Monaghan 5-10

Donegal 2-11

A resurgent Monaghan staged a magnificent second half performance to sweep Donegal aside and book their place in the final of the Electric Ireland Ulster minor football championship in this thrilling roller coaster that was played in excellent conditions in Brewster Park, Enniskillen, on Friday evening last.

Goals win championship matches and Monaghan ran in five in all, three in the first half, Liam McDonald registering a hat trick with one apiece from Jason Irwin and substitute Tiernan Kierans and those scores effectively killed off the Donegal challenge as they were held to a mere three points in the entire second half.

Earlier, it had looked as if Donegal were going to dictate matters as they raced into an early lead with a goal after just three minutes, but Monaghan recovered to hit them with two majors in the fifth and ninth minutes and from there to the half-time whistle it was helter-skelter with Donegal edging the exchanges to lead by four points with two minutes remaining to the break. Before the short whistle though Monaghan hit them with 1-1 to go in level at the break, 3-5 to 2-8. Monaghan put in a barnstorming start to the second-half with substitute Tiernan Kierans finding the Donegal net within forty-five seconds of the resumption and that set the tone for a second half that saw Monaghan defending well and thwarting repeated Donegal attacks, as well as hitting them on the break for vital points and the all-important goal that completed Liam McDonald’s hat-trick in the twenty-second minute. From there to the finish Monaghan kept it tight at the back and Donegal could only register a single point from a free in the final quarter with Monaghan coasting to a comfortable and deserved eight  points victory. Monaghan finished the game with fourteen players when Michael Hamill had a black card added to his earlier yellow card and dismissal four minutes into stoppage time.

Monaghan - J Kirk; S Slevin, R Boyle (0-1), S Hanratty; K Connolly (0-1), E Duffy, D Treanor; C McKernan (0-1), D Kerley; D Marron, K Gallaher (0-1), M Hamill; D Dempsey (0-3, 1f), J Irwin (1-2, 0-2f), L McDonald (3-1, 0-1f). Subs: C Maguire for S Slevin (BC), T Kearns (1-0) for D Kerley, A Brennan for E Duffy (BC), C Eccles for D Marron, D Courtney for R Boyle.

Donegal - R Graham; C Roarty, K Tobin, D Dorrian; C Coyle, J Gallagher, R MacShane; K Dunleavy (0-1), E Dowling; C O’Reilly (2-4, 0-1f), P O’Hare, E de Burca (0-1); J McGroddy (0-5, 3f), E Carr, C Moore. Subs: J Grant for C Roarty, S Rooney for P O’Hare, S Monaghan for E Carr, S Meehan for J Grant, E Martin for S Rooney, R O’Rourke for C Coyle.

Referee - J Lewis.

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