Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final: Armagh 0-8 Donegal 2-11
FIFTY minutes into this game, Donegal indulged in a two-minute spell of ‘olé’ handpassing.
It was all over by then and Armagh – who had been ranked as contenders - were reduced to bystanders as the Ulster champions laid down an emphatic marker with a tour de force that overwhelmed the Orchard men on their own turf. Donegal were just too good and looked a step ahead of Armagh throughout a game they controlled from throw-in to final whistle.
Though their hosts made a better fist of it in the second half and created two goal chances, they couldn’t match Donegal’s pace and skill or get to grips with Rory Gallagher’s tactical gameplan.
Paddy McBrearty’s goal gave Donegal the lead they thrive on and, with an unmarked Michael Murphy enjoying time and space to pull the strings as a midfield playmaker, the Tír Chonaill men turned the knife as the first half wore on. The closing stages were a canter home and the game fizzled out in the end, but it began with a bang.
Two minutes had gone when Neil Gallagher sent the ball in long and high. McBrearty turned James Morgan as he caught it and shot left-footed. Championship debutant Matthew McNeice saved his first effort, but McBrearty slid the rebound in from a tight angle.
The start echoed the 1999 quarter-final meeting of these sides when Donegal hit two early goals but Armagh came back to draw, but this time the Tír Chonaill men kept their foot pressed hard on Armagh’s throat.
The Orchard men played a part in their own downfall with poor passing as they broke and Donegal accepted their gifts gratefully. Gallagher scored a point himself and Murphy landed the first of five majestic frees before Ethan Rafferty registered Armagh’s first wide after eight minutes.
Martin McElhinney showed him how it should be done with a deadeye finish and Armagh didn’t register their first score until the 14-minute mark when Aaron Findon punched over Ethan Rafferty’s long punt forward. Odhrán MacNiallais cancelled it out from the left wing after Karl Lacey had joined the attack and another monster Murphy free left Armagh 1-5 to 0-1 down with less than 20 minutes played and in danger of being embarrassed.
To their credit, they fought back, but they weren’t sharp enough to live off the scraps Donegal allowed them. They attacked and there was briefly space for Murnin, but the window was slammed shut and Jamie Clarke was forced down a blind alley and was dispossessed.
At the other end, Donegal’s scores came easily and regularly as the Armagh defence was pulled one way then the other. Findon took down Ryan McHugh and Murphy cracked over another free and then he turned creator with a sliderule ball to McBrearty, who took his point with good hands, a quick turn and an excellent finish.
Tony Kernan pulled a point back with Armagh’s first score from play and manager Kieran McGeeney threw on Michael Murray and Kevin Dyas in an effort to turn the tide. Before either had a chance to settle in, Lacey raced through and looped the ball over the Armagh crossbar from the right wing to restore Donegal’s nine-point advantage.
Another superb Murphy strike left it 1-9 to 0-2 and completed an excellent 35 minutes’ work for Donegal and the Armagh players raced for the sanctuary of their dressingroom as the Tír Chonaill men took a moment to gather on the pitch and reflect on what they had just done. When they trooped off, the fans rose to their feet to salute them.
The challenge facing Donegal was to retain their intensity in the second half, while Armagh needed to find a way to prevent a rout. Clarke almost grabbed a lifeline when he raced through. His shot evaded Durcan’s desperate dive but cannoned off the post and Stefan Campbell missed the rebound.
However, the Orchardmen had gained a foothold in midfield and Ciarán McKeever did what he could to drag them back into the game with a fine point. But Donegal were in no mood to let them back in and they killed them off when Frank McGlynn poked the ball forward to Martin O’Reilly, who went round McNeice and shot into the net.
It was a moment that summed up the difference between the sides – Donegal took their goal chances, Armagh couldn’t take theirs. They did take the next three points though – through Caolan Rafferty and frees from Ethan Rafferty and Kernan – to leave it 2-9 to 0-6 with 20 minutes left.
A goal for Armagh then might have set up an interesting finish, but Donegal had no intention of losing focus and they ran down the clock with that ‘olé, olé’ possession football. Armagh sat back, waiting for a Donegal attack but it never came and the men in yellow passed the ball back and forth for two minutes as the Orchard men looked on. They were bemused and frustrated and eventually conceded a free which Murphy fired over.
Armagh kept going and Morgan found space to take a point and then Donegal, becoming sloppy with the game won, gave the ball away. Armagh attacked and Murnin found O’Hanlon, whose shot was brilliantly saved by Durcan.
Kernan landed his third of the game, but Murphy decided Donegal needed to go out with a flourish and he broke forward to supply MacNiallais, who clipped it over to rubberstamp a commanding win.
Yesterday was a chastening experience for this young Armagh side, whose ambitions for the season will have been tempered by this reality check.
They were beaten by a better, more experienced side and they will need to learn the lessons from it and bounce back quickly for a run in the Qualifiers, which begins against Wicklow on June 27.
Meanwhile, Rory Gallagher’s men go on to a meeting with Derry in Clones on the same date with the scalps of Tyrone and Armagh under their belts. They have no intention of surrendering their Anglo-Celt Cup.
Armagh: M McNeice; F Moriarty, C Vernon, A Mallon; J Morgan (0-1), C McKeever (0-1); A Findon (0-1), E Rafferty (0-1 free); C Rafferty (0-1), M McKenna, A Forker, T Kernan (0-3, 0-1 frees); S Campbell, A Murnin, J Clarke; Subs: M Murray for McKenna (29), K Dyas for Moriarty (30), C O’Hanlon (51), B Donaghy for Forker (57); Yellow cards: Morgan (47), Clarke (63); Black card: Findon (68) was replaced by S Harold.
Donegal: P Durcan; P McGrath, N McGee, E McGee; M McHugh, K Lacey (0-1), F McGlynn; N Gallagher (0-1), M McElhinney (0-1); C Toye, O MacNiallais (0-2), R McHugh; P McBrearty (1-1), M Murphy (0-5 frees), M O’Reilly (1-0); Subs: A Thompson for E McGee (h-t), H McFadden for McBrearty (51), D Walsh for Toye (57), G McFadden for McElhinney (68), E Doherty for O’Reilly (69), S Griffin for Murphy (71); Yellow cards: McBrearty (63), H McFadden (64).
Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).
Attendance: 18,186.
