Donegal make it four from four with win over Armagh

Armagh 0-19

Donegal 1-20

GAVIN MULREANY saved a penalty from Oisin Conaty with two minutes to play to give Donegal a fourth win from four in Division 1 of the National Football League.

The side managed by Jim McGuinness added to their previous wins over Dublin, Kerry and Mayo, maintaining a four-point half-time lead of 0-13 to 0-9, with Conor O’Donnell scoring the only goal of the game on 45 minutes.

Armagh were always chasing and certainly made a fist of it so when match referee Brendan Cawley gave a spot kick to the hosts, it looked set for a grandstand finish.

Mulreany got down to save from Conaty and when the Armagh forward got a second bite at it, Brendan McCole – on his 100th appearance for Donegal – saved on the line to keep the sheet clean.

It’s a third defeat on the bounce for Armagh, having lost out to Galway and Roscommon and they’ll be needing something in Castlebar next weekend.

It was tough going for both teams, with hail and rain, then springtime sunshine, making for traditional February fare.

Michael Langan kicked two excellent first-half two-pointers to make sure Donegal, with the wind, made the sharper start, moving into a 0-7 to 0-3 lead.

Armagh managed to find their gears soon after with four in succession to get level, with Oisin O’Neill and Cian McConville providing the impetus in a strong period midway through the half.

But Donegal continued their positive trajectory and points from man-of-the-match Jason McGee, a two-pointed free from Mulreany and Shane O’Donnell gave them a decent half-time lead.

Armagh would kick nine wides in part two as they aimed to eat into Donegal’s lead and Conor O’Donnell’s goal meant they trailed 1-15 to 0-11. It came after the most patient of moves with Langan eventually playing the last pass

Mulreany, as well as nailing a fine long-range free, would save twice from Conaty, firstly getting behind a piledriver and later with one into his chest. An inability to score any two-pointers and some snatchy shooting made Armagh’s job even trickier in the conditions that weren’t ever easy.

McGee at centre-field was dominant for Donegal and won a series of possessions with players from both teams clumped in front of the respective benches. It wasn’t for the faint-hearted.

O’Neill and Ross McQuillan kept Armagh in the hunt, but it was to be Donegal’s day.

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

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).

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