Donegal Conserve Energy For Huge Armagh Rematch

For Donegal, it was occupation done arsenic they accounted for Down 1-19 to 0-16.

Nothing more, thing little arsenic Jim McGuinness maintained his grounds of managing nan region to nan Ulster decider successful each of his six seasons successful charge.

"We conscionable had to beryllium diligent I suppose successful immoderate aspects and effort and get complete nan statement by hook aliases by crook," McGuinness told BBC Sport NI soon aft nan last whistle.

His first circumstantial portion of readying for Ulster Final time astatine Clones connected Saturday week was removing Michael Murphy from nan fray 10 minutes into nan 2nd half moments aft his broadside had accrued their advantage to 9 points.

Oisin Gallen, teenage corner-back talent Finbarr Roarty and Patrick McBrearty were besides called ashore pinch much than 15 minutes remaining and Down profited from nan disruption arsenic they deed 3 unanswered points to trim Donegal's advantage to six.

After Daire O Baoill spurned a glorious extremity chance which would person put nan title to bed, arsenic awesome Down keeper Ronan Burns made his first of 2 pointblank second-half saves, Michael Langan's thumping two-point free near 8 betwixt nan sides pinch 12 minutes remaining.

But by now, Donegal were looking a small rattled and ragged and had substitute Shay Millar punished Shaun Patton's misdirected short kickout successful nan 60th by uncovering nan nett aliases possibly by squaring to Pat Havern, it could person been a nervy decorativeness for McGuinness's men.

But arsenic had been nan lawsuit successful nan first half erstwhile John McGeough grounded to prime retired nan unmarked Patrick McCarthy pinch his manus walk crossed Shaun Patton's goal, nan chance was butchered and pinch that, Down's faint hopes of different awesome flight expired.

Kieran McGeeney and his Armagh guidance squad will pore complete nan lucifer video but it won't show them overmuch that they didn't already know.

Perhaps they whitethorn statement nan measurement Down did output a return of sorts from nonstop moving astatine nan Donegal defence successful nan 2nd period.

Down's first-half attack had mostly progressive a slow build-up which while it did incorporate Donegal during nan opening quarter, soon became woefully ineffective arsenic nan champions' protect cordon started to snaffle turnovers.

But nan truth is that Donegal were capable to mostly support their powder barren arsenic they played their 3rd title lucifer successful a four-week period.

"That's our 3rd crippled successful 3 weeks and that decidedly does return it retired of you yet but nary we're happy to beryllium successful nan final," McGuinness told BBC Sport NI afterwards.

"Armagh are backmost location again. That's going to beryllium a monolithic situation for us. All-Ireland champions and a repetition of past year's final.

"We cognize what's going to beryllium coming but astatine nan aforesaid time, we besides cognize that it's going to beryllium a monolithic juncture and a awesome juncture pinch colour and each that truthful we person to look guardant to it arsenic well."

As we hacks continued to pat distant connected our laptops successful nan Clones pressbox, 2 very bully men from Ulster GAA informed america that we'd beryllium backmost successful St Tiernach's Park connected Saturday week arsenic opposed to battling pinch nan Drumcondra Road postulation connected nan measurement to Croke Park.

If we had remembered, we mightiness person asked them for a remark connected Down guardant John McGeough's evident first-half stamp connected Donegal centre half-back Stephen McMenamin, which peculiarly incensed Ciaran Thompson but was seemingly missed by Joe McQuillan and his chap lucifer officials.

It will now beryllium up to nan disciplinary authorities to determine whether a retrospective appraisal of nan incident whitethorn beryllium basal which could imperil McGeough's prospects of featuring successful Down's opening games successful nan All-Ireland group stages.

Derry's Gareth McKinless received a two-game suspension for a stamp connected Galway's Damien Comer past twelvemonth though nan Oak Leaf defender's transgression was spotted by nan lucifer officials successful nan Salthill crippled arsenic he received a reddish card.