Armagh 1-16 Donegal 3-20
Armagh suffered the first defeat of the Nickey Rackard Cup campaign as they lost to Donegal by ten points.
Donegal rattled home two late goals in the dying minutes, but in reality the gap between the teams wasn’t as big.
Armagh made a bright start, with Fionntan Donnelly splitting the posts twice inside the opening two minutes.
The hosts also could have hit the net, but Tomas Galvin’s chance was saved and cleared by Padraig Doherty.
Three on the trot from Donegal sharpshooter Liam McKinney put the hosts ahead for the first time and they never looked back.
Ruairi Campbell stretched Donegal lead before the first goal of the game came. McKinney dropped one short and it ended up in the back of the net.
Donnelly traded scores with Declan Coulter, McKinney and Luke White as Armagh closed the gap to four.
Connor Renaghan and Donnelly exchanged efforts with Michael Donaghue and McKinney before McKinney sent Donegal five up at the break 0-8 to 1-10.
Donegal extended their lead through three McKinney points and another kicked score from Ronan McDermott.
But Armagh fired back with a goal of their own. Cormac Jennings found Tomas Galvin who rifled the ball to the net to narrow the margin to six points.
Donnelly cancelled out a converted 65 from Coulter before Gerry Gilmore fired over from the sideline for the visitors.
Donnelly continued to match scores from Coulter and McKinney before Jennings narrowed the gap to five.
McKinney restored Donegal’s lead, but Shea Harvey replied for Karl McKeegan’s men. Gilmore netted for Donegal however to dent any Armagh revival.
Donnelly tagged on another point, but Donegal rattled the net with the last piece o action to win by ten.
