Captain Conor McManus hit six points as Monaghan defeated Donegal by 0-11 to 0-10 at sunny Clones to win their second Anglo-Celt Cup in three years.

A gruelling match went right down to the wire, with the defending champions - who went an hour without a score from play between the 5th and 65th minutes - reeling off the last four points to set up a nail-biting climax. But, in the end, Donegal paid the price for a huge wides tally - including eleven in the second half.

Malachy O'Rourke's charges controlled the last 20 minutes of the first half and outscored their opponents by five points to one during that period to take a thoroughly-merited 0-8 to 0-4 lead into the break. Donegal seemed intent on getting 15 men behind the ball and it backfired dramatically as their opponents reeled off five unanswered points to turn a 0-1 to 0-3 deficit into a 0-6 to 0-3 lead.

Both teams made late changes to their starting XVs: the holders introduced Mark McHugh for left half forward Martin O'Reilly while the hosts gave nods to Kieran Duffy and Owen Lennon, with Stephen Gollogly and Shane Carey making way.

Patrick McBrearty opened the scoring off his left boot on the turn and Karl Lacey added a fine point from the right wing in the second minute. Conor McManus's free was cancelled out by Frank McGlynn as Donegal led by 0-3 to 0-1 after five minutes.

Wing back Karl O'Connell stole forward to reduce the gap with a precise finish and McManus (free) tied the scores up in the 15th minute after Paul Durcan touched the ball on the ground, having executed a fine save from Dermot Malone, who had got through in a one-on-one situation.

With swarming defences totally on top and constructive football nigh on impossible, Ryan McHugh struck an upright and there were no scores at either end between the 15th and 26th minutes, when Owen Duffy finally punctuated a patient Monaghan move with a lovely point to give the winners the lead for the first time.

Kieran Duffy thumped over the Farney County's fourth successive point and McManus made it double scores in the 31st minute after corner back Ryan Wylie picked Christy Toye's pocket. A stunning Mone point cancelled out Murphy's free (which was Donegal's first score in 27 minutes) just shy of the interval and McManus lashed over an injury-time score to give his side a double-scores advantage at the break.

Donegal struck three wides at the start of the second half and recently-married Lennon's excellent point stretched the gap to five before McBrearty reduced the deficit to three with a brace of frees. But McManus curled over a beautiful free in the eighth minute of the second half and added his sixth point - this one from play - on 50 minutes to re-establish the five-point cushion.

From here, the winners were hanging on...

Murphy lofted over a free from a central position and McGlynn did superbly to deny O'Connell a shot at goal before the Tir Chonail men closed within three points by the 61st minute thanks to converted Murphy and McBrearty frees.

A McBrearty brace - a stunning point from play and a super free - set up the tensest of finishes but his late, late popshot flew inches wide as the Monaghan party began.

Monaghan - R Beggan; D Mone (0-1), V Corey, R Wylie; C Walshe, F Kelly, K O'Connell (0-1); N McAdam, D Hughes; O Duffy (0-1), O Lennon (0-1), K Duffy (0-1); D Malone, K Hughes, C McManus (0-6, 3f). Subs: R McAnespie for O Duffy, S Gollogly for D Malone, D Clerkin for O Lennon.

Donegal - P Durcan; P McGrath, N McGee, E McGee; R McHugh, K Lacey (0-1), F McGlynn (0-1); N Gallagher, M McElhinney; C Toye, O MacNiallais, M McHugh; P McBrearty (0-6, 4f), M Murphy (0-2f), C McFadden. Subs: M O'Reilly for C Toye, A Thompson for K Lacey, D O'Connor for C McFadden, L McLoone for O MacNiallais.

Referee - D Coldrick.

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