Michael Murphy makes his mark on wild Ulster ride
Ulster SFC final: Donegal: 2-23 Armagh: 0-28
This hectic rivalry keeps on giving. Until the final hooter, Donegal and Armagh gave it their absolute all. After a thrilling contest and extra-time, green and gold flooded the field and let loose.
A wild ride was briefly derailed by a post-match scuffle between both teams. Players had to be separated. An investigation is inevitably coming down the tracks. The fixture didn't need that sort of unpleasantness because the glorious Gaelic football gave enough. Niall O'Donnell had already delivered the winner in front of an enthralled 27,788 crowd.
All-Ireland champions Armagh had given an admirable showing but ended the evening sitting on a wall behind the Gerry Arthurs Stand, munching down much-deserved fuel and licking their wounds.
They refused to yield despite blow after blow. Ryan McHugh man-marked Rory Grugan, successfully disrupting their primary creator. The margin was seven points at one point in the first half and three at the turnaround. Hugh McFadden's swing at a dropped ball resulted in a devastating goal yet they managed to craft two chances of their own back-to-back. Darragh McMullan and Ben Crealey both flashed wide.
Meanwhile, Michael Murphy was making his mark. His return is now officially an undeniable success. The 35-year-old was targeted with three long balls early on. He was fouled for a scorable free for the first. He slotted the second. He broke the third for an Oisin Gallen point.
Murphy added a second point after the break and finished with two assists. Afterwards, young fans from across the country waited outside the dressing room in search of their hero. Down the hall, Jim McGuinness was hailing the influence of his target man.
'Just a great ball by Finbar in the diagonal,' he said of Murphy's first catch. 'There's not many of them in the game at the minute, which is weird because of the mark. But yeah, great ball, mighty catch. But just everything with Michael that he brings to the table and in the meetings and in the prep. And obviously a cool head at half-time and just his quality on the ball as well.'
With deep inhales of the peculiar fumes that swirl around Clones on Ulster final day, both outfits emptied themselves. Gallen was a wonder in the first half until Paddy Burns moved across to take him on. Ciaran Thompson kicked two crucial two-pointers. Ciaran Moore came off and back on to land a vital goal in injury time.
And Armagh matched so much of it. They never led in normal time but kept chasing and hit the front through Jarly Óg Burns at the start of the additional period. Oisín Conaty was sensational throughout. Stefan Campbell managed to maintain his streak of awesome impacts from the bench with a three-point contribution.
'We had some outstanding players,' said McGeeney. 'Like Oisín was exceptional, six points from play. He was probably the best player on the pitch by a mile there.'
Even after Moore's late green flag, Armagh drew level with a two-point free from the excellent Ethan Rafferty. Several Donegal substitutes had tried to impact the match. Several had failed. It fell to Niall O'Donnell to deliver. With his first shot on his left, he missed.
The St Eunan's man was thinking about the extra time defeat he suffered against Derry in 2022. It took place in the same ground. Derry won by two. He came on and was stunned at how quickly time slipped away.
He wasn't going to let it happen again. Just before the end of the first ten-minute period, he curled over a right-footed beauty and let out a guttural roar. With two minutes left, he had a chance on his left. Two steps, no play, clutch.
Scorers for Donegal: O. Gallen, C. Thompson (2 tp) 0-4 each; C. Moore 1-1; H. McFadden 1-0; M. Murphy, P. McBrearty (frees) 0-3 each; M. Langan, N. O'Donnell 0-2 each; P. Mogan, D. Ó Baoill, J. McGee, C. O'Donnell 0-1 each.
Scorers for Armagh: O. O'Neill 0-7 (1 tp, 1 tpf); O. Conaty 0-6; R. McQuillan, S. Campbell E. Rafferty (45, tpf) 0-3 each; J. Duffy 0-2; C. O'Neill, A. Murnin, B. Crealey, J. Og Burns 0-1 each.
DONEGAL: S. Patton; F. Roarty, B. McCole, P. Mogan; R. McHugh, C. McGonagle, C. Moore; M. Langan, H. McFadden; D. Ó Baoill, C. Thompson, S. O'Donnell; P. McBrearty, M. Murphy, O. Gallen.
Subs: C. O'Donnell for McBrearty (43), J. McGee for McFadden (50), J. Brennan for Ó Baoill (52), E. McHugh for Moore (55), A. Doherty for Gallen (64). O. McFadden Ferry for McGee, N. O'Donnell for Brennan, C. Moore for Doherty (all 70), P. McBrearty for Murphy (76), D. Ó Baoill for McHugh (79), S. McMenamin for McCole (84)
ARMAGH: E. Rafferty; P. Burns, A. Forker, B. McCambridge; R. McQuillan, G. McCabe, J. Óg Burns; C. O'Neill, B. Crealey; D. McMullan, R. Grugan, T. Kelly; O. Conaty, A. Murnin, O. O'Neill.
Subs: C. Turbitt for Kelly (41), S. Campbell for O'Neill (49), P. McGrane for McCabe (55), J. Duffy for O'Neill (60), N. Grimley for Forker (60-Inj); C. Mackin for Murnin (70), J. Hall for McQuillan (77-79, Temp), C. McConville for Conaty (79), S. McPartlan for Grugan (83), T. McCormack for McQuillan (88).
Referee: B. Cawley (Kildare).
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