Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup Section A round three
Donegal 2-7 Monaghan 0-15
A MORE experienced Monaghan side held off a spirited challenge from youthful Donegal in an entertaining affair in MacCumhaill Park but it wasn't enough to earn them a semi-final spot.
The losers hit two goals, but it was Monaghan’s greater consistency that saw them through in a tight finish after Luke McGlynn’s cleverly struck penalty in the 57th minute had levelled matters on a score of 2-7 to 0-13.
Monaghan showed they meant business by drafting in veterans Ryan Wylie, Dessie Ward and the gifted Stephen O’Hanlon, while Donegal gave last-minute starts to Jamie Brennan and the promising Joel Bradley Walsh who was making his first competitive start.
Donegal had a dream start after just 98 seconds when a long ball from Odhran Doherty fell for Luke McGlynn. The teenager’s shot came back off the upright and fell right for late replacement full-forward Joel Bradley Walsh who calmly drilled the ball to the net.
But it was all Monaghan for the next 10 minutes as Dessie Ward was orchestrating matters and Micheal Bannigan converted a free to open the visitors' account in the fourth minute.
This was followed by two further points from the lively Sean Jones and keeper Darren McDonnell levelled matters with a long-range free after 10 minutes.
Donegal shook off their lethargy and Marty O’Reilly, back in the squad for the first time since 2018, hit a fine point on the run on his home ground.
But Monaghan regained the advantage, with two well-struck efforts from Jones and Stephen O’Hanlon (above) to edge them into a 0-5 to 1-1 lead by the 18th minute.
Donegal hit back when Jamie Brennan won possession and converted a free to level matters and the home side had a good 10 minutes resulting in two superb points from Daire O’Baoil and Joel Bradley Walsh to lead by 1-4 to 0-5 after 26 minutes.
But with a seasoned campaigner like Shane Carey into the action, Monaghan hit back with two frees from Bannigan – their first scores in 10 minutes.
Donegal were increasingly on the back foot and the impressive Carey tacked on two more points on to leave Monaghan in front by 0-9 to 1-4 at the break.
Both sides threw on a raft of subs in the second half as Bannigan hit another free for Monaghan to stretch the lead out to three by the 45th minute.
Donegal debutant keeper Mulreaney pulled off a great save from Carey and Beggan nonchalantly stroked over a 45 to put Monaghan ahead by 0-11 to 1-4.
Under pressure Donegal hadn’t scored in half an hour but in a rare sortie Johnny McGroddy broke the home side’s scoring famine from a free in the 48th minute.
Donegal got a life-line totally against the run of play when Conor O’Donnell was pulled down for a penalty which he drove low past Rory Beggan to leave the sides level and set up a grandstand finish in the 57th minute.
The inevitable Bannigan edged Monaghan back in front again from a free and McCarron increased that tally as the game drew to a close.
Brennan fluffed a good chance from a mark for the losers as McGroddy narrowed the gap with a great 45-metre free.
Conor O’Donnell levelled matters with a superb point two minutes from time but Monaghan earned a free on the resumption and Bannigan put his side back in front as injury-time beckoned and Beggan completed the scoring for a narrow Farney victory.
Donegal G Mulreany: M Curran, C Ward, J R Molloy; M O’Reilly (0-1) B McCole,
O Doherty; S McMenamin, D McBride; J McGroddy (0-2f) D O’Baoill (0-1) J Brennan (0-1f); L McGlynn (1-0,pen) Joel Bradley Walsh (1-1), K Barrett
Subs C McColgan for M Curran (33), C O’Donnell (0-1) for K Barrett, K Dunleavey for Joel Bradley Walsh, J McSharry for Donal McBride (h-time), J Grant for J McSharry,
G McFadden for JR Molloy (46) K Tobin for M O’Reilly and P Doherty for Odhran Doherty (50)
Monaghan D McDonnell (0-1f); R Wylie, K Duffy, T McPhillips; C Lennon, K Lavelle,
K Loughran; F Hughes, D Gallagher; J Wilson, M Bannigan (0-6f) Shane Slevin; J Irwin,
S O’ Hanlon (0-1), S Jones (0-2)
Subs S Carey (0-2), for J Irwin (24), R Beggan (0-2f) for D McDonnell, J McCarron (0-1f) for F Kelly (h-time), R O’Toole for T McPhillips (40), F Kelly for F Hughes (44), F Beggan for J Wilson (50), K Sheridan for S Slevin (66)
Referee C Dourneen (Cavan)
