Advertisement

As it happened: Armagh v Donegal, Ulster SFC quarter-final

A bumper Sunday of championship football started at the Athletic Grounds. We had live minute-by-minute coverage here.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail sport@the42.ie, tweet @the42_iepost a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

Here we go again! Welcome to a bumper Sunday of championship football with no fewer than six games down for decision across the four provinces.

We’ll see All-Ireland champions Kerry, 2014′s beaten finalists Donegal, Cork, Mayo, Armagh and more today so there’s plenty to whet the appetite.

Here’s the full slate of today’s senior championship games.

We will of course be starting our coverage with the Ulster SFC quarter-final between Armagh and Donegal at the Athletic Grounds, but you’ll be able to keep up to date with all of the action right here on The42.

Ulster SFC

  • Armagh v Donegal, 2pm

Leinster SFC

  • Meath v Wicklow, Navan, 3.30pm
  • Westmeath v Wexford, Mullingar, 3.30pm

Munster SFC

  • Kerry v Tipperary, 3.30pm
  • Cork v Clare, 3.30pm

Connacht SFC

  • Mayo v Galway, 4pm

TEAM NEWS: Here’s how Kieran McGeeney’s Armagh will line out for the sold-out clash in the Athletic Grounds:

1. Matthew McNeice

2. Michael Murray
3. Charlie Vernon
4. Andy Mallon

5. James Morgan
6. Ciaran McKeever
7. Mark Shields

8. Aaron Findon
9. Ethan Rafferty

10. Caolan Rafferty
11. Michael McKenna
12. Aidan Forker

13. Kevin Dyas
14. Tony Kernan
15. Jamie Clarke

TEAM NEWS: And here’s Donegal…

1. Paul Durcan

2. Paddy McGrath
3. Neil McGee
4. Eamonn McGee

5. Anthony Thompson
6. Karl Lacey
7. Frank McGlynn

8. Neil Gallagher
9. Martin McElhinney

10. Christy Toye
11. Odhrán MacNiallais
12. Ryan McHugh

13. Patrick McBrearty
14. Michael Murphy
15. Colm McFadden

Joe Brolly has already started to dial up the pressure on Kieran McGeeney, pointing out that a Geezer team has never won a big championship match.

They’ve been languishing in Division 3 while Donegal already have a spring of Division 1 football, and a championship win under their belt after battling past Tyrone last month.

While you’re waiting for throw-in, here’s a reminder of the fiery meeting between these sides in the quarter-finals last summer:

IsleofLewisPresbyterianGaels / YouTube

CHANGES! As you might expect, there are a rake of changes to both named teams — five in total, RTÉ report.

For Donegal, Mark McHugh and Martin O’Reilly both start with Anthony Thompson and Colm McFadden the two to miss out.

Stefan Campbell, Finnian Moriarty and Andrew Murnin will all start for Armagh.

The teams are out for the parade in the Athletic Grounds. Just about ready to go.

We’re underway!

Christy Toye does the work 40 yards out and ships off to Martin McElhinney. He doesn’t even try to break through the massed Armagh defence and his shot sails well wide.

GOAL FOR DONEGAL! Donegal 1-0 Armagh 0-0 (McBrearty)

WHAT A START FOR DONEGAL! Paddy McBrearty fields a high ball above the head of James Morgan. His first shot is saved by Matthew McNeice but he manages to squeeze the rebound past the Armagh keeper from a tight angle.

Just over two minutes on the clock.

Donegal 1-1 Armagh 0-0: Neil Gallagher pushes on from the middle and points.

Donegal 1-2 Armagh 0-0: Michael Murphy lines up a free from out near the left sideline … and makes no mistake. Donegal lead by five already.

Armagh turn over possession cheaply inside Donegal territory as Andy Mallon and Jamie Clarke can’t quite connect.

Donegal launch it long into McBrearty, who competes against James Morgan and wins again, but he’s hassled off the ball and Armagh clear.

The battle between McBrearty and his marker, whoever that may be, is going to be a fascinating one.

Armagh are playing with just one forward inside, debutant Andy Murnin, in these opening few minutes. They can’t get the ball anywhere near him either.

Donegal 1-3 Armagh 0-0: Martin McElhinney fools the Armagh defence with a little show and go before slotting a fine point. A slice of luck there — it looks like he overcarried after his dummy handpass — but he certainly took full advantage.

Donegal 1-3 Armagh 0-1: Armagh are finally off the mark — and it might nearly have been a goal! Ethan Rafferty fires the ball towards the Donegal square and Aaron Findon gets up to flick it over the bar.

Donegal 1-4 Armagh 0-1: Donegal perfectly happy to pick their points from distance. This time it’s Odhrán MacNiallais who swings over a fine score.

Donegal 1-5 Armagh 0-1: Marvellous free from Michael Murphy who judges the breeze perfectly and curls the ball over the bar.

Another Armagh attack breaks down before they can get a shot away. Paul Durcan has hardly touched the ball in these opening 20 minutes. Handy aul’ Sunday for him.

Murphy sizes up a free from a tough angle but this time, it’s just off the mark.

Donegal 1-6 Armagh 0-1: Armagh keep conceding frees, and Murphy keeps pointing them. He’s 3/4 from placed balls so far, and we’re coming very close to calling this in Donegal’s favour already.

Donegal 1-7 Armagh 0-1: Paddy McBrearty gets out in front of James Morgan and makes a difficult opportunity look quite easy. Great kick-pass into him from Murphy, great finish by McBrearty.

Donegal 1-7 Armagh 0-2: A POINT. FOR ARMAGH. Tony Kernan kicks it but there’s little to suggest that this will be the beginning of a comeback.

Armagh sub: Michael Murray in for Michael McKenna

Donegal 1-8 Armagh 0-2: Christy Toye’s pass takes out a couple of Armagh players. Still, it doesn’t leave Karl Lacey with an easy angle, but he finishes with a wonderful point.

Armagh sub: Dyas on for Moriarty as Geezer tries something — anything — to inject a bit of life into his struggling Armagh side.

Another tussle between McBrearty and Morgan. The Donegal man shows great strength but to Morgan’s credit, he wins this mini-battle and forces McBrearty to overcarry.

Armagh have kicked five wides in this first half. They’ve been appalling but with a little bit more accuracy, they could be a hell of a lot closer.

Oh to be a fly on the wall of the dressing room at the break.

Donegal 1-9 Armagh 0-2: Michael Murphy is putting on a free-taking masterclass in this first half and so it’s only right that he brings proceedings to a close.

Donegal lead by 10. Armagh are dead and buried already.

HT: Donegal 1-9 Armagh 0-2

“It was over after McBrearty’s goal,” says Joe Brolly. I can’t imagine too many people are disagreeing.

Meanwhile in the comments section…

Darragh Brennan: Did nobody tell Armagh that they were playing Donegal today? They haven’t a clue what’s going on.

Joe Bloggs: Armagh are awful. Can’t remember such in mismatch in the ulster championship. Antrim would have gave Donegal a better game.

Yes. Yes they do.

Here we go again

Great early chance for Armagh as Jamie Clarke strikes the base of the Donegal post. The goal is at Campbell’s mercy but he hits the rebound into the side-netting.

Pat Spillane has clearly been watching Jack and Rose again…

Donegal 1-9 Armagh 0-3: Ciaran McKeever pushes on from the back and kicks the opening score of the second half. It has taken eight minutes…

GOAL FOR DONEGAL! Donegal 2-9 Armagh 0-3 (O’Reilly) I don’t really want to tell the Armagh players how to play the game but giving Michael Murphy the freedom of the Athletic Grounds doesn’t seem like the smartest move in the world.

He weaves his way between orange jerseys and finds Martin O’Reilly who shows a cool head to round McNeice before finishing into the empty net.

Donegal 2-9 Armagh 0-4: Caolan Rafferty cuts the gap to 11. Armagh are on a hiding to nothing here.

Donegal 2-9 Armagh 0-5: Ethan Rafferty kicks a free.

Donegal 2-9 Armagh 0-6: A Tony Kernan free cuts the margin to single digits. That’s about all Armagh have to celebrate at the moment.

Substitutions: Paddy McBrearty has tweaked his hamstring and so he hobbles off with 1-1 against his name for the afternoon; he’s replaced by Hugh McFadden.

For Armagh, Ciaron O’Hanlon is on for Ethan Rafferty.

Armagh are showing no real desire to make a game of this in the last 15 minutes. Donegal have possession and they’re allowed to keep it comfortably, coming up against very little pressing.

Donegal 2-10 Armagh 0-7: Michael Murphy kicks another free before James Morgan scores his first-ever championship point — and a fine point it is too at the end of a surging run.

I think the most disappointing aspect of this Armagh performance is the expectation that they carried into the game. Take nothing away from Donegal — they have been a class apart — but it doesn’t seem that Kieran McGeeney has managed any great improvements in this side.

Still, there’s always the qualifiers.

SAVE! Armagh have a great chance on goal but Paul Durcan does superbly to stop it. He’s diving away to his right but shoots out his left hand to get a block on Ciaron O’Hanlon’s shot. It’ll be an Armagh 45.

It’s wide from Aaron Kernan.

Thankfully this is nearly over because while Donegal have hardly put a foot wrong, it hasn’t made for much of a spectacle.

Donegal 2-10 Armagh 0-8: Beautiful score by Tony Kernan. To be fair to Armagh, they have improved in this second half. They could hardly have disimproved though!

Aaron Findon is shown a black card

Two additional minutes to be played.

Donegal 2-11 Armagh 0-8: Odhrán MacNiallais points again to cap what has been another very impressive afternoon from him.

Donegal 2-11 Armagh 0-8

So that’s it from the Athletic Grounds. Donegal continue their Ulster title defence in impressively ruthless style; they will face Derry next in the semi-finals.

For Armagh, it’s the back door and a qualifier against the losers of today’s Leinster clash between Meath and Wicklow.

5 reasons why this weekend is the biggest of the Gaelic football calendar so far

Author
Niall Kelly
View 28 comments
Close
28 Comments
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.