Donegal 1-4
Monaghan 0-9
Alan Foley reports from Letterkenny
GOALKEEPER RORY BEGGAN and Fintan Kelly kicked late scores as Monaghan overcame Ulster champions Donegal in the drabbest of Division One encounters in Letterkenny today.
The writing was on the wall from when Derry referee Barry Cassidy threw the first ball in the air as Malachy O’Rourke’s Monaghan, who had a sizable breeze at their backs, camped in and essentially played Donegal at their own game.
Rory Gallagher’s side were patient and probing and had almost all the early possession. Unwilling to overly commit, Donegal merely played the ball from side to side as a stalemate developed. It was essentially a game of stares.
By half-time it was 0-4 to 0-4 with Murphy and Patrick McBrearty scoring frees for the hosts, while the visitors had least scored from play — through Kieran Hughes and the recalled Conor McManus — as well as a couple of placed balls from Paul Finlay.
The fare after the break wasn’t different — nor more entertaining — from the first. With McManus having been black-carded before the break and Donegal now with the elements, the expected onslaught didn’t really happen.
Murphy did slap a goal on 46 minutes past Rory Beggan after Neil Gallagher’s ball forward hung up in the wind. It was Donegal’s first and only score from play, but Finlay levelled it with two more frees.
Monaghan were moving the ball a little better and with Donegal kicking half a dozen second-half wides, Beggan and Kelly sealed the away win.
Scorers for Donegal: M Murphy 1-3 (3f), P McBrearty 0-1 (1f)
Scorers for Monaghan: P Finlay 0-4 (0-4), K Hughes, C McManus, D Malone, F Kelly 0-1 each, R Beggan 0-1 (f).
DONEGAL
1. Paul Durcan
2. Paddy McGrath
3. Neil McGee
18. Eamon McGee
4. Eamonn Doherty
6. Karl Lacey
7. Frank McGlynn
8. Neil Gallagher
9. Christy Toye
5. Ryan McHugh
11. Odhran MacNiallais
12. Mark McHugh
13. Patrick McBrearty
14. Michael Murphy
10. Martin O’Reilly
Substitutions: Anthony Thompson and Martin McElhinney for Doherty and Toye (half-time), Colm McFadden for Lacey (37), Daniel McLaughlin for McBrearty (54), Eoin McHugh for E McGee (55), Gary McFadden for MacNiallais (69)
MONAGHAN
1. Rory Beggan
2. Conor Boyle
3. Drew Wylie
19. Vinny Corey
5. Dessie Mone
6. Fintan Kelly
7. Karl O’Connell
8. Neil McAdam
9. Darren Hughes
4. Conor McManus
11. Dermot Malone
12. Ryan McAnespie
13. Paul Finlay
14. Kieran Hughes
15. Daniel McKenna
Substitutions: Thomas Kerr for McManus (27 black card), Owen Duffy for McKenna (48), Dick Clerkin for McAdam (66).
Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry).