Drama till the end as Donegal pip Armagh to lift Allianz League Division 2 title

Donegal landed the Allianz League Division 2 title courtesy of a dramatic one-point win over Armagh, with Aaron Doherty’s injury-time finally settling things at Croke Park.

After a first half where there was never more than one in it, man–of-the-match, captain and 100-appearance Ciaran Thomspon’s score made for a slender 0-8 to 0-7 Donegal lead. In the second half, Donegal pushed on and moved out to 0-12 to 0-8 in front, with Armagh kept scoreless for 21 minutes at a spell, although almost an identical fate would befall Donegal late on.

However, Kieran McGeeney’s team, boosted by the introduction of Rian O’Neill, rallied and even went ahead when Oisin O'Neill squeezed one over with two minutes left, only for Caolan McGonagle and Oisin Gallen to edge Donegal in front. Armagh levelled again with Oisín Conaty the scorer and it looked like extra-time would be needed, only for Doherty to swing one over with 90 seconds to play.

From the off Jason McGee nailed in a long ball from the throw-in which Gallen was on the receiving end of, which resulted in the MacCumhaill’s man winning a mark in the middle of the ‘D’ to slot over for the first score of the match after only 30 seconds.

Kevin McGettigan nearly extended Donegal’s lead moments later his two stabs were blocked down, eventually by goalkeeper Blaine Hughes and fell out for a ‘45’.

Jarly Óg Burns would level matters on the sixth minute but Donegal would again find a way to take the lead minutes later when Niall O’Donnell would find the range to slot over.

Even though Jim McGuinness’s side settled the better of the two teams in the opening stages of the game, the Orchard County remained within touching distance with Óg Burns landing his name on the scoresheet for the second time to level matters at 0-2 to 0-2. It could’ve so easily raised a green flag after Conaty’s shot was blocked down by McGonagle with the ball landing into Óg Burn’s in front of goal but his effort was too high.

The game ebbed and flowed with both sides trading scores. Armagh would briefly take the lead Conor Turbitt nailing back-to-back scores from dead ball after Donegal conceded what were deemed two soft frees inside their 45-metre line.

Two points from Thompson levelled matters on the 20th minute, but McGeeney’s side would again hit the front when Rory Grugan slotted over from a difficult angle. Gallen would once again level the match when he kicked over a simple 13-metre free after Thompson was fouled when running through on goal towards Hill 16.

A superb long-range shot from Grugan resulted in the half-forward finding his second point when he shot off his right, 40 metres out on the 28th minute, but Donegal would again reap the reward from Armagh’s ill-discipline in their defence, with a foul deep inside their half resulting in Thompson to kick over a second Donegal free.

Conaty slotted over Armagh’s final point of the half on 31 minutes when he found the space to steady himself and kick over from distance, but Donegal would have the last laugh with McGuinness’s side taking the lead, with Peadar Mogan and Thompson nailing Donegal’s last two scores from tricky angles to go in at the break one in front.

Donegal started the brighter of the two teams in the second half with Niall O’Donnell opening the scoring a minute into the second period, but Turbitt replied moments later to keep one between the sides.

Gallen would extend Donegal’s lead with a fantastic shot off the right from a tricky angle, with the ball creeping its way between the post with Shane O’Donnell adding to his side’s tally in the 45th minute to leave the scoreline 0-11 to 0-8 in favour of Donegal

While Donegal turned up the intensity and started to ask questions of Armagh, luck wasn’t falling the way of McGeeney’s side. Stefan Campbell broke through the Donegal defence to have a shot on goal, but he stopped from getting his shot away, while Murnin hit the post when he found space to slot over an easy score, while Grugan also nailed the post minutes later from a free.

Donegal began to find their groove, turning over Armagh’s attack and countering up the field with ease. Niall O’Donnell hit his second point of the second half from 45-metres out to push Donegal’s lead to four points on 50 minutes.

But Armagh refused to give in with two Grugan frees on the 61st and 63rd minute bringing it back to a two-point game. These came after a vital save from Shaun Patton from Peter McGrane.

Donegal goalkeeper Shaun Patton was punished for taking too long on his kick-out with the resulting hop ball finding the hands of O’Neill, Armagh played it down to the corner of the field for Turbitt to fist over on 65 minutes to leave it 0-12 to 0-11 with five minutes left.

But Armagh didn’t stop there, with Donegal’s backs to the wall and Armagh eventually took the lead with substitutes Campbell and Oisín O’Neill nailing two points to put them in the driving seat.

However, Donegal fought their way back in with McGonagle getting his side’s first point in 20 minutes from an outside-of-the-boot shot. This was immediately followed by Gallen who gave Donegal the lead.

With time running out, it felt like the game was going to extra when Conaty levelled matters in the 71st minute, but Aaron Doherty would be the hero of the afternoon and have the final say as he slotted the winning score to give McGuinness and his side their first piece of silverware in 2024. Thompson, fittingly, lifted the trophy, alongside injured skipper Patrick McBrearty.

Scorers for Donegal: Ciaran Thompson 0-4, 1f; Oisin Gallen 0-4, 1m, 1f; Niall O’Donnell 0-3; Caolan McGonagle, Shane O’Donnell, Peadar Mogan, Aaron Doherty 0-1 each.
Scorers for Armagh: Rory Grugan 0-4, 2f, Conor Turbitt 0-4, 2f; Jarly Óg Burns, Oisín Conaty 0-2 each; Stefan Campbell, Oisín O’Neill 0-1 each.

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Mark Curran, Ciaran Moore, Caolan McColgan; Kevin McGettigan, Caolan McGonagle, Shane O’Donnell; Luke McGlynn, Michael Langan; Peadar Mogan, Ciaran Thompson, Jason McGee; Aaron Doherty, Oisin Gallen, Niall O’Donnell. Subs: Odhran Doherty and Jamie Brennan for McGlynn and McGettigan (both HT); Hugh McFadden for McGee (41); Jeaic MacCeallabhuí for McGolgan (60); Charles McGuinness for Niall O’Donnell (61)
Armagh: Blaine Hughes; Paddy Burns, Aaron McKay, Peter McGrane; Greg McCabe, Aidan Forker, Darragh McMullan; Ciarán Mackin, Ben Crealey; Jarly Óg Burns, Rory Grugan, Joe McElroy; Conor Turbitt, Andrew Murnin, Oisín Conaty. Subs: Stefan Campbell for Forker (41); Rian O’Neill for McElroy (48); Oisín O’Neill for McMullan (59); Jason Duffy for Mackin (68).
Referee: Paul Faloon (Down)