Tipperary have been relegated to Division Three, but not without putting up a courageous fight in Crossmaglen.
They came from 12 points behind to draw level with six minutes to play, but a late Armagh rally secured victory and kept the Orchard promotion hopes alive.
Barry Grogan led the Tipp fightback with two second half goals to stun an Armagh side that had looked on course for a runaway victory.
But Paddy O’Rourke’s men steadied the ship in the closing stages to secure a less than convincing victory.
Tipperary threatened early on, and Armagh goalkeeper Paul hearty had to pull off a fine save to deny Philip Austin.
But it was soon one-way traffic, with a dominant Orchard side mounting wave after wave of attack.
They failed to score from play, however, until the 23rd minute, when impressive midfielder James Lavery landed a long range point.
That score made it 0-4 to 0-0, Steven McDonnell having stroked over three frees.
Aaron Kernan also converted a couple of frees, and thumped over an excellent point from play, and McDonnell made it 0-9 to no score, before Barry Grogan claimed Tipp’s only first half score from a stoppage time free.
Kernan and Malachy Mackin combined to send Gareth Swift to finish low to the net from close range for a 1-9 to 0-1 interval lead.
Stefan Forker stretched the lead to 12, but suddenly it all started to go wrong for Armagh, as an inspired Tipp side seized control.
Hugh Coghlan, George Hannigan and Kevin Mulryan helped them win primary possession around the midfield, and they swept forward.
Armagh goalkeeper Hearty will have nightmares about the 45th minute goal he conceded by coming to collect the ball on the 20 metre line, and fumbling to allow Grogan to finish to the empty net.
Grogan and substitute Timmy Dalton tagged on points, and it was another sub, Brian Fox, who slipped the ball to Grogan for his second goal on 59 minutes, drawing the sides level on 1-11 to 2-8.
Armagh finally managed to turn the game around to finish with points from Kernan, McDonnell and substitutes Kevin Dyas and Joe Feeney to win in less than convincing fashion.
Armagh: P Hearty, A Mallon (0-1), B Donaghy, P Duffy, M Ferris, P Kernan, F Moriarity, J Lavery (0-1), K Toner, M Mackin, A Kernan (0-4, 3f), G Swift (1-0), B Mallon, S McDonnell (0-6, 6f), S Forker (0-1.
Subs: T Kernan for Forker, R Henderson for B Mallon, K Dyas (0-1) for P Kernan, J Feeney (0-1, 1f) for Mackin.
Tipperary: M O’Donnell, C Morrissey, N Curran, P Codd, C Aylward (0-1), R Costigan, D Bourke, G Hannigan, A Rockett, J Cagney, P Austin, H Coghlan, J Tierney, B Coen (0-1), B Grogan (2-4, 0-2 f).
Subs: B Fox for Bourke, T Dalton (0-2, 2f) for Tierney, B Mulvihill for Coen, K Mulryan for Rockett, B Jones for Austin.
Referee: M Higgins (Fermanagh)
