Donegal hurlers maintain perfect start to league life with Armagh win

Donegal picked up a fourth straight NHL Division 3 win when they had ten points to spare over Armagh in Letterkenny on Sunday. 

In a scrappy enough encounter where the hosts posted 17 wides in total, Mickey McCann will only care about the fact that his team was both full value for the win and that a further two points were nailed to the board. 

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Donegal were 1-10 to 1-2 to the good at half-time with Conor O’Grady grabbing the goal for the leaders while Dylan McKenna fired in down the other side. 

The home charges were confidently out of the blocks early on as ace score-getter Gerard Gilmore notched the game’s opening score. 

Armagh fired back through their own regular marksman, Jack Loughran, as he converted from a close-range free. 

Donegal almost nailed the net with the next attack but Ciaran Duffy, who was in fine form throughout, did well to deny Conor Gartland from almost point-blank range. 

The hosts landed the next three points as John Kealy and a Richie Ryan brace left it 4-1 on 12 minutes. 

In between, Donegal again came close to raising a green flag as Gilmore was denied by Duffy and from the follow-up. Gartland cashed against the upright. 

Armagh doubled their early tally at the end of the opening quarter as Loughran again found the mark from a placed sliotar. 

But on 19 minutes, O’Grady burst through the middle and, side-stepping Ochard full-back Paudie Lappin, arrowed a brilliant goal to the bottom corner of the visitors’ net. 

Donegal then bumped their five-point advantage out to a half dozen thanks to Kealy on a difference of 1-5 to 0-2. 

Armagh, to their credit, didn’t let their heads drop and went straight down the other side and, through McKenna, fired in a three-pointer of their own. 

Nine minutes out from the break and Liam McKinney pushed Donegal out to 1-6 and into a four-point advantage. 

Between then and the short whistle, Ryan collected his third while McKinney grabbed a second and, with Gartland also getting off the mark, Donegal led 1-9 to 1-2 headed into added time. 

And to close out the half, Gilmore clipped Donegal’s first score from a free to secure a comfortable eight-point midpoint advantage. 

Both sides bulked their accounts early on following the restart as Loughran converted another free and McKinney found the target from play. 

Ryan and Daire Harvey also swapped points as eight remained the difference on 41 minutes. 

Armagh then strung back-to-back efforts as Loughran (free) and a brilliant pot from distance by Barry Short, left it 1-12 to 1-6 on the three-quarter hour mark. 

Ryan interrupted that Armagh momentum spurt and seven again divided the teams. 

One of Armagh’s best performers on the day, Duffy, then produced another brilliant save as he thwarted Ryan Hilferty. 

Still, with Conor Diver getting in on the scoring action from wing forward, Donegal again enjoyed an eight-point advantage with 17 minutes of normal time still to go. 

Substitute Ronan McDermott registered with one of his first touches, while another replacement, Marty Moan, also split the posts down the other end. 

Donegal veteran Danny Cullen, into the mix from the sidelines also, lamped over for Donegal while Ryan and Russell Forde almost nabbed a second goal for the hosts. 

Passing the hour mark, Donegal’s upper hand extended into double figures at 1-17 to 1-7 thanks to another Gilmore free.  

Ryan was the latest and, as it transpired, last man to be denied by Duffy while down the stretch, Eoin McGuinness and Shortt grabbed the final overs for Armagh.

Donegal closed out matters through Brian MacIntyre.  

Donegal scorers Richie Ryan 0-5; Liam McKinney 0-3, Gerard Gilmore 0-3,1f, John Kealy 0-2; Conor O’Grady, Conor Gartland, Brian MacIntyrne, Ronan McDermott and Danny Cullen 0-1 each. 

Armagh scorers: Jack Loughran 0-4, 4f; Dylan McKenna 1-0; Barry Shortt 0-2,1f; Marty Moan and Eoin McGuinness 0-1 each. 

Donegal: Luke White; Oisin Kelly, Ciaran Bradley, Donal Farrelly; Ryan Hilferty, Conor O’Grady, Gavin Browne; Liam McKinney, Gerard Gilmore; Conor Diver, Richie Ryan, Peter Kelly; Declan Coulter, Conor Gartland, John Kealy. 

Subs: Ronan McDermott for Gartland (43), Danny Coulter for Coulter (45), Brian MacIntyre  for P Kelly (46), James Monagle for Browner (52), Russell Forde for J Kealy (58)

Armagh: Ciaran Duffy; Darren McMullan, Paudie Lappin, Odhran Curry; Tam Lennon, Barry Shortt, Caoinn Hughes; Joe O’Connor, Peter McKearney; Jack Loughran, Dylan McKenna, Conor Carabine; Danny Magee, Conor Gormley, Daire Harvey. 

Subs: Jack Scanlon for Gormley (ht), Eoin McGuinness for Carabine (47), Marty Moan for Magee (54), Oisin Richards for Lennon (61), Morgan Thompson for Loughran (66)

Referee: James Clarke (Cavan).