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Donegal boss Jim McGuinness. INPHO/Morgan Treacy
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Monaghan v Donegal, Ulster senior football final

The reigning All-Ireland champions were in action in Clones today. Here’s how their clash with Monaghan unfolded.

Can Jim McGuinness guide Donegal to a third consecutive Ulster title or will Monaghan spring a surprise?

As always, we’d love to hear your comments. Send them to fintan@thescore.ie, tweet them @TheScoreGAAfind us on Facebook, or leave a comment below.

RESULT: Monaghan 0-13 Donegal 0-7

We’re gearing up for the battle in Clones as Donegal and Monaghan go head to head in the 2013 Ulster senior football final.

Here’s the Donegal team that has been named to start in this game:

DONEGAL: Paul Durcan; Paddy McGrath, Neil McGee, Eamonn McGee; Anthony Thompson, Karl Lacey, Frank McGlynn; Rory Kavanagh, Ryan Bradley; Mark McHugh, Leo McLoone, David Walsh; Paddy McBrearty, Michael Murphy, Colm McFadden.

And here’s the Monaghan named to start this afternoon:

MONAGHAN: Rory Beggan (Scotstown); Kieran Duffy (Latton), Drew Wylie (Ballybay), Colin Walshe (Doohamlet); Vincent Corey (Clontibret), Neil McAdam (Monaghan Harps), Dessie Mone (Clontibret); Owen Lennon (Latton), Darren Hughes (Scotstown); Paul Finlay (Ballybay), Stephen Gollogly (Carrickmacross), Dermot Malone (Castleblayney Faughs); Christopher McGuinness (Ballybay), Kieran Hughes (Scotstown), Conor McManus (Clontibret).

We’re set for the throw-in in a packed Clones.

News coming through that Marty Reilly will start for Donegal as David Walsh got injured in the warm up.

Padraig Donaghy replaces Christopher McGuinness in the Monaghan attack as well.

Monaghan 0-1 Donegal 0-0: 1 mins – Great start for Monaghan as Darren Hughes tears through from midfield and displays the composure to tap over a point.

Monaghan 0-2 Donegal 0-0: 4 mins – Goalkeeper Rory Beggan comes up field to boom over a huge kick for Monaghan from a free.

Monaghan 0-3 Donegal 0-0: 6 mins – Monaghan are flying. Conor McManus is fouled and he dusts himself down before pointing the free.

Monaghan’s tackling early on has been ferocious as they turn over Donegal in possession.

Monaghan 0-4 Donegal 0-0: 7 mins – That’s a fantastic score by Padraig Donaghy as he arcs over a shot off his right foot from distance for Monaghan.

Stoppage at the moment after a clash between Monaghan’s Stephen Gollogly and Donegal’s Mark McHugh.

And Mark McHugh is being forced off. Huge setback there for Donegal with David Walsh coming on to replace him.

Monaghan boss Malachy O’Rourke will be pleased so far.

Gavin Doogan is on as a blood sub for Monaghan instead of Gollogly.

Bad wide for Monaghan from Kieran Hughes off his right after he had been picked out well by Vincent Corey.

Meath’s David Coldrick is the referee for today’s match and he has just showed the first yellow card of the game to David Walsh.

Another wide for Monaghan by Corey. Kieran Hughes is wreaking havoc close to goal for Monaghan with his command of ball in the air.

Drew Wylie concedes a free cheaply with a foul on Donegal’s Colm McFadden.

But McFadden snatches at his shot as the ball goes wide and Donegal have still to score despite the game being 16 minutes old.

Donegal’s Rory Kavanagh is shown a yellow card.

Leo McLoone pumps in a long ball towards Patrick McBrearty but the ball evades him and rolls wide.

Monaghan 0-4 Donegal 0-1: 20 mins – Finally Donegal are off the mark with Rory Kavanagh splitting the posts.

But the score has been disallowed.

After consulting with his linesman, David Coldrick rules the ball went wide. Still no score from Donegal after 22 minutes of action.

At the other end Dessie Mone storms forward and his right foot shot goes across the goal and wide.

Neil Gallagher, an injury doubt before the game, is on for Donegal instead of Marty O’Reilly.

Wides on both sides, Colm McFadden from Donegal from a ’45 and Conor McManus from Monaghan from play.

Donegal still looking for their first score as Patrick McBrearty shoots wide under pressure.

Darren Hughes is having a superb outing for Monaghan at midfield.

Monaghan 0-5 Donegal 0-0: 29 mins – And Conor McManus stretches Monaghan’s lead as he hits over a free.

Donegal’s Michael Murphy sees yellow.

Monaghan 0-5 Donegal 0-1: 32 mins – Finally Donegal get off the mark with McFadden firing over a free. Indiscipline by Drew Wylie lead to the free being brought closer to goal.

Ross Wherity comes on for Donegal instead of Leo McLoone.

Great play by Darren Hughes to win a ’45 for Monaghan. He showed brilliant perseverance there.

Paul Durcan does well in the Donegal goal to fetch a kick from a Rory Beggan ’45 and clear his lines.

Monaghan 0-5 Donegal 0-2: 37 mins – Big score for Donegal as Frank McGlynn caps off a team move by swinging over a point.

Monaghan’s Conor McManus is booked for a lazy tackle on Paddy McGrath of Donegal.

Half-Time: Monaghan 0-5 Donegal 0-2: And that’s how it stands at the interval with Monaghan in the ascendancy as they lead by three points.

We’ll be back underway shortly for the second-half. Is there a kick in Donegal or are Monaghan about to spring a surprise?

Ryan McHugh replaces David Walsh on the Donegal team at the break.

Monaghan 0-6 Donegal 0-2: 36 mins – Monaghan come so close to a goal when Kieran Hughes challenges for a high ball but Ryan McHugh clears off the line. Yet Hughes manages to win possession and fire the ball between the posts.

Donegal need captain Michael Murphy to start making an impact.

Monaghan’s tackling has been superb today. They’ve started the second-half at the same level of intensity that they played with in the opening period.

Padraig Donaghy and Rory Beggan miss chances to extend Monaghan’s lead. They need to be ruthless now and hammer home the advantage when on top.

Good chance for a point for Paddy McBrearty as he gets some space for Donegal but he hoofs a shot wide.

Monaghan 0-6 Donegal 0-3: 43 mins – Badly needed score for Donegal and a classy kick it was too by substitute Ryan McHugh.

Monaghan 0-7 Donegal 0-3: 44 mins – But Monaghan hit back with an outstanding point by full-forward Kieran Hughes. Great kick.

Monaghan 0-8 Donegal 0-3: 45 mins – And Hughes is on target again. Shrewd pass in by Padraig Donaghy for Monaghan and it’s full-forward Hughes who turns his man and pops over a point. His ball winning ability was excellent in the first-half and his shooting has been on the money since half-time.

1988 was the last time Monaghan won the Ulster senior football title. They’re five points up after 47 minutes as they aim to bring an end to that 25-year wait.

Donegal are being placed under immense pressure when they go forward. Drew Wylie tackles Colm McFadden and puts him off his shot as the Donegal player notches a wide.

Monaghan 0-8 Donegal 0-4: 50 mins – Colm McFadden cuts the gap with a pointed free for Donegal after Karl Lacey was fouled.

Monaghan 0-9 Donegal 0-4: 51 mins – Fabulous point by Monaghan’s Dessie Mone as he accelerates through the Donegal defence, cuts inside Ryan Bradley and kicks a confident score.

Dick Clerkin, one of Monaghan’s longest serving players, is on for Gavin Doogan.

Big moment there. Ryan Bradley’s under hit kick drops short, Rory Beggan comes out of the Monaghan goal and Frank McGlynn gets his fist to it but the ball goes wide.

Again Donegal nearly hit the net but Michael Murphy’s shot goes just wide after a long ball in from Rory Kavanagh.

Bad wide for Monaghan from Darren Hughes as they attacked and had players spare.

Monaghan 0-9 Donegal 0-5: 60 mins – McFadden swings over a free after Rory Kavanagh is fouled. The gap is down to four points.

Monaghan 0-10 Donegal 0-5: 62 mins – Conor McManus nails a big free for Monaghan after he is fouled.

Monaghan 0-10 Donegal 0-6: 64 mins – Donegal are not dead yet. Rory Kavanagh kicks a point as they try to eat into Monaghan’s lead.

Martin McElhinney on for Donegal instead of Ryan Bradley.

Big miss for Donegal there from Colm McFadden from a free.

Monaghan bring on Christopher McGuinness for Dermot Malone.

Five minutes left.

Monaghan 0-11 Donegal 0-6: 67 mins – That’s a massive point for Monaghan as Christopher McGuinness fires over the bar. Are they about to claim a momentous win?

Monaghan’s Kieran Hughes has been named man-of-the-match.

Monaghan 0-11 Donegal 0-7: 69 mins – McFadden taps over a free for Donegal. Could be a consolation score.

Brilliant save by Paul Durcan to deny a goal bound drive by McGuinness for Monaghan.

Monaghan 0-12 Donegal 0-7: 71 mins – Is that the insurance score? Goalkeeper Rory Beggan converts a ’45 for Monaghan.

Tommy Freeman is on for Monaghan.

Monaghan 0-13 Donegal 0-7: 73 mins – That is brilliant for Monaghan as one of their greatest servants Tommy Freeman taps over a point.

Full-Time: Monaghan 0-13 Donegal 0-7: And that’s it! Monaghan are victorious!

The Farney men have won the Ulster senior football title for the first time since 1988.

Magnificent win for Monaghan as they advance to the All-Ireland senior football quarter-finals. The memories of the defeats in the 2007 and 2010 finals have been banished.

Donegal head to the qualifiers as they will have to pick themselves up to meet Laois next week.

Brilliant day for Monaghan football and particularly for long-serving players like Vinny Corey, Dessie Mone, Darren Hughes, Owen Lennon, Dick Clerkin and Tommy Freeman.

That’s all from us, thanks for joining us today and for all your comments on a marvelous day for Monaghan football.

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