Armagh win Ulster Ladies title after extra time

Clodagh McCambridge captained Armagh to the Ulster Ladies Football title

Strong favourites Armagh needed extra time to beat Donegal 0-17 to 1-13 in the Ulster Ladies Football final after the underdogs had dramatically levelled in the closing seconds of normal time.

Despite losing star attacker Aimee Mackin to injury, Armagh led 0-12 to 0-8 with two minutes left in normal time but Donegal forced extra time as a Katy Herron goal was followed by a sensational long-range free by Susanne White.

White brought her haul up to 0-8 as Donegal twice led by one in the second period of extra time but late points from Lauren McConville and Niamh Reel enabled Armagh to snatch victory.

After the Armagh men's side last weekend blew a glorious chance to win a first Ulster title since 2008 when squandering a four-point lead to lose to Donegal in a penalty shootout, the Orchard ladies looked in danger of suffering a similar fate when John McNulty's side dramatically forced extra time.

But Armagh regained their nerve late in extra time to win a seventh provincial title as they avenged their final defeat last year and repeated the one-point victories they achieved over Donegal in the 2021 and 2022 deciders.

Mackin and White in early scoring duel

Mackin and White were involved in a scoring duel early on by hitting the five opening scores as Armagh led 0-3 to 0-2 after 10 minutes.

Points from long-serving midfielder Caroline O'Hanlon and Kelly Mallon helped the Orchard women move 0-5 to 0-3 up but scores from the impressive Amy Boyle Carr and White enabled Donegal to level before a Sandra Quigley effort left Armagh one ahead at half-time.

Carr settled for a point when a goal looked possible and Donegal's ability to create chances for 'majors' was a recurring theme even though Armagh controlled possession for long periods in normal time.

After the restart, Donegal crafted another goal chance but Armagh defender Cait Towe brilliantly got back to stop Tara Hegarty's shot on the goalline after keeper Anna Carr had been beaten.

It was then Niamh Coleman's turn to reject a potential goal chance at the other end as she fisted over following her own lovely dummy and Armagh were four ahead by the 44th minute following scores from Aoife McCoy and Mackin.

However, Mackin departed seconds after Eva Gallagher had replied for Donegal with the Camlough woman picking up an injury after falling awkwardly following a legitimate challenge from corner-back Abigail Temple Asokuh.

Two more White frees cut the margin to 0-9 to 0-8 with nine minutes of normal time remaining but Armagh appeared to have closed out the game as Mallon, Henderson and Dearbhla Coleman were all on target over the next six minutes.

However, Donegal weren't finished and Herron produced a sensational finish from 20 metres out to leave only a point between them with 90 seconds remaining before White kicked a monster free to ensure extra time.

Armagh's Niamh Henderson (right) was named player of the match as her three points helped the Orchard women regain the Ulster Ladies Football title

The Armagh players would have been forgiven for feeling shell-shocked as they faced into extra time but they regrouped to twice lead by a point in the first period thanks to two Henderson points only for White to level on both occasions.

Donegal moved into the lead for the first time since White's opening score of the game when Boyle strode forward to superbly hammer over and they were ahead once more when Eva Gallagher then replied to a Grace Ferguson point.

At that stage, with Mackin not able to come back on, Armagh needed leadership and Ladies Gaelic Football player of the month for April Lauren McConville provided it as she strode upfield to stroke over a glorious score in the 76th minute.

White had a very difficult free-taking chance to put Donegal ahead a minute later but pushed her effort wide and cramped up in the process.

From the resultant kickout, Armagh worked the ball downfield and a high challenge by Roisin Rodgers on McCoy was punished by Reel's successful free from 25 metres with just over a minute remaining.

Donegal desperately sought an equaliser but a high ball into the mixer only yielded a 45, which a by now struggling White was unable to take as a hugely relieved Armagh held on.