A revitalised Donegal put in a gallant performance to beat Monaghan at Healy Park in Omagh.
Aidan O’Rourke’s side may have rode their luck a little towards the end of this energy sapping encounter but were full value for the win.
Donegal …0-19 Monaghan…0-17
A team performance which featured gutsy displays from the likes of Jamie Brennan, Conor O’Donnell, Daire O’Baoill and Brendan Cole saw Donegal eventually come out on top on a scoreline of 0-18 to 0-16.
Although having being initially named in the starting fifteen, captain and veteran Paddy McBrearty did not start but was introduced in place of the hard-working and exhausted Oisin Gallen in the 55th minute.
The opening quarter delivered what many had expected from these two very evenly matched teams if recent seasons tell a tale.
However, Donegal did manage to go in at the break with a four point advantage on a scoreline of 0-13 to 0-9.
It was nothing short of a pulsating if very clinical first half from both sides but one which saw Aidan O’Rourke’s charges gradually get more of a stranglehold on.
In glorious sunshine and what appeared to be a hard surface, both sides cancelled eachother out score for score in the opening minutes.
Despite many fine scores from both sides, both could also have been accused of failing to get the tackles in on breaking players in defence.
Donegal’s early scores came courtesy of Conor O’Donnell, the impressive Daire O’Baoill and Ciaran Thompson.
Monaghan continued to break the Donegal defence with ease and went ahead for the first time 0-5 to 0-4 through the impressive Gary Mohan.
But Donegal hit back with three unanswered points thereafter through O’Baoill, Thompson and Conor O’Donnell yet again.
Oisin Gallen, on whom so much was hope from, was quiet for the opening period but did burst into life towards the close of the opening period.
After hitting an initial wide, the MacCumhaills man got on the scoresheet for the first time in the 25th minute to make it 0-10 to 0-7 for Donegal.
He added another in stoppage time from a free after Shaun Patton was fouled to follow up on a fine Caolan McGonagle point to put his side 0-13 to 0-9 ahead at the interval.
It was Gallen again who grabbed two quick points form the restart, one from a free and another a fine individual effort to give his team a six points advantage making it 015 to 0-9.
Monaghan pulled it back to a five point game aided by five points from Jack McCarron and there was suddenly a huge roar as Monaghan idol Conor McManus was introduced off the bench.
In truth however, McManus did very little of note to influence the game.
Monaghan pointed again but Conor O’Donnell pointed twice more and when Oisin Gallen was once again accurate with a free to make it 0-17 to 0-11 in the 51st minute you felt the game was slipping from the Farney county.
But they rallied with three successive scores with McCarron bringing it to a three point game, 0-17 to 0-14.
For all his positive aspects, Donegal goalkeeper Shaun Patton does not inspire confidence when he brings the ball out from play and he was caught a number of times in possession.
Jamies Brennan did well to win a free which he pointed himself in the 67th minute to make it a four point game.
But Donegal still looked nervous, a cause not help by their decision to play deep and invite Monaghan onto them.
Conor Boyle brought it back to a two point game as Monaghan search for an elusive goal opportunity with six minutes being added in extra time.
To his credit Patton stepped up to strike a sweet long-range free to put Donegal back in command as Monaghan grabbed a late free but the two point deficeit was too much to claw back.
Donegal scorers: Oisin Gallen 0-5 (0-3fs), Daire Ó Baoill 0-3, Ciaran Thompson 0-3 (0-1f), Conor O’Donnell 0-3, Jamie Brennan 0-2 (0-1f), Caolan McGonagle 0-1, Odhran Doherty 0-1, Shaun Patton 0-1 (0-1f).
Monaghan scorers: Jack McCarron 0-5 (0-3fs, 0-1m), Gary Mohan 0-3 (0-1m), Darren Hughes 0-2, Conor Boyle 0-2, Michael Bannigan 0-2, Ryan McAnespie 0-1, Conor McManus 0-1 (0-1f), Stephen O’Hanlon 0-1.
