Aidan Forker was criticised by Cora Staunton for his red-card incident with Michael Murphy, where he head-butted the Donegal legend into the chest.
Kieran McGeeney's side had come back into the game in the early stages of the second half, as two pointers from Ben Crealey and Andrew Murnin pared their six point half-time deficit back to three.
But then the Armagh captain was shown a straight red card by referee Sean Hurson in the 44th minute, with Donegal taking over from there to win by 0-21 to 1-10.
Forker met Murphy with a shoulder as the Donegal player made his eagerly anticipated return to inter-county action after two years away.
44 nóim #GAABeo@officialdonegal 0-13 (13)@Armagh_GAA 1-07 (10)
Murphy díreach ar an bpáirc agus tionchar ollmhór déanta aige
cheana féinAidan Forker is shown a red and Armagh are down to 14
BEO/LIVE AR @TG4TV @AllianzIreland #AllianzLeagues #GAABEO pic.twitter.com/7rQgyzAoma
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 16, 2025
But after some pushing and shoving, the Maghery club-man then head-butted Murphy into the chest, giving the Tyrone referee no other option but to send him off.
"I don't know what Aidan Forker was doing," Cora Staunton said on The Sunday Game.
"Yeah, there was a big roar when Michael came on in the 44th minute and I suppose Aidan Forker was trying to show him a bit of toughness and who's boss.
"And what he did next was a moment of madness. A headbutt into the chest.
"Michael Murphy didn't even flinch.
"Red card all day. It was very disappointing because Armagh had just come back into the game."
— CLG Dhún na nGall (@officialdonegal) February 16, 2025
Donegal dominated the first half despite the concession of an early goal to the impressive Darragh McMullan. McGuinness' side responded to the goal by reeling off ten unanswered points with Kilcar duo Paddy McBrearty and Ryan McHugh in top form.
McBrearty kicked five points and won man-of-the-match while McHugh looked back to his best.
It was Armagh's second straight red card of this league campaign with Niall Grimley given his marching orders during their first round clash with Galway, having punched Daniel O'Flaherty in the chest off-the-ball.
Peter Canavan says Kieran McGeeney will be 'very disappointed' with these signs of indiscipline.
"It had a big bearing on the game. I still felt Donegal would have won the game but absolutely it changed things. They lost Grimley in the first game, a straight red, and now they've lost Aidan," said the Tyrone man.
"Kieran McGeeney will be very disappointed with that. He needed all of his players."
