All-Ireland SFC Group Four

Donegal 0-19 Monaghan 0-17

By Colm Shalvey at O'Neill's Healy Park

Donegal finished second in Group Four of the All-Ireland SFC after they pipped Monaghan in an exciting finish in Omagh.

After a loose first half where a wind-assisted Donegal kicked 13 of the 22 points, the game gradually built to a tense finish. Donegal scored just three points after the 48th minute (all from frees), but their defence held firm as they secured home advantage for their last-12 outing.

Derry’s seven-point win over Clare meant that winning the group was out of the question for either team, but it then became a battle for the second slot and a home venue for next weekend. The tempo raised as Monaghan rallied from six points down to within a single score, but a rejuvenated Donegal team held on.  

The teams kicked four points apiece in the first ten minutes, with Conor O’Donnell, Dáire Ó Baoill, Jamie Brennan and Ciarán Thompson on target for Donegal and Monaghan responding through Mícheál Bannigan, Gary Mohan, Conor Boyle and Darren Hughes.

Mohan’s second edged Monaghan ahead, but Donegal hit back with four unanswered scores from Ó Baoill, O’Donnell, Thompson and Odhrán Doherty. Ryan McAnespie and Hughes ended Monaghan’s scoring drought, only for Oisín Gallen, Thompson and Caolán McGonagle to extend Donegal’s lead.

Having led by 0-13 to 0-9 at half-time, Donegal pushed on with a brace from Gallen and despite having the wind at their backs, Monaghan made little inroads into their deficit during the third quarter. Jack McCarron burst into the game with three points in the space of five minutes, while he also had a goal attempt scrambled off the line as the game slowly came to the boil.

O’Donnell struck on the counter to keep Donegal clear, however, while Gallen chipped over his fourth point before being replaced by Patrick McBrearty. Monaghan had also introduced some firepower off the bench via Conor McManus, who was on target late on, along with Boyle and Stephen O’Hanlon, but when a long kick-out from Shaun Patton led to the Donegal keeper sauntering forward to convert a brilliant free from distance, the winning line loomed closer for his side.

Monaghan needed Ryan O’Toole to race back towards his goal to keep a Jamie Brennan effort out as they poured numbers forward, but with a Conor McCarthy effort being waved wide when they trailed by two late on, they were forced to go all-out for a winning goal that never arrived.

Scorers for Donegal: Oisín Gallen 0-5 (3fs), Conor O’Donnell 0-3, Dáire Ó Baoill 0-3, Ciarán Thompson 0-3 (1f), Jamie Brennan 0-2 (1f), Shaun Patton 0-1 (f), Odhrán Doherty 0-1, Caolán McGonagle 0-1.

Scorers for Monaghan: Jack McCarron 0-5 (3fs, 1m), Gary Mohan 0-3 (1m), Conor Boyle 0-2, Mícheál Bannigan 0-2, Darren Hughes 0-2, Conor McManus 0-1 (f), Ryan McAnespie 0-1, Stephen O’Hanlon 0-1.

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Caolán Ward, Brendan McCole; Odhrán Doherty; Stephen McMenamin, Mark Curran, Eoghan Bán Gallagher; Caolán McGonagle, Hugh McFadden; Caolán McColgan, Conor O’Donnell, Jamie Brennan; Ciarán Thompson; Dáire Ó Baoill, Oisín Gallen.

Subs: John Ross Molloy for Ward (47); Patrick McBrearty for Gallen (55); Rory O’Donnell for Ó Baoill (59); Paul Brennan for Doherty (69); Luke McGlynn for C O’Donnell (inj., 71).

Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Ryan O’Toole, Kieran Duffy (Capt.), Ryan Wylie; Darren Hughes; Karl O’Connell, Conor Boyle, Conor McCarthy; Gary Mohan, Killian Lavelle; Ryan McAnespie, Stephen O’Hanlon, Karl Gallagher; Jack McCarron, Mícheál Bannigan.

Subs: Conor McManus for Gallagher (42); Shane Carey for Lavelle (47); Kieran Hughes for D Hughes (58); Colm Lennon for O’Connell (59); Francis Hughes for McCarron (67).

Referee: Liam Devenney (Mayo).