Ulster Senior Football Final: Donegal 2-23 Armagh 0-28
Moments after the chaos, the serenity. Michael Murphy sat in the Donegal dressingroom with the Anglo Celt Cup parked beside him. Old friends reunited.
Murphy looked about as content in that moment as he has ever done in a Donegal jersey. Sitting on a slatted bench and with his back resting up against the wall, he was taking it all in with the calm satisfaction of a man grateful to have got another spin on the rollercoaster.
There were drained beer cans and squished energy drink bottles lying around, several gear bags had been shoved underneath the bench and sitting to Murphy’s left was Donegal selector Neil McGee. Not too long ago they had won an All-Ireland together in the trenches.
Paddy McBrearty sidled over for a hug. Captain, my captain. Ulster champions again. The Donegal dressingroom was bouncing. Murphy in his socks. Home again.
“Just everything with Michael that he brings to the table and in the meetings and in the prep,” said Jim McGuinness when asked about Murphy’s influence. “Massive, massive.”
Murphy retired in November 2022 and was working as a pundit for BBC for last year’s Ulster final.
“I didn’t think it would happen again,” he said on Saturday evening. “I’m very blessed that they asked me back.”
Murphy, who scored three points and was hugely influential throughout, was named Man of the Match. His one-handed catch during the first half was outrageous. But it was a game with heroes all over the field.
Donegal had the match won a couple of times but couldn’t put Armagh away in front of 28,788 captivated spectators at sun-drenched Clones. They led by seven points twice – once in the first half and once on the second, but on both occasions Armagh rallied.
This was the fourth consecutive Ulster final to go to extra-time and the third on the bounce Armagh have lost.
Their defeats in 2023 and 2024 were after penalty shootouts but the pain was no less acute following Saturday night’s one-point extra-time defeat. Their last Ulster triumph remains 2008. This is Donegal’s 12th Ulster triumph.
The reigning All-Ireland champions never led at any stage during normal time but Oisín Conaty’s equaliser with just seven seconds remaining sent the game to extra-time, 0-23 to 1-20.
Donegal will be disappointed with their game management at the end of normal time and when Jarly Óg Burns put Armagh in front for the first time all evening at the start of extra-time, it appeared Kieran McGeeney’s side had grabbed the momentum.
But Donegal replied and the teams traded blows to go in level at the turnaround in extra-time.
Stefan Campbell edged Armagh back in front again before what appeared to be a pivotal score for Donegal. After a strong run, Michael Langan fed Ciarán Moore and he smacked the ball beyond Ethan Rafferty in the Armagh goal, 2-22 to 0-26.
But when Rafferty came up the field to stroke over a two-pointer free moments later, this Ulster final seemed destined to be decided as the last two were – by penalties.
Niall O’Donnell had other ideas though. He brought great pace and energy when introduced and popped over two points in extra-time, including the winner in the 87th minute after cleverly darting through a gap in the Armagh defence to create a pocket of space to shoot.
Donegal tried to play keep-ball thereafter but almost coughed up possession several times. Ultimately though, Armagh were unable to fashion another scoring chance in those closing seconds and at the hooter Donegal booted the ball into the terrace. Victory.
“It was All-Ireland champions against the Ulster champions. We did not want to give that crown up,” said McGuinness.
The game had taken a little while to heat up as both sides tried to figure out what the other had brought to the party, but in those early stages Donegal brought more aggression and energy.
Aidan Forker immediately picked up Murphy while Paddy Burns marshalled McBrearty and Barry McCambridge was given the man-marking job on Oisín Gallen.
At the other end of the field, Ryan McHugh’s detail for the evening was to follow Rory Grugan wherever he roamed. They essentially cancelled each other out of the game.
The sides were level on 0-2 apiece in the 13th minute when Ciarán Thompson boomed over the first two-pointer of the day. Donegal would lead from that moment until seven seconds before the hooter sounded at the end of normal time.
Gallen caught fire midway through the first half and hit four points from play in a blistering nine-minute spell.
In a bid to curb his influence, Armagh switched markers with Burns and McCambridge changing roles.
Donegal led 0-14 to 0-7 with just three minutes of the first half remaining but then Shaun Patton’s kickout malfunctioned. From two consecutive restarts, Donegal failed to win possession and instead conceded 0-3 – including a two-pointer from Oisín O’Neill.
Conaty was their biggest threat up front though and he scored three first-half points. O’Neill thought he had kicked a two-pointer with the last kick of the opening half but Patton got a touch on the ball as it travelled over the crossbar, reducing the score to a single point.
Armagh’s late spurt in the opening half had cut Donegal’s lead to three, 0-14 to 0-11.
But a Hugh McFadden goal in the 44th minute provided a fresh launchpad for Donegal and with 20 minutes remaining they led by seven again. Once more though Armagh rallied – and in truth they were the far better team in the last quarter, outscoring Donegal 0-8 to 0-1 in that period.
But if Armagh had displayed the character of All-Ireland champions to force the game to extra-time, Donegal showed the resilience of Ulster champions with their gritty display to respond in the extra periods.
Over an hour after the final whistle, just outside the tunnel beneath the main stand two young girls from Fermanagh stood patiently alongside their aunt. They were waiting to try get a photograph with their favourite player.
Inside the dressingroom Michael Murphy was enjoying the moment and outside it the girls were prepared to wait. Both parties aware that chances like these don’t come around too often.
DONEGAL: Shaun Patton; Finbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan (0-0-1); Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Ciarán Moore (1-0-1); Hugh McFadden (1-0-0), Michael Langan (0-0-2); Dáire Ó Baoill (0-0-1), Ciarán Thompson (0-2-0), Shane O’Donnell; Patrick McBrearty (0-0-3, 3f), Michael Murphy (0-0-3), Oisín Gallen (0-0-4).
Subs: Conor O’Donnell (0-0-1) for McBrearty (43 mins); Jason McGee (0-0-1) for McFadden (50); Jamie Brennan for Ó Baoill (52); Eoin McHugh for Moore (55); Aaron Doherty for Gallen (64); Odhran McFadden Ferry for McGee (ft); Niall O’Donnell (0-0-2) for J Brennan (ft); C Moore for Doherty (ft); P McBrearty for Murphy (77); D Ó Baoill for R McHugh (78); Stephen McMenamin for McCole (84).
ARMAGH: Ethan Rafferty (0-1-1, 1 2ptf, 1 45); Paddy Burns, Aidan Forker, Barry McCambridge; Ross McQuillan (0-0-3), Greg McCabe, Tiernan Kelly; Callum O’Neill (0-0-1), Ben Crealey (0-0-1); Darragh McMullen, Rory Grugan, Jarly Óg Burns (0-0-1); Oisín Conaty (0-0-6), Andrew Murnin (0-0-1), Oisín O’Neill (0-2-3, 1 2ptf).
Subs: Conor Turbitt for Kelly (41 mins); Stefan Campbell (0-0-3) for C O’Neill (50); Peter McGrane for McCabe (55); Jason Duffy (0-0-2) for O Ó’Neill (60); Niall Grimley for Forker (61); Conaire Mackin for Murnin (ft); Cian McConville for Conaty (79); Shane McPartlan for Grugan (83); Tomás McCormack for McQuillan (87)
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).
