Summary

  • Ulster SFC semi-final - Down 0-16 Donegal 1-19 (FT)

  • Donegal will face Armagh in Ulster final

  • Leinster SHC - Antrim 2-12 Kilkenny 2-30 (FT)

  1. 'Down need to nail everything'published at 15:49 British Summer Time 27 April

    HT: Down 0-7 Donegal 1-12

    Oisin McConville
    Armagh All-Ireland winner on BBC Sport

    Down need to nail everything, every opportunity they get. Another seven or eight would be enough to win this for Donegal. It's a long, long way back for Down.

  2. 'Borderline black card'published at 15:47 British Summer Time 27 April

    HT: Down 0-7 Donegal 1-12

    Oisin McConville says Michael Murphy's pull on Danny Magill was a "borderline black card". The Donegal veteran escaped any colour of card.

  3. 'Very clear'published at 15:44 British Summer Time 27 April

    HT: Down 0-7 Donegal 1-12

    Speaking in the studio, Oisin McConville says it is "very clear" from the footage that John McGeough stamped on Stephen McMenamin.

    Retrospective punishment could be heading the Down forward's way.

  4. Watch: Was this a stamp?published at 15:43 British Summer Time 27 April

    HT: Down 0-7 Donegal 1-12

    Here is the incident from early in the first half involving John McGeough and Stephen McMenamin.

    Was it a stamp? See for yourself.

    Media caption,

    Was this a stamp?

  5. Antrim well beaten in Leinster SHCpublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 27 April

    FT: Antrim 2-12 Kilkenny 2-30

    A late goal from Eoin Cody adds further gloss to the scoreline for Kilkenny, whose strong second half helps them ease past the Saffrons at Corrigan Park.

    That is two successive Leinster Championship defeats now for the Saffrons.

    FT: Antrim 2-12 Kilkenny 2-30Image source, Inpho
    Image caption,

    FT: Antrim 2-12 Kilkenny 2-30

  6. Half-timepublished at 15:38 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down 0-7 Donegal 1-12

    Pat Havern scores the final point of a half which has been dominated by Donegal.

    The holders are eight points to the good at the midpoint and it's going to take an almighty Mourne surge to take this one down to the wire.

    Down 0-7 Donegal 1-12Image source, BBC Sport
    Image caption,

    Down 0-7 Donegal 1-12

  7. Kilkenny leading Antrimpublished at 15:36 British Summer Time 27 April

    Antrim 2-11 Kilkenny 1-29

    It has been a strong response from Kilkenny in the second half and they are on their way to a comfortable victory at Corrigan Park.

    Martin Keoghan got their goal, with Antrim running out of steam and they have only registered three points in the second half.

  8. Donegal extend lead to eightpublished at 15:35 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down 0-6 Donegal 1-11

    Michael Murphy bags his third score of the afternoon after a Patrick McBrearty free.

    This is looking very bleak from a Down perspective.

  9. 'Strange energy'published at 15:29 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down 0-6 Donegal 1-9

    Philly McMahon
    Eight-time All-Ireland winner with Dublin on BBC Sport

    There's a strange energy to the game. Down have found pockets of space but Donegal have found it so easy to score. Down have to take their chances because Donegal's shots-to-scores ratio is quite high.

    Eugene Branagan with the ball for DownImage source, Getty Images
  10. Postpublished at 15:25 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down 0-6 Donegal 1-9

    Some lovely scores in this game.

    Pat Havern lands a free from just inside the arc before Donegal's Ryan McHugh drops the right shoulder and raises a white flag of his own.

    A Daire O Baoill two-pointer and a Michael Murphy '45 either side of Ryan McEvoy's point has Donegal six ahead.

  11. goal

    Goalpublished at 15:22 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down 0-4 Donegal 1-5

    Patrick McBrearty scores a goal for Donegal!

    He reaches Michael Langan's pass before Down goalkeeper Ronan Burns and Donegal lead by four.

    Ruthless.

  12. Murphy points after Down pass up goal chancepublished at 15:20 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down 0-4 Donegal 0-5

    Big goal chance for Down as John McGeough finds himself in space. He hand-passes it across goal to Pat McCarthy, but the pass is overcooked and it goes out for a Donegal kick-out.

    At the other end, a Michael Murphy shots clips the post and goes over for a point.

    Donegal lead.

  13. All square after 15 minutespublished at 15:18 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down 0-4 Donegal 0-4

    Danny Magill responds to Patrick McBreaty's two-pointer free so it's all level.

    There was an incident off the ball earlier and the replays appear to show a stamp from Down's John McGeough on Stephen McMenamin while the Donegal man was on the ground.

    It was missed by the match officials.

    John McGeough and Ciaran Thompson clashImage source, Getty Images
  14. Postpublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down 0-3 Donegal 0-2

    Donegal concede possession cheaply and Down work the ball to Miceal Rooney, who curls his shot over the bar.

    At the other end, Oisin Gallen's fisted score brings Donegal back to within one.

    Fairly low-key start to this one.

  15. Postpublished at 15:08 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down 0-2 Donegal 0-1

    A sustained spell of Down possession ends with Eugene Branagan breaking in behind the Donegal defence and fisting the ball over the bar, but Donegal respond quickly through Conor O'Donnell.

    Pat Havern then points a free before Michael Murphy's attempt at a two-point free hits the post, so Down lead by a point after seven minutes.

  16. Throw-in!published at 15:00 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down 0-0 Donegal 0-0

    The penultimate game of this year's Ulster Championship is under way in Clones.

  17. What a difference two years makespublished at 14:57 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down v Donegal (15:00 BST)

    Pat HavernImage source, Inpho
    Image caption,

    Pat Havern scored a penalty in Down's win over Donegal in Newry in the 2023 quarter-finals

    When these sides met in the 2023 Ulster quarter-finals, the landscape looked much different.

    Aidan O'Rourke was the interim Donegal boss, having been appointed after Paddy Carr's short-lived reign ended following the county's relegation from Division One.

    Conor Laverty was in his first season as Down boss. Jim McGuinness occasionally trained the Mournemen that year.

    Down beat Donegal 2-13 to 1-11 that day in Newry.

    In the two years since, Jim McGuinness has returned to Donegal, won an Ulster title and brought Michael Murphy out of retirement.

    Down have won the Tailteann Cup but have also been relegated to Division Three.

  18. Clones a little more subdued todaypublished at 14:55 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down v Donegal (15:00 BST)

    John Haughey
    BBC Sport NI at Clones

    After the drama yesterday, Clones is a little more subdued today. Normally the town's main drag of Fermanagh Street is a hive of activity even two hours before throw-in but today there was no need to weave your way through the throngs. The throngs hadn't arrived by that stage anyhow.

    It looks like some Donegal fans may have opted to save their petrol money for the Ulster Final although from my far from empirical perspective, they are still outnumbering the travelling Down support.

  19. 'Massive ask for Down'published at 14:54 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down v Donegal (15:00 BST)

    Owen Mulligan
    Former Tyrone forward and All-Ireland winner on BBC Sport

    Down are the underdogs and rightly so. We saw yesterday, I thought Tyrone gave Armagh's forwards a lot of space around the arc. Down need to think about that today. Down can't afford to do that. It's a massive ask for Down.

  20. Team news - Gallen in for Donegal, Down unchangedpublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 27 April

    Down v Donegal (15:00 BST)

    Down v DonegalImage source, BBC Sport
    Image caption,

    Down v Donegal

    Both Donegal and Donegal have made one change to their selections announced on Friday.

    Oisin Gallen, who came on as a half-time substitute against Monaghan last weekend, replaces Hugh McFadden with Ciaran Thompson now likely to switch to midfield alongside Michael Langan.

    Gallen's selection is also Donegal's only change from last weekend.

    John McGeough's inclusion in the Down line-up in place of Conor McCrickard means that the Mournemen's starting 15 is unchanged from last weekend's dramatic comeback win over Fermanagh.

    Down: Ronan Burns; Patrick McCarthy, Peter Fegan, Ceilum Doherty; Ryan Magill, Pierce Laverty, Miceal Rooney; Daniel Guinness, Ryan McEvoy; Danny Magill, Odhran Murdock, Eugene Branagan; James Guinness, Pat Havern, John McGeough.

    Subs: John O'Hare, Ruairi McCormack, Aaron McClements, Donal Scullion, Shay Millar, Adam Crimmins, Finn McElroy, Caolan Mooney, Gareth McKibben, Patrick Brooks, Conor McCrickard.

    Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Stephen McMenamin, Ciaran Moore; Oisin Gallen, Michael Langan; Daire O Baoill, Ciaran Thompson, Shane O'Donnell; Paddy McBrearty, Michael Murphy, Conor O'Donnell.

    Subs: Gavin Mulreany, Caolan McColgan, Odhran McFadden Ferry, Odhran Doherty, Aaron Doherty, Eoin McHugh, Jeaic MacCeallabhui, Jamie Brennan, Niall O'Donnell, Hugh McFadden, Jason McGee.