·5 defeat of Edenmore that seals their passage to the 4th round.
With impressive victories over Ballyliffin and Mannan Castle already under their inter-club matchplay belt, the County Armagh men travelled to Magheralin on Sunday 4 June in the hope of making Edenmore their latest scalp.
In that rain-soaked away leg, the team secured two valuable points through a last-hole win for Oliver Connell and Martin Grimley and the half points provided by the pairings of Davy Spratt and Norman Mallon and Gavin McElmeel and Anthony Fagan.
As Edenmore now enjoyed a 3-2 and 11-hole halfway lead, County Armagh required 3·5 points from the return leg on Sunday 11 June and, with the tie so delicately poised, Captain Teahan shuffled his pack for that home clash.
Among those players drafted in were Dwayne Houston and Daryl Lawson — who were absent the previous weekend due to the serious business of the latter's stag party — and the duo justified their call-up almost instantly, vanquishing their rivals on the 13th green.
Gerry Doyle and Anthony Fagan posted a second point with a 4&2 triumph, while Davy Spratt and Oliver Connell bounced back from being 2 down with just three holes remaining to notch a further half point.
However, with the visitors closing out match 4 on the 17th and in possession a superior hole count, County Armagh had to take the remaining point on offer to avoid being ushered through the tournament's exit doors
Paul Quinn and Philip Devlin were 1 up after 17 holes of that tense final encounter and, when one of their opponents missed a par putt that would have handed the overall tie to Edenmore on the hole count, Philip nervelessly rolled in a four-footer to snatch victory for County Armagh and set up a meeting with old rivals and near neighbours, Rossmore, in the last 16.
County Armagh's conquering round 3 panel consisted of Oliver Connell, Philip Devlin, Gerry Doyle, Anthony Fagan, Martin Grimley, Dwayne Houston, Daryl Lawson, Brendan Lynch, Gavin McElmeel, Tomas McElmeel, Norman Mallon, Paul Quinn, Davy Spratt and Tim Teahan (captain).
Congratulations to the squad on their continued success and best of luck for the Rossmore showdown.