In the final showdown of the Ulster Women’s SFC, Armagh seized a thrilling victory against Donegal, with the final score of Armagh 0-17 to Donegal 1-13 taking place after extra time. Niamh Reel emerged as a standout player, clinching the game-winning point in her very first touch of the game. The match took place at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones and culminated in an intense nail-biter on Sunday.
A possible penalty-kick resolve seemed on the cards, but Reel’s successful free shot swung the match towards Armagh in the final minute. The victory secured Armagh’s seventh senior Ulster title, reclaiming the crown from rivals Donegal who had snatched it from them the previous year.
As the reigning Division One champions, Armagh seemed to be cruising towards triumph in regulation time. However, a final flourish from Donegal’s Katy Herron found the net at two minutes to full-time. Subsequently, Susanne White, Donegal’s leading scorer with an impressive eight points, evened out the score with a free kick in the 59th minute. Rather than attempting to secure the victory, Donegal chose to execute a short free, resulting in extra time.
Halfway through extra time, both teams were on an equal footing, each securing two points, with noteworthy contributions by Armagh’s Niamh Henderson, earning her the title of Player of the Match, and White from Donegal.
Donegal gained the lead for the first time since kick-off thanks to Amy Boyle Carr. However, Armagh’s corner back, Grace Ferguson, responded with a point to create parity. The match teetered on the brink of requiring a penalty kick resolution, as Lezza Cunningham and Lauren McConville each scored, keeping the teams neck-to-neck. The game was decisively turned in favour of Armagh as Reel clinched the winning score, despite having just joined the pitch just moments earlier.
Substitutions from the match include: S Quigley replacing Kenny after an injury at 11 minutes, M McCambridge subbing in for Mackin due to injury at 45 minutes, C Doyle replacing Druse at 50 minutes, S Gray subbing in for Mallon at 58 minutes, E Lavery taking Quigley’s position at the half-time of the extra-time. Additionally, N Reel scored a point from a free kick after subbing in for Towe at 78 minutes while Mallon replaced D Coleman at 79 minutes.
Donegal’s team line-up included: C Friel; S McLaughlin, A Temple Asoko, E McGinley; K Dowds, N Boyle, T Hegarty; R Rodgers, J McGettigan; C Keon, N McLaughlin (captain) who scored a point, A Boyle Carr also scored a point; S White who made nine points, five from free kicks, K Herron scoring one goal, K Long.
Substitutions for the Donegal team included E Gallagher replacing Long at 43 minutes, L Cunningham replacing Carr and scoring a point, J McFadden subbing in for Keon, K O’Donnell taking Rodgers’s place due to an injury, both happening at 58 minutes. Carr also replaced O’Donnell at the half-time of the extra-time. R Rodgers subbed in for Herron at 75 minutes.
The referee for the match was Eddie Cuthbert from Down.