Allianz National Football League Division One: Donegal v Armagh (tomorrow, O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny, 1.45pm)
DONEGAL want the points to be sure of survival, Armagh are already safe but they want them to have a chance of making the Division One final. Who wants them more?
This intriguing game will be played against the backdrop of the Ulster Championship quarter-final between these sides in Ballybofey on April 24 but wins for Dublin and Tyrone could see Donegal relegated, so Declan Bonner doesn’t have the luxury of hiding his hand tomorrow.
There’ll be no card-covering from Armagh either because a League final at Croke Park would be ideal Championship preparation for them and Kieran McGeeney will want to lay down a marker for Ballybofey with a confidence-boosting win to banish bad memories from 2020 when Donegal brushed the Orchardmen aside at Breffni Park.
Donegal looked like genuine All-Ireland contenders that day but they’ve failed to deliver on their promise and Armagh, humbled by 12 points, have kept the faith and winning at a packed O’Donnell Park tomorrow will be another step forward for them.
Over the last decade, Donegal have played eight League fixtures at the Letterkenny venue and won just once – a seven-point success against Monaghan in 2014.
The Farneymen avenged that loss the following season and Galway’s 2-8 to 2-7 win in 2020 meant Donegal have now lost their last six at O’Donnell Park so it is not a happy hunting ground for the home team. Then again, Ballybofey, Donegal’s fortress for 12 seasons, was breached by Monaghan a fortnight ago so the focus should be on how this match will be played, not where.
Donegal will keep possession and run at Armagh but there were signs against Dublin last weekend that they have added some much-needed kick-passing variety to their game and it bore fruit when Michael Murphy, playing at full-forward, scored a second half goal from Ryan McHugh’s long ball.
Will Murphy play on the edge of the square again? He’ll certainly spend time up there and a mid-air duel between him and Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty might be worth the admission money alone.
Tenacious man-marker Aidan Forker has had a couple of intense battles with Murphy over the past couple of years when the Glenswilly clubman has played further out the field, but dealing with him closer to the posts would be a different matter.
A month ago, after Donegal were well beaten in Kerry, there was clear daylight between the form lines of these sides. Armagh had the scalps of Dublin and Tyrone under their belt and were motoring well but since then the Orchardmen have won one out of four and, while you wouldn’t say they’ve gone off the boil, they’re not looking quite as convincing.
Even before David Clifford came on last Sunday, Kerry were finding scoring chances too easy to come by and they kicked a lot of wides in a sloppy first half which kept the Orchardmen in the game. Kerry deserved their victory but it wasn’t, as Pat Spillane claimed on The Sunday Game, a “handy win” for the Kingdom and if Jason Duffy had taken a late goal chance Armagh might even have nicked it.
Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan saved his piledriver meaning that Duffy didn’t score from play - Tiarnan Kelly was the only Armagh forward to do – while Rian O’Neill’s five points and Rory Grugan’s brace all came from placed balls. Scores from play have dried up for O’Neill over the last two games and he’ll have Brendan McCole, fresh from keeping a close eye on Ciaran Kilkenny last weekend, to contend with tomorrow.
Armagh were wasteful in front of the posts but they didn’t lack for intensity and Donegal will have to match that tomorrow. Their defensive organisation wasn’t good enough at times last Sunday and it was exposed in the first half when Niall Scully wasn’t picked up as he ran from midfield to score Dublin’s first goal.
The Tir Chonaill men kicked a lot of wides against the Dubs but Paddy McBrearty continued his superb form with 1-6 (all but a point from play). He needs more support up front but Jamie Brennan continues to struggle for sharpness and Michael Langan and Oisin Gallen for fitness.
All the cards will be on the table tomorrow. Last year’s League meeting ended in a draw and (although there have only been four stalemates in 24 games this season) you couldn’t rule out another.
Ultimately though, Armagh want to win but Donegal need to win and that edge, borne out of desperation, might be the deciding factor tomorrow.
