DONEGAL 1-16; ARMAGH 1-16
TYRONE 0-14; MONAGHAN 0-14
ON A DRAMATIC night in Division 1 north, Paddy McBrearty inspired Donegal to climb out of the grave and reach the NFL semi-finals after this come-from-behind draw with Armagh.
For Kieran McGeeney’s side, the shift in their fortunes was scarcely believable. At one stage, nearing 9pm, they were set to top the table and secure a semi-final spot. Instead they are in a relegation play-off along with Monaghan, Roscommon and one of Dublin, Kerry or Galway.
Those latter four sides play tomorrow, Galway needing a win against Dublin to emerge from Division 1 south and reach the semi-finals.
Should either Kerry or Donegal go on to reach the National League final – scheduled for the weekend of June 19/20 then that game will not be played as both counties have a championship fixture the following week.
That’s another day’s conversation. Tonight produced enough talking points.
Trailing by five points early on – later by four with just 13 minutes remaining, Donegal just refused to lie down and lose. McBrearty was their leader yet he had company, Michael Langan getting a crucial goal for the 2012 All-Ireland champions, while Conor O’Donnell and Niall O’Donnell also contributed big scores.
For Armagh, fatigue became an issue. They’d played well throughout – and in Stefan Campbell they had one of the game’s leading players – but no matter how often they nipped in front, Donegal kept coming back at them.
After a quarter of the game it was 0-6 to 0-1; at half-time it was 0-10 to 0-6 and when Tiarnan Kelly scored Armagh’s goal on 57 minutes, there were four points between them.
There and then, it looked as though Armagh would make the semis. They needed a win to do so; a draw would not be enough.
But a draw was what they ended up with as Donegal outpointed Armagh by five points to one in the closing stages – McBrearty (2), Ward, Thompson and Niall O’Donnell with their scores in this critical period, Jemar Hall with Armagh’s as the game finished 1-16 to 1-16.
Meanwhile, another crunch game was occurring between Monaghan and Tyrone, Darren McCurry and Conor McManus exchanging early points in this one before McCurry (2) and Paul Donaghy extended Tyrone’s lead – before McManus and goalkeeper Rory Beggan closed the gap from three points to one.
Beggan would go on to make two crucial saves – one from McCurry in the first half, another from Darragh Canavan in the second – as well as getting on the scoresheet again from a 45.
The tide kept turning. Tyrone would lead 0-7 to 0-4 on 35 minutes and then trail 0-9 to 0-7 early in the second half – McManus inevitably doing some of the damage, assisted by Dessie Ward and Stephen O’Hanlon.
Ronan McNamee and Canavan got Tyrone motoring again; Burns and Jack McCarron exchanged scores, Beggan put Monaghan a point clear with 12 minutes remaining before McManus and Stephen O’Hanlon extended the lead to three.
Back came Tyrone, Kieran McGeary, McCurry and McKenna getting three in a row for them before Matty Donnelly put them one in front.
Then with the last kick of the game Ryan McAnespie got the equaliser, Monaghan drawing 0-14 to 0-14 – a fine result but not a good enough one to get them into the semis. Tyrone make it there, Monaghan forced to contest a relegation play-off.
The maul tries would not have been so easily scored if Klyne had been playing. He is invaluable to Munster an absolute brick wall in defence.
Didn’t look good now. Should never have Glasgow come away with bonus point. As for Jager, there’s a reason he’s at munster and not at La Rochelle or Toulouse. Let’s not get carried away with this guy folks.
@Ray Ridge: is it that he has ambitions of playing international rugby? Or that he values player welfare?
@Ray Ridge: easy does it Ray. He might not tech the heights of your interprovincial career or international prospects but give him a little time before cutting the legs from him.
@David O’Flynn: Time?? 6 years at the Crusaders and failed to make it as an all black. I doubt a year or two at munster will make a difference. No harm or offence.
@Ray Ridge: Was that last sentence a pun there Ray? This lads father is Harm Jager.
Harm Jager is a Dutch strength and conditioning coach who worked (works?) in Ireland but I can’t remember who for, Football? Rugby?
I remember him in connection with Niall Quinn I think.
@Ray Ridge: Neither did Aki, JGP or Lowe make it to the ABs but they made it into the Irish side.
You seem to be very quick to judge. Judge as you wish to be judged is a good philosophy, irrespective of any religious connotations.
They seemed to try and drop it (lineout) a few times, but Loughman wasn’t able to pull the man down and so gave away momentum and never got behind it, and they only contested once (from 5m). Jager seems a little off the fitness level but looks like a bouncer at Mullingars 3 best nightclub which is exactly what’s needed. Hope he goes well. No need for that reverse scrum penalty for one of the maul tries.
I have to agree with Matt Williams article last week about how the proliferation of maul tries. I agree it is ruining the game. They have to think of a way of Dix our aging it and encouraging the running option.
@John dunne: discouraging!
@John dunne: Ugh. Matt Williams is awful, Ray Ridge is even better.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see the match but it is a great result. The fact that there’s areas to improve upon means Munster will get even stronger. The return match with Leinster will be a tough one, I can’t see Munster losing it.
Remember, Glasgow have a very strong team this year, so no mean result overall! That’s in spite of their BP, which needs to be looked at in terms of the overall scoring by Munster. If Munster had lost, yeah I’d complain but it’s a great score to put on a strong team.