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Irish Daily Mirror
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Derry-Galway TV info, throw-in time, date & more for All-Ireland football clash
A resurgent Derry host Galway in Group 4 of the All-Ireland round robins. The Group of Death sees these two teams joined by Dublin and Armagh, with all four sides in realistic contention for Sam Maguire. The teams previously met in the third round of this year's league, and drew 0-16 to 1-13 in Derry. Derry were perhaps unlucky to lose by as wide a margin as they did to Armagh, with Ethan Rafferty making a few fine stops to prevent a Oak Leaf comeback. The Tribesmen will feel aggrieved that they failed to win in Salthill against the Dubs, and need to start putting points on the board soon. Here's what you need to know about the big game: Sunday, June 1. Celtic Park in Derry. The game is due to begin at 2pm. No, the game is not being shown on TV, but it is being streamed on GAA+. Derry - 13/5 Draw - 15/2 Galway - 4/11
Irish Times
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Tactical analysis: Donegal and Armagh are two teams that ask all the right questions
'The Ulster Championship asks questions of you, and if you can stand up and answer those questions, you'll learn an awful lot more about yourself and about your players.' – Jim McGuinness' post-match interview with Off The Ball. Both teams were asked questions in Clones, with kickouts coming in for the harshest examinations, as the two sides went after strong goalkeepers. Ethan Rafferty was rightly lauded by Malachy Clerkin in advance of the game following his exhibition in terms of kickout retention against Tyrone in previous round, with Armagh winning 23/24 (96%). But Donegal forced Rafferty to go to his left rather than out to his right, where he really dominated against Tyrone. The Donegal kickout set-up looked to control the space to out to Rafferty's right (see image below), meaning he is forced out to the lottery on the left. Over the course of the game, Armagh only retained 20/31 kick outs (65%) and this was as low as 57% at half time, as Armagh only won 8 from 14 of their own restarts. READ MORE Donegal squeezing Ethan Rafferty's favoured right side of pitch on a kickout in the 46th minute Donegal looked to shut off the zones that worked for Rafferty against Tyrone Not only did Donegal manage to win kickouts, they also managed to make use of them. Donegal knew what they were doing once they won the ball from the kick out − float it into Michael Murphy. This very move led to a return of 0-3 in the big momentum period for Donegal from the 16th to 25th minute. Murphy had his fingers on all three points, winning a free for the first, scoring the second and assisting Oisín Gallen for the third. Finbarr Roarty floats quick ball into Murphy after Shaun Patton won Armagh kickout Ball into Murphy, again bypassing Armagh defenders following Rafferty miscue over sideline Murphy wins aerial battle despite being outnumbered after quick ball fired in after securing Armagh kickout Murphy was immense for Donegal. He operated inside in the first half when his presence was needed, while in the second half he worked to control ball a little outside the arc. In the final phase of normal time he won the free to turn Armagh over when they were attacking, as he managed to spoil Peter McGrane with the clock on 68:07. He was then involved in the final phase on six occasions before Donegal lost possession. Shaun Patton also had difficulty from his kickout as his options were restricted at times too − both Rafferty and Patton had lower kickout retention rates than they had in their respective semi-finals. Interestingly, Rafferty was a thorn in Patton's side, as the Armagh man managed to secure possession from three of Patton's kickouts in the second half. The damage off these three possessions was 0-2 but would have been more if Rafferty had converted his two-point effort in the 59th minute. He did spin one lovely ball into Conor Turbitt who tried to palm it to Rory Grugan in the 58th minute. Patton was alert to this and came out to intercept but Grugan managed to force a 45. It is worth noting that this 45 was spotted by the excellent positioning of Brendan Cawley's umpire. While it is obvious Armagh and Donegal have excellent support teams, it is just as important for referees to be supported capably by their umpires and linesmen. Games can come down to fine margins, and this 45 was awarded by expert positioning from the umpire Patton has that extra tool in his locker of the kickout over everything, which was displayed in the 54th minute as Gallen caught the ball directly inside the far arc and found the on-running Jason McGee for a crucial score. Patton's long kick can remove the press from the equation, and here led to Jason McGee scoring a point After the game, Jim McGuinness talked about how Donegal managed the end phase of both normal time and extra time. 'Every county in Ireland are working on scenario-based final phases. Armagh are probably the best team in the country at that.' He wasn't pleased with how Donegal managed the final phase of normal time, as a loose Michael Langan pass to Peadar Mogan was intercepted, which allowed a final chance for Armagh. They needed a one pointer to bring the game to extra time and Oisín Conaty (a man of the match contender) duly obliged, with the score created by Armagh quickly working an overload on the covered stand side. Armagh managed to overload one side of the pitch ahead of equalising score towards the end of normal time McGuinness also referenced looking to see who was going to 'underlap' in that tight sideline zone during the end phase of extra time. Donegal managed to get players underlapping back the pitch in order to retain possession as Armagh aggressively hunted them, before the pitch eventually opened up as the clock ticked towards the red. It showed the composure of an expertly coached team. Donegal managed to get players underlapping back the pitch in order to retain possession at the end of extra-time as Armagh aggressively hunted them All the praise can't go in one direction, as this was preceded by Armagh showing ambition to try and get the ball back as goalkeeper Rafferty pushed out to try and dispossess Ciaran Moore with the clock at 89:24, but he was just a little too eager and conceded a free. It was brave and the right thing to do from an Armagh perspective, as even Donegal getting the free meant they were under pressure to secure possession as Niall O'Donnell stood over the free kick before they 'underlapped' their way out. Rafferty advancing from goal in a defensive ploy as the clock ticked down After being at the centre of losing possession in the final phase of normal time, Langan showed his worth to the Donegal team as he assisted the final two scores of the game, with the pass for Ciaran Moore's goal and Niall O'Donnell's winning point. His movement to receive the pass before offloading to Moore, managed to completely unlock the Armagh defence. Ciaran Moore was another to stand out on the day and while his goal was a key score, his point in the 48th minute, where he attacked into space with a strike run as Donegal forwards vacated space for him, was a joy to watch. These were beautifully coached plays. Michael Langan's one-two to open defence ahead of assist for Ciaran Moore goal Space expertly cleared for Ciaran Moore's strike run McGuinness finished that post-match interview with a message that further work is required, and that it is on the training ground and through analysis where a further edge will be found. 'We now need to take the learnings, and there will be a significant amount of learnings from the game, and see can we apply them to the group stage and the All-Ireland series.' Paul O'Brien is a performance analyst with The Performance Process ( ).
The 42
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Donegal go back to back with Ulster titles after a Clones thriller
Donegal 2-23 Armagh 0-28 DONEGAL HAVE RETAINED their Ulster title after an incredible contest that came down to the final play of an exhausting 90 minutes of football. A goal from Ciaran Moore in the third minute of the second period of extra time put them into a two-point lead after it looked like they were completely punched out. Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty levelled it then with a two-point free from 45 metres out. But Niall O'Donnell was to have the final say to bring the Anglo-Celt back to the Hills with a late winner. Advertisement More to follow….
The Journal
10-05-2025
- Sport
- The Journal
Donegal go back-to-back with Ulster titles after a Clones thriller
The 42 is the home of quality journalism for passionate Irish sports fans, bringing you closer to the stories that matter through insightful analysis and sharp sportswriting. Donegal 2-23 Armagh 0-28 DONEGAL HAVE RETAINED their Ulster title after an incredible contest that came down to the final play of an exhausting 90 minutes of football. Advertisement A goal from Ciaran Moore in the third minute of the second period of extra time put them into a two-point lead after it looked like they were completely punched out. Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty levelled it then with a two-point free from 45 metres out. But Niall O'Donnell was to have the final say to bring the Anglo-Celt back to the Hills with a late winner. The 42 Subscribers can read Declan Bogue's full match report here (€) The 42′s award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye.
Irish Times
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Shaun Patton and Ethan Rafferty make mockery of goalkeeper obituary writers, with both men key to Ulster final hopes
They are the gods in the new machine. The glitches in the FRC -designed matrix. Everyone you talk to says the kick-out is a crap-shoot in football now, with no more science to it than closing your eyes on Grand National morning and throwing a dart at the newspaper. By all accounts, you may as well do the lotto as waste time war-gaming how your goalkeepers go about their restarts. If that's true, nobody has told Shaun Patton or Ethan Rafferty. The Ulster final will see the two best kick-out merchants in the game facing off in Clones, with neither of them willing to accept that the earth is flat. Against Tyrone in the semi-final, Rafferty only lost one kick-out all day in a one-point Armagh victory. Against Monaghan in the quarter-final, Patton's second-half display into the teeth of the Clones wind was just as crucial for Donegal . Neither team would be in the final without their number ones. READ MORE Though it only seems five minutes ago since sad laments were being written for the demise of the poor goalie, in reality they have never been more relevant. Donegal have scored two goals in the Ulster championship – one direct from a Patton kick-out against Down, one direct from hunting down Neil McNicholl's kick-out against Derry. On the other side, Rafferty has the added layer of being a key part of the Armagh attack. When Jarly Óg Burns went down injured late on against Tyrone, the Armagh physio dragged him back five metres over the halfway line so that Rafferty could get up and join the play without breaching the 4v3. Twenty seconds later, Rafferty gave the penultimate pass before Conor Turbitt was fouled for the winning free. He's going to try to get Donegal away with a short one when it's really needed — Oisín McConville So their influence on Saturday's final will be enormous, mostly because neither Armagh nor Donegal have accepted the notion that the goalkeeper is a diminished factor under the new rules. Donegal's toughest game so far was against Monaghan, where they came out for the second half with a six-point lead to defend against the wind. Patton had 13 kick-outs in that second half and found his man with nine of them. Seven set up attacks that ended with shots at the post. Four led to points at the other end. After Micheál Bannigan's two-pointer brought Monaghan back to within a point in the 44th minute, Patton found his man with six of the next seven kick-outs. His accuracy off the tee killed the home side's momentum at exactly the time when the crowd were looking for Monaghan to pen Donegal in. Instead, Jim McGuinness's side didn't give up possession from a kick-out for a full 25 minutes. Armagh goalkeeper Ethan Rafferty gave a masterclass in accuracy in the Ulster SFC semi-final against Monaghan. Photograph: John McVitty/Inpho What was really noticeable was the fact that all but one of his second-half kick-outs were won under no pressure. It wasn't a case of Donegal scavenging for the breaks out in the midfield jungle and coming away with possession through pure hunger. Instead, they routinely and methodically got a man free – short-range, mid-range and long-range, left, right and straight down the centre. Patton was fantastic that day but he wasn't working alone. 'Obviously Shaun is the most important part of that puzzle,' said Jim McGuinness afterwards. 'But it's the opportunities and the options that present themselves as well. That's on the team. [ Darragh Ó Sé: Donegal and Armagh won't come up short like Mayo did in their use of the new rules Opens in new window ] [ Louth boss Ger Brennan declares neutrality but admits his players cheered Meath on in semi-final against Dublin Opens in new window ] 'It's important that the team understands that, that they put themselves in positions where they can present for the ball. And then it's up to him to be able to scan the pitch and understand that and make a really good decision. We're delighted with that part.' Rafferty's performance against Tyrone was pretty much a one-man rebuke to the idea that every kick-out has to be a lottery now. He had 24 kicks off the tee a fortnight ago and found his man with 23 of them. It seems inconceivable that we'll see those numbers repeated over the rest of the championship. The Armagh goalkeeper's dispersion didn't have the same variation as his Donegal counterpart. His go-to kick-out is either short- or mid-range to the right sideline with his left instep and it's probably damning of Tyrone's press that he got so many of them away untroubled. But it was still an extraordinary afternoon's work – by his outfielders as much as by him. 'Both of them leave you with a decision to make,' says Oisín McConville, the former Armagh player and current Wicklow manager. 'Do you really want to press up incredibly aggressively against Patton when he can just hit you over the top? 'You saw Down do it in the semi-final – they were really brave and positive but then all it took was one high press and Patton cleared them all. Next thing you know the ball was in the net at the other end. 'That's the thing with both of them. They're both so confident over the ball. If you're a young goalkeeper in the championship, there's no way you're chancing anything short. Even Connor Gleeson last week against Mayo, he was basically going long with everything. He wasn't taking any chances. 'But Patton is established, confident, can hit any type of kick-out. He's going to try to get Donegal away with a short one when it's really needed. Especially if they've lost a couple in a row and really need possession – he's willing to back himself to take a chance. Same with Rafferty, who has that precision and direction and can hit it pinpoint into somebody's chest at speed. Not many teams have that.' The two who do are going face to face in Clones, where every kick-out will be an event in itself. Buckle up.
