Donegal squeeze through as Monaghan revival falls just short

After trailing Donegal by seven points at various stages of the game, Monaghan reduced the deficit to a point but were unable to get any closer. 

Michael Langan kicked four points for Donegal in their Ulster SFC victory over Monaghan. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Ulster SFC quarter-final: Monaghan 0-21 (0-5-11) Donegal 0-23 (0-2-19)

Monaghan were left licking their wounds after a gallant fightback from seven down almost yielded something against Donegal in a tense Ulster SFC quarter-final.

Trailing 0-9 to 0-2 in the first half and 0-15 to 0-8 at one stage in the second, Monaghan, driven on by the brilliant Dessie Ward, got back to just one down on a couple of occasions and were two down as the clock hit 70.

Some thought they were due another shot at it when Shaun Patton’s kick-out went out for a sideline ball in front of the Hill, but referee David Coldrick called for the ball, and Donegal were through to the last four and a clash with Down back at St Tiernach’s Park next Sunday.

The hooter sounded before Ryan O’Toole, the Monaghan full-back, put the ball back into play, which backed up Coldrick’s call and Donegal had squeezed through.

Monaghan, with much to build on from their Division 2 success, will feel their championship might have a few more chapters yet.

The current Ulster SFC holders were six to the good at half-time, 0-14 to 0-8, with Michael Murphy pulling the strings, alongside a more than capable list of protagonists, with top-class showings from Ciaran Thompson with four points in the first half and Peadar Mogan three.

With conditions slippery underfoot, both teams took a little while to find their feet and after Gary Mahon had scored for the home team to open it, by the 22nd minute, they’d added just the one more from a Rory Beggan 45, with Donegal 0-9 to 0-2 ahead.

That came after Shaun Patton made a save to deny Ryan McAnespie, who had played a neat give-and-go with Andrew Woods. Donegal, at the other end, were pressing up and making life tough for Beggan off the tee and Peadar Mogan and Ciaran Thompson, in particular, putting in impressive first-half performances.

Monaghan did finish the half reasonably well, with a two-pointer from Dessie Ward giving them some hope before the break and another from Conor McCarthy after it, meaning just a 0-15 to 0-10 deficit by the 40th minute.

Donegal still seemed in control and had the luxury of bringing on Oisin Gallen but deciding to kitchen-sink it, Monaghan got immense backing from the majority of the 16,120 in attendance as they went for broke, with substitutes Jack McCarron and Stephen Mooney having big impacts.

Michéal Bannigan’s stylish two-pointer brought the largest cheer of the afternoon and Monaghan were just one down.

They never got level, though, with Donegal, through Michael Langan, whose influence grew and grew, and Jamie Brennan in particular, were always just that inch in front. When Ward fired the second of his two-pointers, having also made a brilliant block from Langan to prevent a possible goal at the other end, Monaghan had hope.

Ward would try one more, only to see it drift wide, and Donegal and manager Jim McGuinness had another up-close and personal reason to add to their beliefs about just how competitive Ulster can be.

Scorers for Monaghan: Dessie Ward 0-6, 2 2pt; Micheál Bannigan 0-5, 2pt, 1f; Conor McCarthy 0-3, 2pt; Jack McCarron 0-2, 2pt; Stephen Mooney 0-2; Rory Beggan 0-1, 45; Gary Mohan 0-1; Ryan McAnespie 0-1.

Scorers for Donegal: Ciaran Thompson 0-5, 2pt, 1f; Peadar Mogan and Michael Langan 0-4; Michael Murphy 0-3, 2ptf; Daire Ó Baoill and Jamie Brennan 0-2; Oisin Gallen, Patrick McBrearty and Finnbarr Roarty 0-1 

MONAGHAN: Rory Beggan; Ryan Wylie, Ryan O’Toole, Dylan Byrne; Kieran Duffy, Dessie Ward, Conor McCarthy; Michael McCarville, Gary Mahon; Stephen O’Hanlon, Michael Bannigan, Ciaran McNulty; David Garland, Andrew Woods,Ryan McAnespie . Subs: Jack McCarron and Gavin McPhillips for McCarville and Garland (32); Stephen Mooney for Woods (53), Joel Wilson for McNulty (61) Karl O’Connell for Byrne (65) 

DONEGAL: Shaun Patton; Finnbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan Mc Hugh, Michael Langan, Stephen McMenamin; Hugh McFadden, Ciaran Thompson; Dáire Ó Baoill, Shane O'Donnell, Ciaran Moore; Patrick McBrearty, Michael Murphy, Conor O'Donnell. 

Subs: Oisin Gallen for C O’Donnell (half-time), Jason McGee for McFadden (47); Jamie Brennan and Aaron Doherty for McBrearty and Ó Baoill (52) 

Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)