Donegal Beat Armagh Again In Titanic Ulster Battle

Donegal retained nan Ulster Football title by edging retired All-Ireland champions Armagh successful 2-23 to 0-28 aft extra-time successful different titanic struggle astatine Clones.

Unlike past year, their last gathering didn't require penalties but this was different epic brushwood betwixt 2 well-matched teams.

Following nan last whistle arsenic nan holders had been capable to clasp possession for nan past infinitesimal of action earlier nan hooter sounded, location was unsavoury scenes arsenic a melee collapsed retired aft a track-suited personnel of nan Armagh squad appeared to onslaught a Donegal player.

It took a infinitesimal aliases truthful for bid to beryllium restored earlier Donegal celebrations could statesman pursuing their 12th Anglo-Celt Cup triumph.

For Armagh, their hold for a first Ulster title since 2008 goes connected though they showed past twelvemonth that they were much than tin of regrouping from provincial last heartbreak for nan All-Ireland series.

With Oisin Gallen hitting 4 first-half points from play, Donegal led 0-14 to 0-11 astatine half-time aft having been 7 up 3 minutes earlier nan interval.

Armagh continued to claw into Donegal's lead aft nan restart arsenic they trimmed nan separator to 0-16 to 0-15.

The defending champions appeared to person regained power arsenic Hugh McFadden's bundled extremity was followed by 3 points which put them 7 up erstwhile more.

However, Donegal only managed a solitary Jason McGee constituent successful nan closing 21 minutes of normal clip arsenic Oisin Conaty's continuing brilliance and nan preamble of Stefan Campbell helped reeled successful their advantage.

Conaty's sixth constituent from play successful nan closing 10 seconds of normal clip meant extra-time aft Donegal's attempts to tally down nan timepiece had unravelled.

A Jarly Og Burns constituent put Armagh up for nan first clip aft nan action had resumed but nan sides were still locked together astatine 0-25 to 1-22 aft nan first 10-minute period.

A Stefan Campbell people nudged Armagh up erstwhile much astatine nan commencement of nan 2nd play of extra-time but aft Rory Grugan missed a chance to widen their lead, Ciaran Moore past hammered Donegal's 2nd extremity aft being group up by Michael Langan.

A two-point free by Armagh keeper Ethan Rafferty levelled nan title erstwhile much but Niall O'Donnell's 88th-minute constituent proved nan victor earlier tempers flared aft nan last whistle.

More to follow.

Armagh: Ethan Rafferty; Paddy Burns, Barry McCambridge, Aidan Forker (capt); Ross McQuillan, Greg McCabe, Jarly Og Burns; Callum O'Neill, Ben Crealey; Darragh McMullan, Rory Grugan, Oisin Conaty; Tiernan Kelly, Andrew Murnin, Oisin O'Neill.

Subs: Blaine Hughes, Peter McGrane, Tomas McCormack, Connaire Mackin, Jason Duffy, Niall Grimley, Shane McPartlan, Cian McConville, Conor Turbitt, Stefan Campbell, Jemar Hall.

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Ciaran Moore; Ciaran Thompson, Michael Langan; Daire O Baoill, Hugh McFadden, Shane O'Donnell; Patrick McBrearty, Michael Murphy, Oisin Gallen.

Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Mark Curran, Odhran McFadden Ferry, Odhran Doherty, Aaron Doherty, Eoin McHugh, Jason McGee, Jamie Brennan, Conor O'Donnell, Niall O'Donnell, Stephen McMenamin.

Referee: Brendan Crawley (Kildare)