EirGrid Ulster U-20 Football Championship first round

DONEGAL 1-17 ARMAGH 0-9

A talented Donegal team proved too strong for Armagh in Friday night’s EirGrid Ulster U-20 Football Championship first-round tie.

The foundation for their victory was laid in the second quarter of the match when they increased a narrow one-point advantage to a decisive seven-point half-time lead.

Much of the damage was done by Eoin Dowling’s injury-time goal which must have been a hugely deflating experience for Armagh moments before the half-time whistle blew.

Leading by 1-8 to 0-4 at the break, Donegal never looked like losing the match from there and they kept Armagh at arm’s distance with relative ease in the second-half.

Scorers for Donegal: E Dowling 1-2, P McGettigan 0-4, J McGroddy 0-3 (3f), S O’Donnell 0-3, R McFadden 0-2, R O’Rourke, R O’Donnell, C McColgan 0-1.

Scorers for Armagh: M McKeever 0-3 (3f), J McCormac 0-2, E Woods, J Martin 0-1, L Camara 0-1 (1f), J Sheridan 0-1 (1M)

DONEGAL: D Roberts; C McColgan, J Grant, J Gallagher; K Tobin, P O’Hare, R O’Rourke; R O’Donnell, R McFadden; C O’Reilly, S O’Donnell, R McShane; E Dowling, P McGettigan, J McGroddy. Subs: N Byrne for O’Hare (42), R Frain for O’Reilly (52), K Dunleavy for O’Rourke (55), A Dohery for Tobin (57), R Gallagher for Dowling (60).

ARMAGH: S Magill; P McGrane, O McKeown, L Rice; R French, L Camara, S Quigley; N McCorry, E Woods; D O’Callaghan, J Martin, T Kelly; M McKeever, L Hughes, J McCormac. Subs: R Kearney and J Sheridan for Quigley and Martin (28), D Loney for Hughes (35), E Reel for Kelly (46), A Harney for French (47).

Referee: A Marron (Monaghan).