First time finalists Mayo will take on last year's runners-up Armagh in the Nicky Rackard Cup decider on Saturday, June 4th.

Despite the best efforts of Donegal, the Connacht outfit came away from Letterkenny with 1-18 to 2-11 semi-final victory over the hosts.

Ciaran Mathewson and Danny Cullen raised green flags for Donegal but with Kenny Feeney (0-7, 5 frees) and Sean Regan (0-4) in fine scoring form, Mayo held on for the win.

Joseph McManus netted their goal in the 42nd minute to open up a 1-15 to 1-5 lead but, to their credit, Donegal refused to raise the white flag and fought back.

Unfortunately, from their perspective, they had left themselves with too big a mountain to climb.

Armagh will provide Mayo's opposition after they got the better of Fingal by 3-19 to 1-11 at the Naomh Barrog grounds in Kilbarrack.

The sides went in level at the break on 1-8 apiece but second-half goals from Conor Corvan, his second of the day, and Decky Coulter sent last year's defeated finalists on the road to Croke Park.

Mayo - D O'Brien; E Collins, G McManus, B Hunt; C Freeman (0-1), P O'Flynn, A Lyons; C Charlton, K McDermott (0-1); S Regan (0-4), K Higgins, J McManus (1-1); D McTigue (0-2), K Feeney (0-7, 4f, 1'65), S Boland (0-1). Subs: F Boland (0-1) for P O'Flynn, P Connell for A Lyons, D Kenny for G McManus, C Scahill for D McTigue, S Mulroy for S Boland.

Donegal - P Burns; P Doherty, J McGhee, M Callaghan; J O'Loughlin (0-1), J Donnelly, C McDermott; D Cullen (1-1), C Matthewson (1-0); L Henderson (0-7f), N Cleary (0-1), B Lafferty; R McDermott, S Gillespie, S McVeigh (0-1). Subs: J Boyle for J McGhee, K Campbell for B Lafferty, P Hannigan for N Cleary, C O'Donnell for J Donnelly.

Referee - J Murphy.

**

Armagh - S Doherty; C Clifford, A McGuinness, C Delvin; J Corvan, N Curry, C Toner; J King, S Renaghan (0-3); R Gaffney (0-7, 4f), C Carvill (0-2), D Carvill; D Coulter (1-1), E McGuinness (0-2), C Corvan (2-2). Subs: P McKearney (0-1) for D Carvill, K McKernan for E McGuinness, O Curry (0-1) for J King, S Keenan for D Coulter, L Woods for C Delvin.

Fingal - D Renehan; J Fay Watt, D Fitzsimons, N Ring; E O'Connor, L Kelly, P Sheridan (0-2); R McGarry, Kevin O'Flynn; Killian O'Flynn, P Graves (0-1), S Owens; TJ Howard, K O'Sullivan (0-1), JM Sheridan (1-6, 0-3f, 0-1'65). Subs: R Swift for J Fay Watt, I Furlong for TJ Howard, E McCarthy for P Graves, D Cullen for Killian O'Flynn, E Thynne (0-1) for R McGarry.

Referee - P Murphy.

Tweet

Most Read Stories