Armagh 3-17 Donegal 0-16: Orchard men produce devastating display to reach All-Ireland quarter-finals

Armagh produced a devastating display of football to demolish Donegal 3-17 to 0-16 and ensure their place in Monday's All-Ireland quarter-finals draw.

The Orchard men looked in trouble as Donegal responded to Rory Grugan's goal after only 10 seconds by moving into a four-point lead by the 21st minute.

But Armagh hit back at Clones with a stunning unanswered 1-6 as man of the match Rian O'Neill netted a penalty.

Four ahead at half-time, Stephen Sheridan added a third Armagh goal.

After his subdued display in the Ulster Championship game at Ballybofey seven weeks ago won comfortably by Donegal, O'Neill was the orchestrator for the rampant Orchard men as he finished with a 1-7 tally including four points from play.

O'Neill's 30th-minute penalty was the crucial moment of the game as he blasted past stand-in Donegal keeper midfielder Caolan McGonagle after Shaun Patton had been black carded for hauling down the impressive Aidan Nugent.

The goal put Armagh 2-6 to 0-9 ahead and in truth they never looked back thereafter as Donegal - beaten in the Ulster Final by Derry two weeks ago - wilted.

Armagh's decision to push up on Patton's kickouts seemed to hasten the game's dramatic turnaround as Donegal had a lucky escape when Caolan Ward cleared a Stefan Campbell goal chance off the line - with O'Neill pointing the subsequent 45 - before another inaccurate restart by the keeper led to the play which resulted in the penalty.

The victory was greeted with euphoria by the Armagh dominated attendance with the Orchard County supporters appearing to outnumber the yellow and green of Donegal by a margin of around 10 to one.

After this wonderfully energetic display which once again superbly mixed the short and long games, Armagh will fear no one in the quarter-finals in two weeks time whether they face Dublin, Kerry, Galway or indeed Ulster champions Derry.

For Donegal, this was another hammer blow of a defeat as they remain without an All-Ireland semi-finals appearance since 2014 and while Declan Bonner has another year left on his contract, it remains to be seen whether he will remain in charge for a sixth season.

The match started in dramatic fashion as Grugan, on the turn, immediately lashed a stunning left-foot shot to the net after O'Neill had delivered in a long ball straight from the throw-in.

Donegal responded impressively to the early shock as points from late inclusion Aaron Doherty and Ryan McHugh and a Michael Murphy free had them level by the fifth minute.

Murphy was clenching his fist a minute late after a superb score from play put Donegal ahead and by the ninth minute Donegal's lead was three after further scores from Paddy McBrearty and the skipper.

By that stage, Donegal's running game was functioning very smoothly with Ryan McHugh getting on the ball with regularity and Bonner's men also employing long balls to good effect, after their over-reliance on possession football in the Ulster decider.

Murphy's positioning at full-forward was also bearing fruit for Donegal with recalled Ciaran Thompson looking sharp as his 21st minute score increased their advantage to 0-9 to 1-2.

But inevitably it was the magnificent O'Neill who inspired Armagh to turn the tide as he hit a superb score from play, soon followed by his two successful placed balls which levelled the contest, after the impressive Jarlath Og Burns had also pointed.

Then came the key moment of the match as O'Neill emphatically finished his penalty to the net, with no great doubt about referee Brendan Cawley's decision, after Patton had hauled down Nugent as he bore down on goal.

With Donegal down to 14 men, as Bonner surprisingly opted to bring off McBrearty for the 10-minute period to accommodate sub goalkeeper Michael Lynch, further points from the industrious Jason Duffy and Grugan extended the Armagh advantage to five before Murphy replied with a free to leave the Orchard men 2-8 to 0-10 ahead at the interval.

Donegal needed to summon up a response immediately after the resumption but instead two more delicious efforts from play from Burns and O'Neill increased the margin to six by the 40th minute.

Indeed, Donegal took all of 18 minutes to get on the scoreboard in the second half as Murphy pointed a free with the game already long out of sight.

By this stage, the delirious Armagh fans were already applauding the team's periods of keep ball, before invariably an opening would be forged.

Sheridan's 58th-minute goal, in another move started by O'Neill with Nugent supplying the final pass, extended the Orchard men's lead to 3-13 to 0-12 and there was no road back for Donegal in the closing stages as the late substitutions of McHugh and Michael Langan exemplified their dismal afternoon.

Armagh: E Rafferty; J Morgan, A Forker, C O'Neill; A McKay, G McCabe, J Og Burns (0-3); S Sheridan (1-0), B Crealey; R Grugan (1-3), S Campbell (0-1), A Murnin; A Nugent, R O'Neill (1-7), J Duffy (0-1).

Subs: M Shields for Nugent 65, N Rowland, C Higgins for Duffy 69, C Turbitt (0-2) for Murnin 56, R McQuillan, J Hall for Sheridan 63, J Kieran for O'Neill 73.

Not used: B Hughes, N Rowland, E Woods, R McQuillan, C McConville

Donegal: S Patton; C Ward, B McCole, A Doherty (0-1); R McHugh (0-1), EB Gallagher, O McFadden Ferry; C McGonagle, J McGee (0-1); C Thompson (0-1), P Mogan, M Langan; P McBrearty (0-1), M Murphy (0-6) capt, S O'Donnell (0-4).

Subs: M Lynch for McBrearty 31, McBrearty for Lynch 37, N O'Donnell (0-1) for Langan 63, H McFadden, C O'Donnell for Ward 58, P Brennan, N McGee, J McKelvey for McHugh 63, D O Baoill, S McMenamin, J Brennan for Thompson 45, C McColgan.

Not used: H McFadden, N McGee, D O Baoill, S McMenamin, C McColgan.

Referee: B Crawley (Kildare)