Monaghan 1-16 Donegal 1-10
DONEGAL had their moments at a freezing cold St Tiernach’s Park yesterday but, shorn of a half-decent five-a-side team, left Clones empty-handed as they face into a winner-takes-all relegation play-off with Mayo on Sunday.
For their part, Monaghan were solid if unspectacular, doing enough to record an impressive fourth win of the Division One campaign and completing a Grand Slam against Ulster opposition after their earlier victory over Tyrone.
Three beautiful Conor McManus points illuminated a dour enough first half when the livewire Jamie Brennan posed the biggest threat to the Farneymen, bagging 1-2 and running Colin Walshe ragged.
However, when Ryan Wylie replaced Walshe at the break, he announced his arrival by bagging a goal 46 seconds after the restart and ensured Brennan went scoreless for the rest of the afternoon as Monaghan eased across the line in the end.
Already without the injured Paddy McBrearty (quad), a virus also deprived Declan Bonner of the influential McHugh brothers, Ryan and Mark, Odhrán Mac Niallais and Martin McElhinney.
With that list of absentees, it was always going to be a tough task for the Tír Chonaill.
And with Tyrone comfortably beating Mayo in Castlebar, it means the westerners head to Ballybofey this weekend for a shoot-out that will decide who stays up and who doesn’t.
“It’s winner take all next Sunday in Ballybofey and we need to improve,” said Bonner.
“Defensively I thought we were better today but in the final third we had a couple of goal opportunities that we didn’t take. In the second half, our decision-making and execution wasn’t good enough to get us back in the game.”
The 1992 All-Ireland winner will hope to have some of his missing men back for the visit of Mayo, especially those struck down by a virus.
“We just need to wait and see now over the next 48 hours how they are.”
However, star forward McBrearty is unlikely to be seen in county colours until Donegal begin their Ulster Championship campaign against Cavan on May 13.
“It’s not long-term, we’re just hoping now to get him back on the pitch. Probably next week will be too tight for him – Championship is probably his realistic aim,” admitted Bonner.
Veteran Frank McGlynn was drafted in and played at centre-back, with Leo McLoone operating largely as a third midfielder, while the inexperienced inside line of Michael Langan and Brennan was supported well in the first half by the pacy Niall O’Donnell.
A Michael Murphy free put Bonner’s men ahead but it wasn’t long before Monaghan took control, with McManus and Kieran Hughes posing problems up top.
Indeed, Hughes brought a smart save from Shaun Patton after a superb catch, spin and shot before a David Garland free and Dermot Malone’s well worked score put Monaghan two up 25 minutes in.
A Rory Beggan free and two vintage McManus scores, one from either side of the field, extended their lead to 0-7 to 0-2.
Donegal came roaring back with 1-3 inside six minutes to level the game just before half-time as Brennan caught fire. His goal came from a run alongside the end line after a one-two with Ciaran McGinley, before brilliantly firing into the top corner from an acute angle.
However, it was the game’s only other goal, from sub Wylie, that proved a dagger to Donegal hearts. The Tir Chonaill were a point down at the break before the fresh legs of the Ballybay defender, with only 46 seconds on the clock, burst forward to take advantage of some slack marking, slotting past Patton.
After Kieran Hughes and Karl O’Connell added further scores, extending the Farney lead to six. Donegal never really recovered, their return of five second half points nowhere near good enough against a team so adept at keeping the scoreboard ticking over.
Dublin’s late snatched draw in Galway ended any lingering hopes Monaghan may have had of reaching the Division One final, but boss Malachy O’Rourke can reflect on another job well done as his men sit third in the table heading into a final day date with the All-Ireland champions at Croke Park.
“We’re delighted. Everybody wants to stay in the first division so it’s a big achievement,” he said.
“This year we made a conscious decision that we weren’t going to play the same players over and over again, because the consequences of that is boys are maybe tired as the year goes on, injuries don’t clear up and so on.
“We’ve used over 30 players and hopefully the boys are fresher because of that.”