Donegal and Kerry to battle it out at Croker again as Dubs relegated in Salthill

March 22, 2026

Kerry's David Clifford goes past Ross McQuillan of Armagh ©INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon

Donegal and Kerry will meet in next Sunday's Allianz Football League Division 1 final at Croke Park (4pm) following this afternoon’s seventh round results.

Donegal secured their fifth win of the campaign by seeing off already relegated Monaghan on a 3-20 to 3-16 scoreline in Clones where Shea Malone (2) and Jamie Brennan supplied the goals for the Ulster champions.

Despite Malone and Brennan netting one each for the visitors in the first-half, it was Garbiel Bannigan’s side that led at after 28 minutes as goals from Andrew Woods, Stephen O’Hanlon and Ryan O’Toole hit the Tir Chonaill men’s net.

A Jason McGee two-pointer and Brennan’s goal saw Jim McGuinness’s team edging a 2-11 to 3-7 half-time lead against a side that was playing for pride only.

Dessie Ward and Rory Beggan (free) sent over early second-half two-pointers for the Farney men before Donegal got motoring again and eventually hit the front once more through Malone’s second goal on the hour mark and, after that, the points of McGee, Conor O’Donnell, Michael Langan and Finbarr Roarty would see them secure the win for a top place finish in the Division 1 table.

As for Kerry, they needed a late, late point from Sean O’Shea to earn a 0-24 to 1-21 draw against Armagh at the Box-It Athletic Grounds to finish level on points in the table with Mayo whom they have the head-to-head advantage over.

The early signs were ominous for relegation threatened Armagh in this one, as All-Ireland champions held a 0-9 to 0-0 lead after 24 minutes, but a couple of two-pointers from Darragh McMullen and Conor Turbitt brought the Orchard men back into it and they’d only trail by 0-12 to 0-10 at the break.

The hosts would be level within five minutes of the restart and wiped out a David Clifford point with an Oisin O’Neill goal to go on the front foot for the first time.

Joe O’Connor’s two-pointer moved the holders ahead again, but a late brace from Ross McQuillan looked to have sealed the win for Armagh until O’Shea’s late intervention ensured that the points would be shared.

The result was enough for Kieran McGeeney’s side to retain their Division 1 status, with Dublin joining Monaghan in relegation following their 0-20 to 1-15 defeat to Galway at Pearse Stadium.

After a sizzling start, the Dubs went on to hold a 0-12 to 0-7 advantage at the halfway stage and looked to have landed a major blow on 56 minutes with Killian McGinnis’s goal.

However, the Connacht champions outscored them by 0-6 to 0-1 over the next dozen minutes and, in the end, it was Rob Finnerty’s late two-pointer from play which secured the win for the hosts and sent the capital men down to Division 2 for 2027.

Elsewhere, Mayo claimed the bragging rights over Roscommon with an emphatic 4-26 to 2-11 victory in Castlebar.

Andy Moran’s men showcased their league final credentials (although they came up just short due to Kerry’s late draw in Armagh) as they bagged all four of their goals in the first-half at McHale Park.

Ben O’Carroll had fired in the game’s first for the Rossies on 20 minutes, but then came a devastating spell from the hosts that saw Paul Towey, Jack Carney, Aidan O’Shea and Ryan O’Donoghue (penalty) all raising the umpire’s green flag.

The scoreboard read 4-11 to 1-5 at half-time and Mayo would land the first six points of the second-half for good measure, as an Eoin Colleran goal at the other end proved only consolation for Mark Dowd’s side.


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