Ulster Ladies Football Final: Donegal dash Armagh's four-in-a-row hopes

Donegal stunned Armagh to earn a dramatic 1-10 to 0-9 victory in the Ulster Senior Ladies Football Final.

Ciara McGarvey's goal with 18 seconds remaining at Owenbeg clinched a first Donegal provincial title since 2019 and denied Armagh a four-in-a-row.

McGarvey had only been introduced to the action seconds beforehand, but once she was played through on the goal by Katie Long, the Termon player had only one thing on her mind and she finished emphatically to the Armagh net to seal a deserving four-point victory.

Armagh came into the final as hot favourites and they when they fought back from three points down midway through the first half to lead by one with fifteen minutes to go, it looked like the holders were going to hold on to their title.

Aimee Mackin was forced off by injury in the second half when Armagh appeared to be taking control

Mackin injury proves costly for Armagh

But the loss to injury of star forward Aimee Mackin proved costly and Donegal finished strongly to claim a fifth provincial title.

Armagh started on the front foot and backed by a strong wind, the favourites wasted no time in working the scoreboard.

With the very first attack of the game, Emily Druse set up Eve Lavery for the opening point of the game before Mackin quickly doubled Armagh's lead from a free two minutes later.

Armagh continued to dominate proceedings and after she converted her second free of the day, Mackin notched her first from play after an impressive run that saw her beat three would be Donegal tacklers to kick her team into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead with 11 minutes on the clock.

Even at this early stage, it was looking like the game was already slipping away from Donegal but Maxi Curran's side refused to throw in the towel.

The industrious Niamh Hegarty set up Karen Guthrie before converting a free herself in the 16th minute to cut the gap to just one-point.

Katie Dowds then levelled matters in the 19th minute as Donegal started to grow in confidence and dominate possession.

Donegal skipper named player of the match

Inspired by player of the patch Niamh McLaughlin and Amy Boyle Carr, Donegal went on to register the game's next three scores.

As Armagh became wasteful in possession, Long kicked Donegal into the lead for the first time in the 21st minute before Boyle Carr got in behind the Armagh defence twice to help her side to a three-point lead with half time fast approaching.

However, Mackin's free with the last kick of the half made the half-time score, Donegal 0-7 Armagh 0-5.

Armagh brought a lot more tempo to their play in the second half and outscored Donegal 0-4 to 0-1 in the third quarter to take a one-point lead.

But when Aimee Mackin was forced off with a hip injury, Armagh lost the focal point of their attack and Donegal took full advantage to tag on points from Hegarty and Guthrie before McGarvey's goal sent the Tir Chonaill side into dreamland.

Donegal: C Friel; N Carr, A Temple Asoko, N McLaughlin; A Boyle Carr (0-2), K Guthrie (0-2), T Hegarty; N Hegarty (0-3), N McLaughlin; R Rodgers, K Long, K Dowds (0-1); E Gallagher, K Herron, T Kennedy.

Subs: S McGroddy for Long 46 mins, S White for Rodgers 51, C McGarvey (1-0) for Guthrie 59.

Armagh: A Carr; S Grey, C McCambridge, C Marley; G Ferguson, L McConville, C Towe; N Coleman (0-1), E Lavery (0-1); B Mackin, A Mackin (0-4), E Druse; N Marley, K Mallon (0-2), A McCoy.

Subs: C O'Hagan (0-1) for Lavery 38, L Kenny for N Marley 46, N Reel for A Mackin 46, B Hendron for C Marley 54, T Grimes for Druse 56.

Referee: D Hurson (Monaghan)