NFL, Division 1: Armagh 0-19 Donegal 1-20
Nobody can argue with Donegal’s spot at the top of the league. Unbeaten in four games, they’ve been comfortably the team of the spring, so much so that Kieran McGeeney called them the best team in the country at the moment after this four-point victory over his Armagh team. What it all means for later in the year is for later in the year.
They won a ding-dong encounter against Armagh here in a game they led from the 17th second and were only tied once. Jason McGee was exceptional in midfield, pulling down a world of ball and whipping over four points from play. Finnbarr Roarty was in full Artful Dodger mode, picking pockets all over the pitch. Conor O’Donnell’s goal 10 minutes into the second half gave them a cushion on which to lay their heads all the way to the end.
For all that, Armagh came away from proceedings reasonably content with where they are. McGeeney spent much of his post-match press powwow bemoaning his side’s inability to finish the multitude of chances they created. They took 25 shots in the second half and scored 10 points.
On another day, Oisin Conaty would have had a hat-trick. As it was, he drew three smart saves out of Gavin Mulreany in the Donegal goal, including a 67th-minute penalty, and had his follow-up cleared off the line by Brendan McCole. Missing that much and still getting within four points of a team that is rocking and rolling like Donegal are must count as a reasonable day’s work.
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On a day of wildly fluctuating weather, both sides were far less efficient with the wind than against it. Donegal went in four points up at half-time having had it at their back in the first half. Matching Armagh score for score in the second period won them the game.
“We were snatching at shots in the first half,” said Donegal manager Jim McGuinness afterwards. “You feel you need to with the wind. You’re kind of forcing things in that way. So there’s an element of luck, to be honest with you. Some go over with the wind and some don’t.
“We had the cushion so we could control the game in the second half and that put more pressure on them then. Our goal was a classic example, in that we didn’t need to push on there. We were in a good position, we could control the ball well and then a gap opened up. So it’s tight margins – they took 25 shots in the second half but if four or five of them go over it’s a different story.”
On days like this, you can easily forgive footballers whatever flaws infect them. As the teams arrived an hour before the game, the skies blackened and grumbled and unleashed a thunderstorm of such ferocity that it left puddles right down the sideline of the pitch. By the time they went into the dressingrooms for half-time, the sun was blazing into the eyes of the people in the stand, causing them to hold up their match programs to shield them.
Donegal led 0-13 to 0-9 at that stage and should have been further ahead. Ryan McHugh pulled a decent goal chance just wide 10 minutes short of the break and they landed three of their eight attempts at orange flags. Michael Langan was the one Donegal player who seemed to have the measure of the wind – he stroked over a couple of two-pointers inside the opening 12 minutes.
Armagh came out hunting after the break but their composure deserted them. They missed with five of their first six shots after half-time, followed by Cian McConville blazing over the bar with the goal at his mercy on 41 minutes. Their wastefulness got slapped with a heavy tariff – in the next attack, Donegal kept the ball for a full three minutes before Conor O’Donnell played a one-two with Michael Langan to sneak in behind the cover and bury his finish past Blaine Hughes.
It was a stunning goal, from a lot of different angles. For one, it showed that even in the new game with the new rules, control is not a dirty word. Donegal held on to the ball going over and back in front of the Armagh arc in a way that might seem boring to some but when it ends in a goal of O’Donnell’s quality, it’s hard to give out about it.
But also, as McGeeney pointed out, Armagh didn’t do a whole lot wrong. Three minutes is a long time to track every run and tag every man and his side were managing that with huge concentration and intent, right up until they weren’t. Against most teams, they’d have frustrated the opposition into a silly shot or a bad decision. Donegal aren’t most teams.
This was high level stuff from two elite outfits. They’ll both have plenty to say about the summer’s story.
ARMAGH: B Hughes; G McCabe, G Murphy, P McGrane; R McQuillan (0-0-3), T Kelly, J Óg Burns (0-0-1); C O’Neill (0-0-1), B Crealey (0-0-1); D McMullan (0-1-0), C Turbitt (0-0-1), J Duffy; C McConville (0-0-3), O O’Neill (0-0-6, 3f), O Conaty (0-0-1). Subs: T McCormack for Crealey (temp, 11-14 mins); F O’Brien for Duffy (62); McCormack for McConville (68).
DONEGAL: G Mulreany (0-2-0, 2tpf); E Bán Gallagher (0-0-1), B McCole, P Mogan; R McHugh (0-0-1), C McGonagle, F Roarty; H McFadden, M Langan (0-2-0); S O’Donnell (0-0-1), C O’Donnell (1-0-1), C Moore; C McCahill (0-0-2), J McGee (0-0-4), O Gallen (0-0-2). Subs: T Carr for S O’Donnell (47 mins); S Malone for McCahill (53); P O’Hare for Gallen (56); D Mac Giolla Bhríde for Moore (65).
Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).
