Fired-up Coulter burns Orchard

DONEGAL 2-17 ARMAGH 1-17

THE Donegal hurling revival continues apace following this victory over Armagh at the Athletic Grounds to guarantee their status in Division 2B again next year while Armagh will now face Derry in a relegation shoot-out.

The sides were deadlocked at the break, Declan Coulter’s 19th-minute goal a valuable contribution to the visitors’ 1-6 total, while David Carvill helped himself to six of Armagh’s nine points.

Donegal turned the screw when Coulter converted a 40th-minute penalty which helped to put his side into a 2-9 to 0-10 lead. Armagh were hanging on and even though Lafferty and Matthewson joined Henderson in pilfering points, Donegal’s lead was trimmed to three points. Carvill drilled home a penalty in added time, but it was too little too late.

SCORERS – Armagh: D Carvill 1-12 (1-0 pen, 5fS, ‘65), S Renaghan, R Gaffney, E McGuinness, C Carvill, K McKernan 0-1 each. Donegal: L Henderson 0-8 (5fs), D Coulter 2-1 (1-0 pen), C Matthewson 0-3, B Lafferty 0-2, D Cullen, D Flynn, R McDermott 0-1 each. ARMAGH: S Doherty 6; C Clifford 6, A McGuinness 6, D Bridges 6; J Corvan, P Gaffney 6, N Green 5; S Renaghan 6, K McKernan 7; R Gaffney 6, C Carvill 7, D Carvill 9; D McKenna 5, E McGuinness 6, L Woods 5. Subs: P Quinn 5 for Green (52 mins), P McKearney 5 for Woods (52), B Shortt 5 for McKenna (60), C McAnallen 5 for McGuinness (70).

DONEGAL: P Burns 7; P Doherty 7, C McDermott 7, S Gillespie 6; N Cleary 5, D Cullen 7, C Matthewson 7; J Boyle 6, L Henderson 8; D Flynn 7, S McVeigh 6, R McDermott 6; D Coulter 8, B Lafferty 7, G Gilmore 6. Subs: G Brown 6 for Cleary (27), E McDermott 5 for Lafferty (61), K Campbell 5 for Henderson (69). REF – K McGeeney (Roscommon)