Armagh and Donegal can't be separated after slow-burn at Athletic Grounds
UNBEATEN: Armagh goalkeeper Blaine Hughes gathers possession as Hugh McFadden of Donegal and Greg McCabe of Armagh tussle. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Honours even on Sunday afternoon in Armagh where the two best teams in Allianz Division 2 couldn’t be separated after a slow-burn thing of a game that came to the boil as they chased each other’s tails down the stretch.
No more than three points separated them all afternoon and this stalemate leaves both unbeaten and still very much on course to make the swiftest of returns to the top tier in 2025.
A game between two of the most prolific teams across all four divisions so far this year, it was Sod’s Law that they would start off so slowly. A cagey opening period took eight minutes to deliver a score but it developed into a considered spectacle after that.
Armagh had plenty of possession to start but couldn’t clear the covering defenders with a handful of long passes into the forward line and Donegal had opened up a two-point lead before the hosts found something of a grove.
Conor O’Neil and Aidan Forker landed some superb points and a defensive muddle saw two Donegal defenders miss the flight of another incoming pass that left Andrew Murnin an easy catch and a one-one-one that he buried for the only goal.
If Armagh had the better of the middle period in that half then Donegal kept them in sight and an intriguing second-half was set up nicely by a 1-5 to 0-7 scoreline and the sight of Kieran McGeeney and Jim McGuinness giving each other lip before the half-time whistle.
Little did we know it but Donegal were halfway through an unanswered run of six straight points and Armagh deep into a drought that would span 25 minutes of football before Joe McElroy rectified that problem midway through the second period.
That spell proved to be in no way terminal for Armagh who equalised two minutes after McElroy’s effort through the excellent Rory Grugan and then went ahead via a fisted score from Andrew Murnin.
Donegal must have feared the worst at that point given Shane O’Donnell had had one clear goal chance blocked by Conor Turbitt and another that went abegging when in on goal and his shot skewed high off an upright and away to safety.
Both count as big misses against a side yet to concede a three-pointer in this league but there was worse to come with just five minutes to play, with the teams level, when Oisin Gallen’s penalty was turned away brilliantly by the diving Blaine Hughes.
The frustrations weren’t all Donegal’s. Armagh kicked three bad wides in the space of five minutes either side of that act and there were more chances passed up on either side from there to the finish with efforts from Rian O’Neill and O’Donnell evening each other out.
A Murnin (1-1); R Grugan and C O’Neill (both 0-2); A Forker, J McElroy, O Conaty and R O’Neill (all 0-1).
P McBrearty (0-4, 0-2 frees); O Gallen (0-4, 0-2 marks); C Thompson, M Langan, P Mogan and S O’Donnell (all 0-1).
B Hughes; P Burns, A McKay, P McGrane; G McCabe, A Forker, Ciaran Mackin; Connaire Mackin, C O’Neill; A Murnin, R Grugan, J McElroy; C McConville, C Turbitt, O Conaty.
J Duffy for McConville (HT); J Og Burns for Connaire Mackin (42); R O’Neill for Forker (46); S Campbell for Turbitt (51); J Hall for O’Neill (66).
S Patton; M Curran, B McCole, S McMenamin; R McHugh, C McGonagle, D O Baoill; C Thompson, M Langan; P Mogan, S O’Donnell, O Doherty; P McBrearty, O Gallen, H McFadden.
S O’Donnell for McFadden (41); J MacCeallabhui for Doherty (50); J Brennan for O Baoill (53).
Referee: N Mooney (Cavan).
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