Monaghan 1-10
Donegal 1-9
COLIN WALSHE WAS the hero as Monaghan sneaked past Donegal and secured their Division 1 status for another year.
Walshe kicked the winner two minutes into stoppage-time, giving Monaghan the lead for the first and only time in the game.
Despite losing four straight games in the top flight, Donegal advance to the semi-final where they’ll meet Dublin.
Donegal raced into a 1-4 to 0-0 lead after 19 minutes, with Martin McElhinney finding the net. Monaghan fought back to within three at the break as Dermot Malone’s goal brought them back into the game.
The second-half saw Conor McManus display his considerable dead-ball talents with four excellent frees. They helped bring Monaghan level and Walshe had the all-important intervention to seal the points.
Scorers for Monaghan: C McManus 0-6 (5f), D McKenna 1-1, C Walshe 0-1, D Hughes 0-1, R McAnespie 0-1
Scorers for Donegal: M Murphy 0-4 (3f, 1 ’45), M McElhinney 1-0, P McBrearty 0-2 (1f), E McHugh 0-1, O Mac Niallais 0-1, A Thompson 0-1
Monaghan
R Beggan
R Wylie
C Walshe
D Wylie
D Mone
N McAdam
F Kelly
V Corey
N McAdam
K Hughes
D Malone
R McAnespie
D Hughes
D McKenna
C McManus (Capt.)
Subs: T Kerr for Mone (47), O Duffy for Malone (53), C McCarthy for McKenna (59).
Donegal
M McGinley
P McGrath
N McGee
A Thompson
R McHugh
F McGlynn
H McFadden
R Kavanagh
M Murphy (Capt.)
O Mac Niallais
L McLoone
E McHugh
M McElhinney
P McBrearty
M O’Reilly
Subs: C McFadden for E McHugh (inj., 53), É McGee for O’Reilly (59), C Toye for McLoone (64), S McBrearty for McElhinney (66), É Doherty for N McGee (black card, 69), M McHugh for H McFadden (black card, 73).
Referee: R Hickey (Clare).
