Armagh ready for 'ding-dong battle' with Donegal

The Ulster Ladies SFC final will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website on Sunday 19 May from 15:30 BST.

Armagh manager Greg McGonigle is anticipating another "ding-dong" battle with Donegal as the sides prepare to meet in the Ulster Ladies Senior Football Championship final in Clones on Sunday.

The Orchard County head into the decider off the back of their first top-flight title after beating Kerry in the Division One final on 7 April at Croke Park.

In last year's edition, Donegal stunned Armagh with a 1-10 to 0-9 victory, which dashed Orchard hopes of a four-in-a-row and ended their dominance in the northern province.

"Donegal never make it easy for anybody," McGonigle told BBC Sport NI.

"In fairness to them, these last three to four years they’ve had real ding-dong battles with Armagh.

"I think even one up in Omagh and then the last one in Owenbeg, there was a last-minute goal but obviously Armagh had won three on the bounce and Donegal went out to avenge that last year."

Armagh will be eager to re-establish themselves as champions of Ulster and continue their brilliant form in 2024, which former Dublin boss McGonigle hopes to maintain heading into this year's All-Ireland series.

To do so, the Division One champions will need the likes of Aimee Mackin and Kelly Mallon to repeat their stand-out performances in the top-flight decider where they combined to hit 1-9 against the Kingdom in Dublin last month.

A win on Sunday for Donegal, and new boss John McNulty, would accelerate this new-look side's development after a promising third-place finish in Division Two.

"A bit like ourselves, Donegal are under new management, Maxi [Curran] has departed the scene," McGonigle added.

"They’ve had a decent enough campaign as well.

"They were trying to blood a lot of new players in Division Two and some of the results have been very good.

"They beat a good Tipperary side as well, so we’ll need to be ready for the weekend of the 19th of May."