Football

Armagh game-manage their way out of trouble against relegation-haunted Donegal

Armagh's Rian O'Neill and Donegal's Brendan McCole during Saturday's Allianz NFL Division One game on Saturday night Picture: Philip Walsh
Armagh's Rian O'Neill and Donegal's Brendan McCole during Saturday's Allianz NFL Division One game on Saturday night Picture: Philip Walsh Armagh's Rian O'Neill and Donegal's Brendan McCole during Saturday's Allianz NFL Division One game on Saturday night Picture: Philip Walsh

Allianz National Football League Division One: Armagh 0-13 Donegal 0-10

TWO Division One sides still trying to find their form, Armagh’s search is proving more successful than Donegal’s on the evidence of Saturday night’s nerve-jangling duel in the Cathedral City.

A few takeaways from a raucous evening: the Box-It Athletic Grounds conjures an atmosphere unrivalled in the country, Andy Murnin is without doubt one of the most exciting and effective talents in the game and Rian O’Neill has got his mojo back with decisive moments at either end of the field for an improving Armagh.

And despite their long injury list, the Orchard men can expect to exert a bit of pressure on the teams above them in the division with their nemesis Galway in their eye-line on March 18.

As for Donegal, old habits die hard as they stare relegation in the face with Mayo (h) and Roscommon (a) still to come.

When it came to the final third of the field, Paddy Carr’s men were devoid of ideas as to how to navigate a way past Armagh’s well-drilled defensive structure.

“I see that they’re trying to do what needs to be done,” Carr said of his players afterwards. “[But] Habits can take a long while to form and breaking certain habits as well.”

Donegal’s identity crisis continues, but they are making small, incremental improvements – after all, they were still in Saturday night’s tie right to the final whistle - and will undoubtedly be a better team at the end of their NFL campaign than at the start of it.

But it’ll probably not be enough to save themselves from the drop.

After feeling the brunt of some high-profile Championship beatings in recent years, Armagh finally know the code to crack Donegal.

Make no mistake: this was the kind of game Armagh either would have drawn or lost a few seasons ago.

Their game-management going down the final stretch on Saturday night was far from perfect, especially when Ross McQuillan should have popped the ball over the bar in the 69th minute rather than trying to set up Murnin up for a goal.

Armagh should have been four ahead at that point but got nothing from what was a gift-wrapped scoring opportunity. Within 90 seconds, the visitors had made it a one-point game through well-taken scores from Jamie Brennan and Jason McGee.

But in the last two minutes of stoppage-time time, Armagh rallied again and finally buried Donegal, largely thanks to the brilliant fielding and direct running from the outstanding Jarlath Og Burns.

Kieran Donaghy assumed post-match media responsibilities again and was happy to go down as many rabbit holes of enquiry as was asked of him – one of which was how Armagh’s game-management has evolved.

Can the stress tests of those final and often decisive 10 minutes of games be coached?

“I believe it can be worked on and I believe you can practice and put yourself in scenarios in training where you are putting the team in a position of how to see it out,” said the affable Kerry man.

“But there are circumstances you cannot replicate – crowds, pressure – this is stuff you cannot replicate. You can put the players in a scenario here on a quiet Wednesday night when there is nobody is watching and they will be cool on the ball and calm and calculated and pick off the scores and see us home.

“You just have to keep drilling the habits and as a management team we do a lot of that scenario-based stuff at times in training. Even though it wasn’t perfect tonight, we still pulled away at the end and got the key scores.”

He added: “There was big leadership by big players there at a vital time which probably brought a sense of calm to the group that mightn’t have been there before.”

“You know these guys are big time players and we really needed them to step up there today and get this team over the line. We were very clear to the group that this game was just about winning and winning whatever it takes.”

Armagh led this encounter from start to finish but couldn’t really shake off Donegal who scored high for doggedness and determination.

Conor O’Donnell was the only visiting player who escaped the tremendous pressure constantly exerted on the shooter by Armagh to land a score from distance in the first half. Others tried and failed.

When they inevitably won turnovers in their own ’45, Armagh transitioned with real intent - and absolutely everything stuck to Murnin’s velcro-like hands.

Greg McCabe made a couple of incisions in the Donegal defence too with some brilliant running at pace, winning two first-half fouls that were converted by ‘keeper Ethan Rafferty and Rian O’Neill in the sixth and 31st minutes.

With Armagh leading by 0-7 to 0-3 at the break, Hugh McFadden’s introduction gave Donegal more attacking impetus. Indeed, the visitors hit three of the first four points in the second half but there was always a sense that Armagh – backed fantastically by a packed stadium – had the legs and leadership to see it out.

Some of Jarlath Og’s catches and runs were just sensational going down the home stretch and Rian O’Neill caught a high ball under his own crossbar as Donegal chased a goal in the dying embers.

Ciaran Mackin and Stefan Campbell left everything on the field too while substitutes Rory Grugan and Niall Grimley stitched more composure to Armagh in those final minutes.

“You have to admire the way the county has got behind the team here, big time,” said Carr.

“It was evident out there and those small margins were the difference in the end. It’s never easy knowing that the opposition is capitalising on your mistakes but that’s what happens at this level of football.”

Armagh: E Rafferty (0-1 free); B McCambridge, A Forker (0-1), P Burns; A McKay, G McCabe, J McElroy; C Mackin, J Og Burns (0-1); J Duffy, C McCumiskey, S Campbell (0-1); R O’Neill (0-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 ‘45), A Murnin (0-3, 0-1 mark), C Turbitt Subs: T Kelly for J Duffy (56), R Grugan (0-1 free) for C Turbitt (58), R McQuillan for S Campbell (60), N Grimley for C Cumiskey (71)

Yellow card: R O’Neill (21)

Donegal: S Patton (0-2, 0-1 ’45, 0-1 free), M Curran, B McCole, C Ward; C McColgan, S McMenamin, EB Gallagher; C McGonagle, J McGee (0-1); M Langan, D Ó Baoill, C O’Donnell (0-1); P Mogan, O Gallen (0-2 frees), J Brennan (0-2) Subs: H McFadden (0-1) for C Ward (34), C Thompson (0-1) for C McColgan (49), R O’Donnell for O Gallen (61), J McKelvey for EB Gallagher (66)

Yellow card: C McColgan (44)

Referee: J Henry (Mayo)