Donegal U-17's come through the wind and the rain to see off Armagh and reach Ulster final

Luke McGlynn’s goal with less than three minutes to go ensured Donegal shrugged off Armagh in a claustrophobic Electric Ireland Ulster U-17 semi-final in wintry conditions at Healy Park.

Donegal 1-6
Armagh 0-5

Trailing by three points before half-time, with only a point in the bank by then, Donegal looked in trouble, only for their spirit and ability to literally muck in, to take them through. Armagh will rue the dismissal of Cianan Campbell and the fact they kicked 12 wides in all and totally lost their way.

It means Donegal are in a first minor final since their success in 2016 - their 13th final in all - and will face either Tyrone or Fermanagh. They’re the county’s flag-bearers right now.

When Barrett, the Donegal manager, noted in the lead-up this Armagh team reminded him of sides from the Orchard County of old, he wasn’t too far off on the evidence of what took place.

Strong up the middle, physically powerful and willing to slug it out, Armagh had claimed a notable quarter-final win when they’d come from 0-10 to 0-5 down to oust Derry 0-11 to 0-10, with the Oak Leafers having won the deferred version of the 2020 competition just 10 days beforehand.

Heavy evening rainfall in Tyrone meant wintery conditions in August, with the rain falling in sheets at throw-in time. The elements were far from ideal for either set of players, although both will have been disappointed with their early attacking ventures with only a point apiece posted in the first 25 minutes.

A Rhys Stevens point on 11 minutes opened the scoring for Brendan Hughes’ Armagh and then, 14 minutes later, Donegal finally opened their account when Sean Ward fired over a fine long range score.

It took something like that with Armagh defending in numbers and not allowing the likes of Donegal’s deep runners Oisin Caulfield and Donal Gallagher. 

Donegal’s structure was similar and neither side managed to get inside the other, until the 25th minutes when Stevens shimmied that threw half the defence one way before making his way inside to shoot at goal only for Aaron Cullen in goal to stand tall and save.

Armagh, though, hemmed Donegal in for the next three kick-outs and made some hay, with points from Stevens again,  Campbell, who punched over, and Fergal O’Brien to go three up. 

Donegal did score the last point of the half, through Cathal McGeever, to trail 0-4 to 0-2 at half-time. 

Donegal had hammered Antrim 4-22 to 0-8 in their first outing - the preliminary round - before coming through a titanic struggle with 14 against Monaghan last Wednesday week in Clones, 1-9 to 0-10. Ethan Friel was the player dismissed at St Tiernach’s Park for picking up two first half bookings but retained his starting position in Omagh.

Michael Callaghan and Gary Kelly were the match-winners for Donegal in that quarter-final with three late scores between them and were thrown on against Armagh at half-time. 

You got the impression at the start of the second half that with the way they were built, the way it was going and the conditions, things were falling Armagh’s way. Not so it seemed, when Campbell was dismissed by referee Maggie Farrelly for a second yellow card on 37 minutes for a needless fling on Karl Magee. 

Two minutes later, Magee took advantage of his newfound freedom to pull Donegal back to within a point, 0-4 to 0-3 down. Armagh pulled Aaron O’Neill, which seemed a curious move.

The contest was becoming stretched and although Armagh didn’t look as airtight as before, they were struggling to find the mark up from with 10 wides before the 45th minute. 

Donegal continued to press and managed to get back on terms when Kevin McCormack scored for 0-4 to 0-4 on 48 minutes. It was a slog. Armagh’s 13 sat in and only Luke McKeever inside. McCormack’s effort to eke Donegal ahead for the first time on 52 hit the upright and then, a minute later, Luke McGlynn’s free suffered the same fate. 

Armagh’s knees were wobbling. And Donegal knew it. Caulfield got and although the goal was on, was content enough to punch over. However, with their first score in 27 minutes on 56 minutes, Armagh levelled through a free from Luke McKeever to make it 0-5 to 0-5. 

It looked as though there might be extra-time. Donegal had the wind bellowing their sales in that second half and aware they still had the momentum kept pushing. They found their reward, thanks to their captain.

Donegal: Aaron Cullen; Donal Gallagher, Cormac Gallagher, Karl Magee (0-1); Sean Martin, Ethan Friel, Oisin Caulfield (0-1); Sean Ward (0-1), Conor Reid; Cathal McGeever (0-1), Kevin McCormack (0-1), Conor McGinty; Daniel Marley, Paddy McElwee, Luke McGlynn (1-1, f). Subs: Michael Callaghan and Gary Kelly for Reid and McElwee (half-time), Cormac McColgan for McGeever (43), James Doherty for Friel (45), Karl Joseph Molloy for McGinty (60+3)

Armagh: Stephen McMullan; Cathal Agnew, Gareth Murphy, Emmet Magee; Callum O’Neill, Fergal O’Brien (0-1), Aidan Cassidy; Tadgh Grimley, Michael Burnett; Ethan McKenna, Aaron O’Neill, Ruairi O’Brien; Rhys Stevens (0-2), Luke McKeever (0-1,1f), Cianan Campbell (0-1). Subs: Bernard Cassify for O’Neill (40), Tiarnan McVeigh for O’Brien (47), James Conlon for McKenna (54), Pearse Blessing for Cassidy (60+1)

Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).