Armagh claim seventh Ulster title in 2023 championship re-match against Donegal

Ulster Senior Championship Final: Armagh 0-17 Donegal 1-13

Niamh Reel kept her cool to hit the winning point with her first touch, as Armagh saw off Donegal in yet another epic battle in the Ulster Senior Championship Final at St Tiernach’s Park, Clones.

With the possibility of free kicks to determine this provincial decider, Reel fired over a free to put her side into the lead with just over a minute remaining, and it was enough as Armagh clinched a seventh Ulster senior title, winning it back from Donegal who had wrestled it from them 12 months ago.

The Division one champions looked to be on their way to victory in normal time before Katy Herron found the back of the net for Donegal with two minutes remaining and Susanne White, who finished with eight points, levelled from a free in the 59th minute 1-11 to 0-14. They even had a chance to perhaps win it but opted to take a short free and it so it was to extra-time.

The sides went in level at half-time of extra-time after sharing two points each, Niamh Henderson, who was awarded player of the match on target for Armagh and likewise White for Donegal.

Donegal took the lead for the first time since the first minute through Amy Boyle Carr, before corner back Grace Ferguson popped over the equaliser. Lezza Cunningham and Lauren McConville traded points as it looked like a freekick shootout was going to be the only way to determine this game before Reel, only on the pitch a minute, hit the winning score.

Armagh led by a single point at half-time, 0-06 to 0-05, but Donegal would have been the happier of the two teams heading down the tunnel, very much still in the game against the favourites.

This was a tense affair. Donegal set up in full defensive mode, with all 15 players