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Donegal's Patrick McBrearty with Monaghan's Colin Walshe and Owen Duffy. Andrew Paton/INPHO
AS IT HAPPENED

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

Kingspan Breffni Park was the venue for tonight’s clash.

Result: Monaghan 0-14 Donegal 1-11

Evening all. We’re getting set for the big Ulster senior football showdown this evening. Throw-in at 7pm in a game that is a repeat of the last three provincial senior deciders.

Here’s the starting Donegal team:

Donegal

1. Mark Anthony McGinley (St Michael’s)

2. Paddy McGrath (Ardara)
3. Ciaran Gillespie (Gaoth Dobhair)
4. Eamonn McGee (Gaoth Dobhair)

5. Ryan McHugh (Kilcar)
6. Karl Lacey (St Eunan’s)
7. Frank McGlynn (Glenfin)

8. Rory Kavanagh (St Eunan’s)
9. Odhrán Mac Niallais (Gaoth Dobhair)

10. Anthony Thompson (Naomh Conaill)
11. Martin McElhinney (St Michael’s)
12. Eoin McHugh (Kilcar)

13. Patrick McBrearty (Kilcar)
14. Michael Murphy (Glenswilly – captain)
15. Martin O’Reilly (Sean Mac Cumhaill)

And here’s the Monaghan team that they will face with two late changes for the Ulster champions as Fintan Kelly and Owen Duffy come in for Dessie Mone and Dermot Malone.

Monaghan

1. Rory Beggan (Scotstown)

2. Colin Walshe (Doohamlet)
3. Drew Wylie (Ballybay)
4. Ryan Wylie (Ballybay)

18. Fintan Kelly (Clones)
6. Vinny Corey (Clontibret)
7. Kieran Duffy (Latton)

8. Karl O’Connell (Tyholland)
9. Kieran Hughes (Scotstown)

10. Shane Carey (Scotstown)
24. Owen Duffy (Latton)
12. Ryan McAnespie (Emyvale)

13. Conor McCarthy (Scotstown)
14. Darren Hughes (Scotstown)
15. Conor McManus (Clontibret – captain)

Let’s get set for action here.

Donegal 0-1 Monaghan 0-0
1 mins – What a start for Donegal! 13 seconds in, Michael Murphy wins the throw-in, careers through and fists the ball into space for Karl Lacey who pops over a point.

First shooting chance for Conor McManus but the ball tails wide.

And Donegal frustrate Monaghan once more with a great block down by Eamon McGee after an attempted shot by McManus. Donegal counter attack but Ryan McHugh’s shot goes wide.

Kieran Hughes pulls a shot from a free wide and Monaghan still to score.

Donegal 0-2 Monaghan 0-1
11 mins – Points swapped here with Michael Murphy shooting over for Donegal and Monaghan fight back through a Shane Carey point.

Donegal 0-3 Monaghan 0-1
13 mins – Second point of the night for Michael Murphy, the latest from a free.

Donegal 0-3 Monaghan 0-2
16 mins – Donegal are punished for fouling the ball in their defence and McManus slots the resultant free for Monaghan.

Monaghan 0-3 Donegal 0-3
20 mins – And we’re all square thanks to a really good point from Monaghan’s Ulster U21 football winner Conor McCarthy.

Monaghan 0-4 Donegal 0-3
23 mins – Conor McManus taps over a free and Monaghan edge in front.

It’s an intensely physical contest so far in Cavan.

Monaghan 0-5 Donegal 0-3
26 mins – Four in a row now for Monaghan as McManus converts a free after Drew Wylie is fouled.

Monaghan 0-5 Donegal 0-4
28 mins – Patrick McBrearty knocks over a free for Donegal to cut the deficit they face.

Donegal 0-5 Monaghan 0-5
30 mins – We’re all square again. Super play from Eoin McHugh to create the opening with McBrearty swinging over a point to finish off the chance.

Donegal 0-6 Monaghan 0-5
34 mins – Donegal in front thanks to McBrearty with Fintan Kelly after shooting wide for Monaghan.

Donegal 0-6 Monaghan 0-6
35 mins – We never suspected there would be much between these teams and that is coming to pass. McManus brings Monaghan level again from a free after Conor McCarthy was fouled.

Half-Time: Donegal 0-6 Monaghan 0-6

Monaghan had a chance to go in front through McCarthy but the ball tailed wide. All square then at the break and the feisty nature of this encounter was demonstrated there by the physical exchanges as the teams went off the pitch.

Here’s the first-half scorers:

Donegal: Patrick McBrearty 0-3 (0-2f), Michael Murphy 0-2 (0-1f), Karl Lacey 0-1

Monaghan: Conor McManus 0-4 (0-4f), Conor McCarthy, Shane Carey 0-1 each.

Ryan McHugh and Ryan McAnespie Donegal's Ryan McHugh and Monaghan's Ryan McAnespie battling for possession. Andrew Paton / INPHO Andrew Paton / INPHO / INPHO

Second-half about to get underway in Kingspan Breffni Park.

Donegal 0-7 Monaghan 0-7
37 mins – Early points swapped with Michael Murphy converting a Donegal free and Owen Duffy fisting over a Monaghan point from play.

Chance! Donegal have a massive opportunity for a goal and it’s debutant Ciaran Gillespie who gets through. It’s an unfamiliar position for the defender and he blasts the ball with Rory Beggan getting a chance to block him to divert the ball out for a ’45.

Murphy misses the resultant ’45.

Chance! And there’s a goal opportunity at the other end for Monaghan but Ryan McAnespie can’t gather the ball as he closes in on goal.

Monaghan 0-8 Donegal 0-7
41 mins – Conor McManus strikes his first point from play and it’s been worth the wait. The star Monaghan forward lofts over a beauty from the right wing.

Monaghan 0-9 Donegal 0-7
44 mins – Donegal will feel they should have drawn level but Murphy’s free drops short into the hands of Rory Beggan. The goalkeeper starts a fine counter-attack that culminates with a well-taken point by Karl O’Connell.

And another chance from a free from Murphy but he misses again for Donegal.

Monaghan 0-10 Donegal 0-7
47 mins – That is excellent from Monaghan. They kept their composure to recycle the ball and eventually it was O’Connell who surged through to inject the urgency that resulted in the point that pushes Monaghan three clear.

Monaghan 0-10 Donegal 0-8
51 mins – Terrific team play by Donegal and there’s a goal chance for McBrearty at the end but he blasts over off his right under pressure.

Off! Black card, after earlier yellow card, for Donegal’s Martin McElhinney. They’re going to finish the game with men. Huge setback.

Goal for Donegal from Odhran MacNiallais!

GOAL! Donegal 1-8 Monaghan 0-10
57 mins – What a vital score that could be as MacNiallais keeps calm at the end of a well-worked move to slide the ball low to the net. That’s three goals now in two Ulster senior championship games this year for the Gaoth Dobhair man.

Donegal 1-8 Monaghan 0-10
58 mins – But we’re back level straight away. Kieran Duffy wins a free and Conor McCarthy slots the point for Monaghan.

Sub: Dessie Mone is on for Monaghan for Drew Wylie while Daniel McKenna replaces Darren Hughes.

Correction, McKenna is actually on for Conor McCarthy.

Black Card! Monaghan lose Colin Walshe after a foul on Ryan McHugh.

Donegal 1-9 Monaghan 0-11
61 mins – And Donegal are gone ahead now thanks to a Patrick McBrearty pointed free.

Sub: Conor Boyle is on for Monaghan for Walshe.

Donegal 1-10 Monaghan 0-11
63 mins – Marvellous play by the McHugh cousins, Ryan and Eoin, with the latter accelerating clear before clipping over a point.

Sub: Jack McCarron is on for Monaghan for Shane Carey.
http://www.the42.ie/donegal-monaghan-live-4-2846105-Jun2016/?utm_source=twitter_self

Sub: Mark McHugh comes in for Donegal for Frank McGlynn.

So Monaghan have gone from three points up to trailing by two points. They’re struggling here with five minutes left.

Sub: Christy Toye in for Donegal for Rory Kavanagh.

Sub: Dick Clerkin on for Monaghan for Ryan McAnespie.

Donegal 1-10 Monaghan 0-12
72 mins – McManus booms over a brilliant free for Monaghan. Back to one point game. Six minutes of injury time to be played.

Donegal 1-10 Monaghan 0-13
73 mins - McManus with chance to level it and he nails it! What a point from a free.

Donegal 1-11 Monaghan 0-13
74 mins – Dick Clerkin is intercepted as Monaghan lose possession, Donegal counter and Christy Toye fists over a point!

Anthony Thompson with a late challenge on Karl O’Connell tries to kick the ball. Free in for Monaghan.

Donegal 1-11 Monaghan 0-14
75 mins – McManus points it.

All over, it’s full-time and it’s a draw!

So for the second weekend in a row, the Ulster senior football semi-final is going to a replay and we’ll be waiting a little longer to see who advances to the final on 17 July. No separating Monaghan and Donegal this evening. Thanks for joining us.

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