Armagh come back from the brink - twice - to send Donegal's Ulster dreams tumbling

A goal 90 seconds from the end of extra-time by Kelly Mallon gave Armagh the most dramatic of wins in the final of the TG4 Ulster Ladies Championship against a Donegal team who will wonder how they left it behind.

Donegal 2-19
Armagh 3-17

Maxi Curran’s side had seen a four-point lead disappear right at the end of normal time as Armagh somehow forced extra-time. Then with Donegal looking in control once more and Geraldine McLaughlin kicking 1-11, they were holding Armagh at arm’s length before Aimee Mackin found an unmarked Mallon with a peach of a pass and the Armagh skipper cut inside to slam home the winner. As she left the ground her supporters were shouting to congratulate 'the bear in the square'.

It’s an Ulster three-in-a-row for Armagh, while Donegal will feel like they lost the same game twice. Unforced errors really did cost Donegal a provincial title here.

Mackin’s goal right at the end of normal time brought Armagh back from four down to just the one, when she picked up possession following some loose Donegal possession. Mallon’s fifth free then forced extra-time.

Although Armagh appeared to have the momentum, it was Donegal who enjoyed a better first period, with Karen Guthrie scoring twice and Niamh Hegarty one for a 2-17 to 2-15 lead. Former Donegal captain Guthrie missed their semi-final on a precautionary measure and she was left in reserve to begin with against Armagh, coming in at the break. 

In the second period of extra-time, Geraldine McLaughlin and Mallon swapped scores, which meant Donegal were still two to the good. McLauglin then scored a brilliant individual point with five to play, taking a pass from her sister Nicole, who was making her 100th inter-county appearance. Donegal were 2-19 to 2-17 in front and, dare it be said, looking like seeing it out. However, they will look at their defence and how they dealt with some of the Armagh attacks, when they join the Orchard County in the All-Ireland series.

With Geraldine McLaughlin, who was for the second year in succession in the Ulster final named player of the match despite being on the losing team, having bagged a goal in less than a minute and both sides famed for their attacking prowess, this had the look of a shootout from the off.

McLaughlin, an All-Star at last in 2021, managed to hook a shot over Anna Carr on 58 seconds when completely surrounded by Armagh players, when she was found by Niamh Hegarty to give the side managed by Maxi Curran the dream start.

Although far from an ideal start, it didn't seem to ruffle Armagh, who soon found their groove to post 1-2 without reply by the 11th minute, with the goal coming when Aoife McCoy rammed past Roisin McCafferty when set up by Aimee Mackin’s pinching of possession from Niamh Carr. 

Ronan Murphy’s side were pressing the case and by the 20th minute were ahead by three points, 1-6 to 1-3, with Kelly Mallon and Caroline O’Hanlon scoring points and Aimee Mackin denied one - waved wide when it looked to have curled inside.

When they got going, Donegal were piecing together some eye-catching moves. One of those saw Geraldine McLaughlin burrow her way through to find an opening. Hegarty saw Niamh McLaughlin to her left and the Donegal skipper shot her side’s second goal 25 minutes in, courtesy of an arrowed finish into the top corner of the Armagh net. 

It put Donegal 2-4 to 1-6 in front, although Armagh, courtesy of a wonderful Mackin turn, were level within a minute. Niamh Hegarty for Donegal and McCloy - whose first half total was 1-2 - traded points. It meant that at half-time, there was nothing to separate the teams with Donegal’s total 2-5 and Armagh’s 2-8.

With the two sides having won six out of the last seven Ulster crowns, the duopoly was evident in the semi-finals when Donegal comprehensively defeated Cavan on a 3-19 to 1-11 scoreline and Armagh very impressive victors over Monagan, 5-21 to 0-5.

Last year, Donegal’s Ulster quest ended in heartbreak as they got back level from nine points down in the Omagh final only to lose out to Armagh by a single point. At half-time Guthrie was introduced and was on the scoreboard moments later, followed up by a solo Geraldine McLaughlin point.

Aimee Mackin, though, is never one to be outdone and her three scores meant Armagh were one up by the 41st minute, at 1-11 to 2-7. Again, though, the see-saw element was in full swing as that merely acted as a prelude for another Donegal lead, with McLaughlin and Guthrie the point-scorers.

Mallon got Armagh on terms but in Geraldine McLaughlin, Donegal had a trump card. The Termon sharpshooter kicked the next three points, so with six minutes left, their lead was three, 2-12 to 1-12.

At the back, goalkeeper McCafferty in goal and full-back Evelyn McGinley, whose father Mickey had passed during the week and for whom there was a minute’s silence beforehand, were dealing the Armagh’s high balls in. 

Yvonne Bonner had been shackled well by Clodagh McCambridge all afternoon and kept scoreless until the latter stages. When Bonner finally etched her name onto the scoreboard, it made for a four-point Donegal lead.

Gerard McLauglin, with an impossible point when found by Niamh McLaughlin’s quick free, maintained that advantage after Mackin’s fifth of the day for Armagh. 

With 90 seconds to go, Armagh looked a beaten docket only for Mackin’s goal and Mallon’s free, with the last kick of the game, to force extra-time.

Donegal scorers: Geraldine McLaughlin 1-11, 4f; Niamh McLaughlin 1-1; Karen Guthrie 0-4, 2f; Niamh Hegarty 0-2, Yvonne Bonner 0-1.
Armagh scorers: Aimee Mackin 1-5, 2f; Kelly Mallon 1-8, 8f; Aoife McCoy 1-2; Catherine Marley 0-1; Caroline O’Hanlon 0-1; 

Donegal: Roisin McCafferty; Niamh Carr, Evelyn McGinley, Tanya Kennedy; Shelly Twohig, Roisin Rodgers, Amy Boyle Carr; Katy Herron, Nicole McLaughlin; Niamh Hegarty, Niamh McLaughlin, Susanne White; Yvonne Bonner, Bláthnáid McLaughlin, Geraldine McLaughlin. Subs: Karen Guthrie for White (half-time), Tara Hegarty and Niamh Boyle for Herron and Rodgers (full-time), Emma McCroary for N Hegarty (75), Herron for B McLaughlin (77),
Armagh:  Anna Carr; Shauna Grey, Clodagh McCambridge, Cait Towe; Niamh Marley, Lauren McConville, Grace Ferguson; Blaithin Mackin, Caroline O'Hanlon; Eve Lavery, Niamh Coleman, Catherine Marley; Aimee Mackin, Aoife McCoy, Kelly Mallon. Subs: Tiarna Grimes for Marley (52),  Niamh Reel for Laverty (55), Fionnuala McKenna for Coleman (58)
Referee: Gavin Finnegan.