Donegal see off Down to book Ulster SFC final date with Armagh

April 27, 2025

Donegal's Ciaran Moore with Down's Odhran Murdock and Pierce Laverty ©INPHO/John McVitty

Donegal will play Armagh in the Ulster senior football championship final in two weeks’ time after defeating Down by 1-19 to 0-16 in Clones this afternoon.

Patrick McBrearty’s 20th minute goal helped Jim McGuinness’s side keep things to script at St Tiernach’s Park, where they carried in a 1-12 to 0-7 half-time lead.

Conor O’Donnell stretched the holders’ advantage to nine in the opening minute of the restart ahead of Pat Havern landing a two-pointer for the Mourne men and Danny Magill’s point leaving half a dozen between the sides.

The next three points went Donegal’s way via Daire O Baoill (free), Ciaran Moore and McBrearty (free) and, while Conor Laverty’s charges got back to within six points again, a Michael Langan two-pointer left them with a mountain to try and scale in the closing stages.

Down pushed to the end with James Guinness pointing and then Havern sending over another two-pointer in the 68th minute prior to ‘keeper Shaun Patton rounding off the Tir Chonaill men’s tally with a perfectly executed ‘45’ in the last minute of regulation.


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Donegal see off Down to book Ulster SFC final date with Armagh