Muchael Muprhy: scored Donegal’s first point.
Donegal lead Armagh by two points at half-time on a scoreline of 1-05 to 0-06 in their All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final clash at Croke Park
Michael Murphy gave Donegal the lead in the third minute, putting a free over the bar from 30 yards.
Tony Kernan drew Armagh level five minutes later with an excellent point from play from 45 yards.
The game threatened to boil over in the 10th minute as players and officials got involved in a “bit of handbags” in front of “Hill 16” during which the Donegal team doctor was pushed to the ground.
When the game restarted after a two-minute delay, Aaron Kernan put a free over the bar to put Armagh in front for the first time.
Wing forward Aiden Forker extended the Armagh lead when he floated over a lovely point in the 20th minute and the same player should have scored again a minute later but he put his shot wide when in a good possession.
The game burst into life in the 22nd minute when Oran MacNiallais found the bottom corner of the Armagh net for his first ever championship goal to put Donegal into a one point lead on a scoreline of 1-01 to 0-03.
However, the lead last only lasted three minutes as first, Stefan Campbell and then Andy Mallon put the Orchard County back in front.
A brilliant free swung in from distance by Michael Murphy brought the Tir Chonaill county back on level terms a minute later and he put over another to put Donegal back in front with five minutes of the half remaining.
Full-back Neil McGee pushed up to double the advantage with an excellent score before Armagh’s Kyle Carragher put over the bar to reduce the deficit to a single point.
Following another “handbag” confrontation between the players in the Armagh goalmouth, Michael Murphy put over another free to send Donegal in at half-time with a two-point advantage on a scoreline of 1-05 to 0-06.
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