Donegal 1-22
Armagh 0-13

Donegal coasted into a third consecutive Ulster senior football championship final after trouncing Armagh at Kingspan Breffni this afternoon.

Declan Bonner’s side had 13 different scores over the 70 minutes and took control from the early stages as the Orchard men had no answer their dominance around the middle of the park.

The Ulster champions had built up a commanding 0-10 to 0-3 lead when Peadar Mogan fired in the game’s only goal on the eve of half-time to all but settle the contest.

Armagh wouldn’t register their first score from open play until 48 minutes in and were simply outclassed on this occasion as their opponents put up a hugely impressive tally in the damp and windy conditions.

Michael Langan opened the holders’ account within 10 seconds of this provincial semi-final, with a point from the throw-in and Eoghan Ban Gallagher would double their lead three minutes later.

Two Rian O’Neill frees had Armagh level by the seventh minutes, but once Jamie Brennan cut through and raised a white flag at the other end the winners wouldn’t be looking back.

Brennan’s point was the first of eight unanswered from the Tir Chonaill men as they cleaned out their counterparts at midfield and, more importantly, made it count on the score board.

'Man of the Match' Mogan, Caolan McGonigle (mark), Hugh McFadden and Niall O’Donnell all shot over to open up a five-point margin.

McGonigle's second was backed up by Ryan McHugh and O’Donnell landing quick points to make it 0-10 to 0-2.

Orchard boss Kieran McGeeney would introduce Niall Grimley on the half-four mark, with Stephen Sheridan making way, to try and shore up things at midfield but the damage was done.

O’Neill’s third free stopped the rot only momentarily for the Armagh, as the very next attack saw Mogan race down the right flank and hammer a slow finish past Blaine Hughes.

Lagan and McHugh grabbed more points that made it 1-12 to 0-3 at the half, with the Ulster champions boasting eight different scores during the opening 35 minutes.

Donegal's Paddy McBrearty made his comeback from injury as a substitute. ©INPHO/James Crombie.

Two Rian O’Neill points – one a free and one from a ‘45’ – was the restart the trailers would have wanted but those scores were wiped away by the 46th minute thanks to a brace from Ciaran Thompson (one free).

Jamie Clarke landed Armagh’s first point from play from an acute angle on 48 minutes prior to Brennan fisting over his second at the far end, making it 1-15 to 0-6.

Brennan would be replaced by Paddy McBrearty on the 50-minute mark and it was only a matter of seconds before the Kilcar sharpshooter was on the scoreboard after being slipped through by O’Donnell.

Michael Murphy’s free stretched the Tir Chonaill men’s lead to 16 after the water break, as Armagh went on to hit the next three scores.

Clarke, Grimley and sub Conor Turbitt all raised white flags prior to Mogan firing over another for Bonner’s charges.

Turbitt brought the Armagh tally into double figures a minute shy of the hour mark, while another Murphy free and Andrew McClean’s point raised the Ulster champions’ tally to 1-20.

Two frees from O’Neill and a point from his brother Oisin looked to take some more tarnish off the scoreboard for Armagh and, after points from Oisin Gallen and Langan flew over, they’d be denied a consolation goal at the finish thanks to some resolute defending by the victors.

Donegal - S Patton; S McMenamin, N McGee, E Ban Gallagher (0-1); R McHugh (0-2), P Brennan, P Mogan (1-2); H McFadden (0-1m), C McGonagle (0-2, 1m); C Thompson (0-2, 1f), N O'Donnell (0-2, 1m), M Langan (0-3); E McHugh, M Murphy (0-2f), J Brennan (0-2). Subs: J McKelvey for S McMenamin, A McClean (0-1) for P Brennan, P McBrearty (0-1) for J Brennan, J McGee for H McFadden, O Gallen (0-1) for E McHugh. 

Armagh - B Hughes; P Burns, R Kennedy, J Morgan; C O'Neill, A Forker, M Shields; O O'Neill (0-1), S Sheridan; R Grugan, G McCabe, S Campbell; J Clarke (0-2), R O'Neill (0-7, 6f, 1'45), J Og Burns. Subs: N Grimley (0-1m) for S Sheridan, J Hall for C O'Neill, A Murnin for J Og Burns, E Rafferty for A Murnin, C Turbitt (0-2) for R Grugan.

Referee - D Coldrick.

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