Ulster Senior Football Championship semi-final: Donegal 1-11 Monaghan 0-14
MALACHY O’ROURKE hailed his Monaghan side’s fighting spirit for rescuing a draw against Donegal on Saturday night while his Donegal counterpart Rory Gallagher rued one that got away.
These two have plenty of history and the Ulster SFC stalemate in Cavan means they have a future in the form of a replay back at Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday at 7pm.
Monaghan had the game won, then lost it, only for Conor McManus to level it for the seventh and final time in the sixth minute of added time.
A 50-metre McManus free drew them level and it took another free by the Clontibret ace to secure a second bite for Monaghan after Christy Toye looked to have won it.
Donegal overcame the sending off of Martin McElhinney and a three-point deficit as an Odhrán Mac Niallais goal had them in command, 1-10 to 0-11, with 71 minutes on the watch.
“Well, when you’re two points down going into injury-time you always are on the back-foot a wee bit,” said O’Rourke.
“In fairness, knowing the boys and having seen them before when we’ve been in them positions, they never give in.
“Secondly, we didn’t panic. We know we just have to keep playing and don’t be rushing things at all and we worked a couple of scores and were delighted with that.”
Gallagher had words of praise for Monaghan’s saviour McManus, while also expressing frustration that his side couldn’t hold on.
“You are totally helpless in a game like that and it was real end to end stuff, lots of ebbs and flows,” he said.
“We are probably a wee bit disappointed that we did not close it out but Monaghan are a great team and you have the likes of Conor McManus, who can kick those savage scores and fair play to him
“We would be disappointed that we did not close it out and there is no doubt about that.
“We were in a good enough position but Monaghan worked a few frees but I don’t know if they were frees or not, but yes it was disappointing.”
