Jim McGuinness ‘delighted' Donegal ‘stepped up' in Ulster final as Kieran McGeeney challenges Armagh to ‘start again'
IT looks like Donegal are finding the missing pieces after they bagged back-to-back Ulster titles.
Jim McGuinness' men
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Jim McGuinness has found a good mix of youth and experience in his Donegal team
Credit: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
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Patrick McBrearty and Michael Murphy are elder statesmen in the team
Credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
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Ciaran Moore was nominated for Young Player of the Year
Credit: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Legend Michael Murphy, 35, was
The Glenswilly man hounded Armagh on Saturday, scoring 0-3.
Fellow stalwart Hugh McFadden, 31, netted in the second half while the young guns fired too.
Eoin McHugh and Odhran McFadden-Ferry also returned to the camp after missing out last year to deepen the resources on hand — and all of them played their part.
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As for the next generation, Ciarán Moore, 22, had a dream debut season last year and was nominated for Young Footballer of the Year.
On Saturday, he was taken off 20 minutes into the second half and probably felt his day was done. But he was sprung from the bench for extra-time — where his goal was pivotal before St Eunan's clubmate Niall O'Donnell sealed it with a point at the death.
Finbarr Roarty, 19, is having a perfect maiden campaign too, and held his own at corner-back as Ryan McHugh nullified key Armagh hitman Rory Grugan in Clones.
McGuinness knew what he needed to solve the puzzle after that defeat to Galway last July, and could feel it coming together in Saturday's epic as they held on to the Anglo-Celt Cup.
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He said: 'That's what your squad is for. That's what we spoke about last year when Galway beat us.
'We needed to provide more depth within the squad.
RTÉ GAA pundits Paul Flynn and Lee Keegan slam All-Ireland draw
'And so, yeah, so delighted that those fellas found a way to step up.
'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.
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'Ciarán Moore is a serious athlete. He didn't get going here the way he would normally get going from an athletic point of view.
'But when he came back on, he had that energy and vigour back.
'Conor O'Donnell didn't start because we went with bigger men because it was Armagh. But Conor's played nearly every game for us.
'Niall O'Donnell won the Ulster Championship for us last year. And he's kicked two massive points there when it really, really mattered. For me, that's where your training comes in.
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'All of those moments are going to come to the surface at some stage.
'And that's what we were talking about in our huddle at half-time in extra-time.'
SEVENTH HEAVEN
Donegal had led by seven twice in the game.
They stormed 0-14 to 0-7 in front thanks to a dazzling spell led by Murphy, Oisín Gallen and Ciarán Thompson's two-point double.
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But the All-Ireland champions refused to roll over and die — and Oisín O'Neill raised an orange flag of his own to get them back within three.
McFadden's second-half goal put Donegal in the driving seat but again Armagh rallied.
Darragh McMullan somehow fired wide in front of goal before Ben Crealey hit the post.
But they never gave in.
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Kieran McGeeney's men won a sensational final 20 minutes 0-8 to 0-1 to force extra-time in the Ulster showpiece for the fourth year in a row.
Stefan Campbell made another huge impact off the bench with 0-3, as Oisín Conaty starred with 0-6.
His last score forced overtime when Donegal failed to run down the clock.
The high drama peaked from here.
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Armagh surged ahead for the first time thanks to Jarly Óg Burns and Jason Duffy.
But Niall O'Donnell was on the field with fresh legs, and Moore had returned for extra-time after being replaced by comeback kid Eoin McHugh.
A gassed Murphy was running on fumes, but the rest stood up.
Moore lashed into the top corner when Michael Langan played him through.
Orchard stopper Ethan Rafferty sailed over a free on the double as penalties loomed for the third year running.
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But O'Donnell let fly two minutes before the buzzer to kill it and book All-Ireland group-stage meetings with Tyrone, Cavan and Mayo.
Both camps clashed at the final whistle as tensions and emotion spilled over, but it failed to spoil the party.
'START AGAIN'
Armagh's 17-year wait for Ulster glory goes on, but McGeeney's men had the last laugh when they lifted Sam Maguire back in July.
A group of death with Dublin, Galway and Derry now awaits — but the race for the big one is wide open.
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Boss McGeeney has no time for hard-luck stories, and just hopes they can lift themselves all over again in their bid to retain their crown.
He said: 'You just have to start again.
'Some things are harder to take than others. We'll just sit down over the next 24 hours and look at the game and see what we can control and what we can't, and sort of try and push on.
'We had some outstanding players. Oisín Conaty was exceptional, six points from play.
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'He was probably the best player on the pitch by a mile there.
'The less said about the rub of the green in our sport, the better.
'It's always tough when you get beat, so what do you do?
'That's part and parcel of sport, you just have to keep going.'
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DONEGAL
: S Patton, F Roarty, B McCole, P Mogan 0-1; R McHugh, C McGonagle, C Moore 1-1; H McFadden 1-0, M Langan 0-2, D Ó Baoill 0-1, C Thompson 0-4, 2tp, S O'Donnell; P McBrearty 3f, M Murphy 0-3, O Gallen 0-4.
Subs
: C O'Donnell 0-1 for McBrearty 43mins; J McGee 0-1 for McFadden 50, J Brennan for Ó Baoill 52, E McHugh for Moore 55, A Doherty for Gallen 65, O McFadden-Ferry for McGee 71, N O'Donnell 0-2 for Brennan 71, Moore for Doherty 71, McBrearty for Murphy 77, Ó Baoill for R McHugh 79, S McMenamin for McCole 83.
ARMAGH
: E Rafferty 0-3, 1tpf, 1 45; P Burns, B McCambridge, A Forker; R McQuillan 0-3, G McCabe, J Óg Burns 0-1; C O'Neill 0-1, B Crealey; D McMullan, R Grugan, O Conaty 0-6; T Kelly, A Murnin 0-1, O O'Neill 0-7, 1tp, 1tpf.
Subs
: C Turbitt for Kelly 42mins; S Campbell 0-3 for C O'Neill 50, P McGrane for McCabe 55, J Duffy 0-2 for O O'Neill 60, N Grimley for Forker 61, C Mackin for Murnin 71, J Hall for McQuillan (blood) 77, C McConville for Conaty 80, S McPartlan for Grugan 83, T McCormack for McQuillan 88.
REFEREE
: B Cawley (Kildare).
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