DONEGAL 2-10
ARMAGH 1-8
Donegal secured an immediate return to division one of the Allianz football league with two goals from Michael Murphy clinching promotion in the Athletic Grounds.
Defeat for Armagh, combined with Laois’ victory over Down, meant that Armagh are relegated from division two in a disappointing end to the campaign for the orchard county.
Donegal started brightly and hit the first four points of the game inside six minutes, two frees from Colm McFadden and two points from play from midfielder Rory Kavanagh.
Armagh reduced the deficit by two before Donegal were awarded a very soft penalty when McFadden was judged to have been fouled by Finian Moriarty.
Murphy converted the penalty after 15 minutes with a low shot to the goalkeeper’s right putting Donegal 1-4 to 0-2 ahead.
Jamie Clarke responded almost immediately with a goal and a point inside three minutes.
In his only second touch of the game, he got his foot to Kevin Dyas’ pass and the ball rolled over the line in the 17th minute. Two minutes later he scored a brilliant point to reduce the deficit to one point, but it proved to Armagh’s last score of the half.
Armagh had a good penalty shout turned down when a footblock appeared to hamper Stefan Campbell but Longford referee Fergal Kelly waved away the appeals.
Colm McFadden’s free just before the break ended a 15 minute spell when neither team scored and put Armagh 1-5 to 1-3 in front at the interval, with a strong wind at their backs to come in the second half.
Donegal went route one and scored the simplest of second goals after 39 minutes.
Rory Kavanagh fielded Paul Durcan’s kickout, turned and kicked it long in to Michael Murphy who beat Charlie Vernon to the ball, swivelled and buried it to the back of the net.
Armagh were always chasing the game after that.
They fought hard, with Tony Kernan landing three points from placed balls in the second half, but they never got closer than to within three points of the 2012 All-Ireland champions.
Paddy McBrearty, who will be leading Donegal’s attack in Wednesday night’s Ulster U21 final, made a big impact off the bench scoring two points.
David Walsh was black carded for the visitors late on but the result was no longer in doubt with Donegal now looking forward to a training camp break in Portugal ahead of their division two league final clash with Monaghan on April 27.
Monaghan sealed their spot in the final with a 0-13 to 0-12 win over Galway in Clones. Paul Finlay’s last gasp point ensuring his side finished level with Donegal on 11 points.
Scorers for Donegal: M Murphy 2-0 (one pen), C McFadden 0-5 (4f), R Kavanagh 0-3, P McBrearty 0-2.
Scorers for Armagh: J Clarke 1-1, T Kernan 0-3 (2f, 1 ‘45’), G McCooey, A Kernan, K Carragher, R Tasker 0-1 each.
DONEGAL: P Durcan; E McGee, N McGee, K Lacey; F McGlynn, L McLoone, A Thompson; R Kavanagh, N Gallagher; M McElhinney, C Toye, O MacNiallais; C McFadden, M Murphy, D Molloy.
Subs: P McBrearty for Gallagher (49), David Walsh for Toye (56), R McHugh for Molloy (56), H McFadden for McElhinney (63), Declan Walsh for David Walsh (BC, 70)
ARMAGH: P McEvoy; M Murray, G McCooey, F Moriarty; A Kernan, C Vernon, A Mallon; K Toner, S Harold; S Campbell, K Dyas, E McVerry; J Clarke, T Kernan, K Carragher.
Subs: A Findon for A Kernan (49), E Rafferty for Dyas (51), R Grugan for McCooey (53), R Tasker for Clarke (67).
Ref: Fergal Kelly (Longford).