Armagh 'well in game' before Aidan Forker sending off insists Kieran McGeeney 

Kieran McGeeney felt that Armagh were on the verge of getting back into matters against Donegal before Aidan Forker lost the plot. 

A powerful opening from Jim McGuinness’ side seen them deservingly lead 0-12 to 1-3 at the changeover in MacCumhaill Park on Sunday. 

But early on in the second period Andrew Murnin reduced matters back to just two with a booming two-pointer from outside the arc. 

Patrick McBrearty did widen it back to three as Michael Murphy was sprung to a huge reception. But the 2012 All-Ireland winning captain was immediately engaged by last year’s Sam Maguire lifter, Forker. 

And Forker in his attempts to lay some kind of marker, subsequently lost his head as he dunted Murphy square in the chest. 

With referee Sean Hurson in close proximity the inevitable outcome was a red card for the Ochard man. Donegal would run out comfortable 0-21 to 1-10 winners. 

But McGeeney says that flash-point, and the consequences of it, had a bearing on the eventual outcome.

“We’re very disappointed,” McGeeney said said. “Discipline was huge in the game; it was on our side, and we let it go. It is a harsh lesson for us but you just have to take it on the chin and walk on.

“You can’t brush this over, we got ourselves back into the game easily at the beginning of the second half, we were well in control and then we just let it go.”

McGeeney - who said he’d no issue with the referee’s interpretation of the clash - still admitted Armagh were well off the boil in Ballybofey on Sunday. 

“We converted eight out of 22 shots, it is horrible,” he added..“Again, people are getting excited with two-pointers instead of taking simple scores. 

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“We were ballooning shots when there were easy passes inside, the game was there for us and we just didn’t take the chances that were available to us – again we learned harsh lessons.

“We had the shots and we had the chances and just going down to 14 men at critical time had a big part to play in it. We didn’t play well anyway, but it just shows you that we were well in the game.”