City of Armagh must take their chance of avoiding automatic relegation, says Chris Parker ahead of crunch clash against 'pretty complete team' Cork Con

The two teams go into the final day locked on 26 points each, but Chris Parker’s side are eighth courtesy of a better points difference of 56.

A bonus point win at the Palace Grounds against Cork Con guarantees Armagh’s top flight survival, no matter what Shannon do against UCD.

Armagh were 57-0 down at Lansdowne last week but scored four second half tries to earn a valuable bonus point.

“I think none of us as players or management had ever been in that position that we found ourselves in on Saturday,” stated Parker. “At half-time, the message very much was we are where we are, but we need to get something out of this lads, and the only way we are going to do that is to score four tries and credit to the boys that what they went and did.

“Second half showed a lot more of what we are about, we looked after the ball a lot better and did very well, but the first half is something that none of us want to experience again.”

Inconsistency has summed up Armagh’s season but Parker added that it is up to his squad to take their chance of avoiding automatic relegation.

He said: “You are sort of wondering what the solution is, what’s the silver bullet that is going to solve it all.

“Against Lansdowne everything stuck for them as they didn’t make an error in the first-half. Every offload, every pass, everything went for them, and whilst we weren’t at our best, they were pretty clinical and very impressive.

“It has focused the heads for this week. That try bonus-point leaves it that everything is still in our hands. It is a very difficult task to beat Cork Con with a try bonus but we know if we can do that then it should be job done at our end.

“That bonus point and the fight and desire to get it means we can take a lot of pride and momentum from that.

“You don’t want to go through the play-offs but at least you know you are not automatically going down. We need something and the fact that it is in our hands we really don’t need to take too much an interest of what is going on at other grounds, as long as we can do a job ourselves which is a lot easier said than done.

“It is exciting as well we still have a chance, and it is up to us to take that chance.”

Cork Con are second and need to win to get a home semi-final in the play-offs.

“They are playing for a home semi-final, they are the second best team in the country, they have got a power game that is very impressive around their set piece and they can move ball they are a pretty complete team,” Parker explained. “The task is huge, the forecast isn’t great so don’t know what way that storm will affect things. Con are a quality outfit, and we have a job on our hands.”

Ballynahinch finish their campaign at home to Terenure, with Adam Craig’s side unable to improve on their current fifth-place standing.

Queen’s must win at Old Wesley and hope Naas get nothing against Old Belvedere to avoid the Division 1B play-off.

The students are without influential playmaker James Humphreys, while prop Scott Wilson is on Ulster duty.

Joe Hopes has been released to play a half, meanwhile, centre Callum Florence faces a late fitness test and Ulster back-row Lorcan McLoughlin is unavailable.