Electric Ireland Ulster MFC semi-final: Armagh v Donegal (tonight, Healy Park, 7.30pm, live on TG4 Sport YouTube)
DONEGAL go into tonight’s minor Ulster semi-final as favourites against an Armagh team with a spring in their step.
It is sure to be an interesting tussle and yesterday’s heavy rain and tonight’s forecasted downfall should make the surface at Omagh’s Healy Park quite slippy and the team that adjusts to conditions better and quicker could have the advantage.
Luke Barrett’s Donegal blew Antrim out of the water with a 4-22 to 0-8 win in Ballybofey in the preliminary round before defeating title favourites Monaghan 1-9 to 0-10 despite being down to 14 men since the 25th minute of the game. And Donegal are many people’s tip to reach the final, where they will meet the winners of tomorrow's other semi-final between Tyrone and Fermanagh.
Captain Luke McGlynn is a magnificent footballer, confident in possession, he can shift through the gears and is sharp in front of the posts. He scored seven points against the Saffron lads before converting a crucial penalty to edge out Monaghan in the semi-final
He leads from the front foot, and he is well supported by his team-mates. Paddy McElwee who bagged 2-2 in that big win over Antrim, MacCumhaill’s Kevin McCormick struck 1-5 while substitute Michael O’Callaghan from Noamh Columba grabbed 1-4.
Cormac Gallagher, Ethan Friel, Conor Reid, and Kevin McCormack provide a physically strong and mobile spine, while Armagh will have their work cut-out to get the edge over the lively Conor Reid, Sean Ward and Karl McGee.
Donegal last won the Ulster minor title in 2016 when they defeated Derry 2-10 to 1-11, while Armagh’s last Ulster win was the in 2009 and they went on to win the All-Ireland title, with current senior players Rory Grugan and James Morgan stars on that team. It has been 2014 since they were last in a final, where they lost to Donegal, so a win tonight would give both counties a lift.
It can be argued that Armagh need to reach the final more as the county has been starved of big occasions of late.
There is a steeliness about this Orchard bunch. Armagh came from five points down to defeat Derry by the minimum margin, with Lurgan’s Callum O’Neill picking out the late winner.
There was something about that point because he had kicked two wides from a similar position earlier in the game, yet the Clan na Gael lad wasn’t deterred from having another go. Armagh are a well-organised team and they have grown together through the Orchard Academy. They have a system and they stick to it albeit backed up with good footballers.
Killeavy’s Stephen McMullan is a great keeper. His kicking is excellent, and he is comfortable under the high ball and also plays soccer for Northern Ireland U17 team. His club-mate Garth Murphy, Callum O’Neill, Fergal O’Brien, Ciaran Campbell, and Michael Burnett were in the squad last under then manager Ciaran McKeever and current minor boss Brendan Hughes will expect big performances from these lads.
He’ll want more from Crossmaglen’s Aaron O’Neill, younger brother of senior starts Oisin and Rian and a special talent, Luke McKeever from Armagh Harps and his club-mate Tadgh Grimley, son of former Orchard midfield powerhouse Mark and captain Emmett Magee. But Hughes will also have a selection headache. Players such as Newtownhamilton’s Joe McClelland, Ruairi O’Brien and James Conlon came off the bench and helped turn the game around against Derry, while Crossmaglen’s Bernard Cassidy and Ronan McVeigh of Clann Eireann scored half of Armagh’s six unanswered points and they’ll be hoping to start.
