Donegal shake Armagh from coattails to maintain perfect National League start

Donegal continue to set a serious NFL pace as they made it four wins in as many outings taking Armagh’s scalp at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds on Sunday. 

Jim McGuinness’ side held the upper hand for long spells throughout but couldn’t quite shake the hosts from their coattails. 

READ NEXT: Donegal hurlers maintain perfect start to league life with Armagh win 

A 67th-minute penalty from Oisin Conaty threatened to bring Kieran McGeeney’s team back to within a single point. 

However, Gavin Mulreany brilliantly denied the Orchard attacker from the spot and, with the same player following up on the rebound Brendan McCole, on his one hundredth appearance for Donegal, also made a diving stop. 

When the dust did settle on all that drama, Conor O’Donnell’s 45th-minute goal eventually proved to be decisive. 

With Jason McGee the contest’s standout performer, he helped set the early pace straight from throw-in as Michael Langan, almost instantly, kicked Donegal two in front with a swing from outside the arc. 

With Gareth Murphy hot on his tail, Oisin Gallen still managed to find the time and space on the right to clip Donegal three up. 

Armagh were up and running on six minutes thanks to an Oisin O’Neill free and with Jarly Óg Burns following that up, we were back to a one-point game. 

Eoghan Ban Gallagher did well to burst forward from wing back and with Donegal again looking to squeeze up on the opposition, Conaty spilled possession, allowing Ryan McHugh, on the other side, to also get up and in on the scoring act. 

Conaty made amends for that mistake on 11 minutes when he curled over a brilliant effort on the far right to leave it 5-3 in Donegal’s favour. 

Donegal again found some extra breathing space on the scoreboard thanks to Langan as he nailed a second two-pointer to send his side four clear. 

Cian McConville then made a double impact as he got in behind the visitors’ rearguard to fist over and, shortly after, the same player reacted quickest to a scuffed Hughes free to make it 7-5. 

Armagh were turning the screw now themselves as Oisin O’Neill followed McConville’s lead, and back-to-back points from the former helped square matters up by the 21st minute. 

McGee lobbed Donegal back in front and a brilliant dummy off the left foot from Conor McCahill to shift back onto his right, engineered the space to once again help open up a two-point gap. 

It was a moment of real quality but so much credit still belonged to Finnbarr Roarty who three or four phases back, brilliantly turned over possession to help Donegal counter. 

McHugh then pulled an ambitious trigger on goal from a fair distance out with an effort that just went the wrong side of the foot of the post. 

Mulreany strolled up to nail his side’s third two-pointer of the game as Donegal went 12-8 up. 

A booming Hughes dispatch missed the ‘piggery’ around the middle and on the gallop, Ross McQuillan trimmed things back to three. 

But just before the hooter, McHugh did so well to rescue a stray McGee pop and, feeding inside to Shane O’Donnell, Donegal headed for the changing room four to the good. 

O’Neill got Armagh back on the front foot on the restart but Gallen found a response. A miscued dispatch from Mulreany then allowed Armagh the chance to raid with McConville splitting the posts. 

Donegal, showing great patience in holding possession and, at the same time, teasing Armagh out of their defensive set, then struck as O’Donnell’s ‘give and go’ with Langan opened up the home defence as the visitors struck the back of the net. 

McCahill followed that huge intervention up with a point and seven now split the teams at 1-15 to 0-11. 

Armagh, to be fair, didn’t once look like they were prepared to throw in the towel as Conor Turbitt, McQuillan and Ben Crealey all found the mark to reel that previous deficit back into four. 

McGee, the game’s most impactful player, then grabbed his third and with Conor O’Donnell again putting the burners on, the visitors were back out to a six-point advantage. 

On the hour mark, Darragh McMullan pulled one back for Armagh but Mulreany was on hand to boot another crucial Donegal two-pointer. 

McQuillan and O’Neill shaved that headway completely back as 0-18 chased down 1-19. But a brilliant scud delivery from a Langan free, to the lurking McHugh, eventually ted up McGee to move Donegal onto 1-20 for the afternoon. 

Callum O’Neill had the final say, on the scoreboard at least, as late drama ensued

In the end though, Donegal deservingly held on for another fine win. 

Armagh scorers: Oisin O’Neill 0-6, 3f; Ross McQuillan and Cian McCarville 0-3; Darragh McMullin 0-2, tp; Conor Turbitt 0-1, Ben Crealey, Jarly Óg Burns, Callum O’Neill and Oisin Conaty 0-1 

Donegal scorers: Conor O’Donnell 1-1, Michael Langan 0-4, 2tp; Gavin Mulreany 0-4, 2tpf; Jason McGee 0-4; Oisin Gallen and Conor McCahill 0-2 each; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Ban Gallagher and Shane O'Donnell 0-1 each. 

Armagh: Blaine Hughes; Jason Duffy, Gareth Murphy, Peter McGrane; Ross McQuillan, Tiernan Kelly, Jarly Óg Burns; Callum O’Neill, Ben Crealey; Cormac Gallagher, Conor Turbitt, Greg McCabe; Cian McConville, Oisin O’Neill, Oisin Conaty. 

Subs: Fergal O’Brien for Duffy (63), Tomas McCormick for McConville (68).

Donegal: Gavin Mulreany; Finnbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Eoghan Ban Gallagher; Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan; Shane O’Donnell, Jason McGee, Ciaran Moore; Conor McCahill, Oisin Gallen, Conor O’Donnell.

Subs: Turlough Carr for S O’Donnell (47), Shea Malone for McCahill (53), Paul O’Hare for Gallen (56), Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhride for Moore (65).

Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).