Determined Down rolled back the years at the Athletic Grounds tonight to inflict a superb 1-14 to 0-15 defeat on red-hot favourites Monaghan.

Having lost the corresponding fixture by 19 points last year, Eamonn Burns' charges played with intent and purpose from the off, with Connaire Harrison running the much-vaunted Monaghan full-back line ragged until he withdrew due to injury. Kevin McKernan also notched a couple of terrific points and wing back Darragh O'Hanlon weighed in with 1-5 from placed balls.

With 13,396 spectators looking on, victorious captain O'Hanlon's 41^st-minute penalty goal, following a rash kick-out from the flustered Rory Beggan, was the decisive score, but the victors played this game on their terms for the most part, leaving their complacent opponents chasing shadows.

With the breeze at their backs, the winners produced a wonderful first-half display, bristling with physicality and determination, with Harrison slotting over three points as they assumed a 0-10 to 0-8 interval lead.

In Monaghan's faces from the off, the Mourne County registered a series of fine scores, while their opponents seemed to be weighed down by the burden of expectation and more than a little complacency, kicking a litany of uncharacteristic poor wides.

Both teams made two late changes with Darren Hughes and Conor McCarthy coming into the Monaghan starting XV instead of Gavin Doogan and Dermot Malone, while Niall McParland and Peter Turley replaced Anthony Doherty and Joe Murphy respectively for Down.

McManus and McCarron spurned early Monaghan frees and each of them also missed shots from play before corner back Ryan Wylie opened the scoring in the eighth minute, when he had a sight of goal. Darren Hughes replied to Harrison's first point and McCarron doubled the gap; Darragh O'Hanlon (free) closed the gap and McManus made it double scores after 16 minutes, 0-4 to 0-2.

O'Hanlon's second and third frees flew over to tie the scores up after 20 minutes. After McCarthy exploited a Cunningham mistake to edge the Farney County back in front, the Mourne County roared ahead with four quickfire points from Harrison (2), Shay Millar and O'Hanlon (free) - Harrison's strike from the left sideline was sensational and Millar's was equally impressive.

McKernan and Conor Maginn had their sublime points cancelled out by Owen Duffy and McCarron (free) respectively and an outstanding injury-time McManus point off his left boot from 40 yards following a nonchalant pick-up had the Farney County's interval deficit back to a couple of points.

Referee David Coldrick wasn't able to resume in the second half and was replaced by Paddy Neilan during the break, adding further intrigue to an evenly-balanced encounter…

Goalkeeper Michael Cunningham's '45' increased Down's lead after Darren Hughes had blocked Harrison's goalbound shot; McKernan increased the gap with his second sublime score and O'Hanlon's 41^st-minute penalty was lashed down the middle of the Monaghan goal following a poor Beggan restart and an inadvertent Colin Walshe foul on Niall Donnelly; the goal fired the winners seven ahead - 1-12 to 0-8!

McManus's brace of frees had the gap back to five by the 50^th minute and the Clontibret man then traded frees with O'Hanlon to leave five still between them at the three-quarters stage. With the taste of defeat on their lips, Malachy O'Rourke's out-of-sorts men finally started to play some football... Darren Hughes registered off his left foot in the 55^th minute. After a tense passage of play, McCarron won and converted a 62^nd-minute free to leave just the goal between them and McManus flashed over another point on 64 minutes - 1-13 to 0-14.

A stunning Kieran Hughes effort made it a one-point game with four minutes of normal time left but Monaghan hit the wall again. It was backs-to-the-walls stuff as the losers came in search of an equalising point that they scarcely deserved. McCarron should have delivered it in the fourth of five added minutes but he screwed his shot from a free into the sky and badly wide after Drew Wylie - who endured a torrid night - had also sent an ambitious effort wide. At the other end, substitute Donal O'Hare punctuated a late, late counter attack with the insurance point.

Before that, the winners also had the ball in the back of the Monaghan net for a second time late in the second half but the whistle had harshly sounded for a free-out in favour of Beggan, who had himself fouled the ball on the ground. It mattered not in the end, however, as Down defied the odds to seal a date with the Red Hands next month.

Down - M Cunningham (0-1'45); N McParland, G McGovern, D O'Hagan; D O'Hanlon (1-5, 1-0pen, 0-5f), C McGovern, C Mooney; K McKernan (0-2), N Donnelly; P Turley, C Maginn (0-1), S Millar (0-1); J Johnston, C Harrison (0-3), R Johnston. Subs: D O'Hare (0-1) for C Harrison, J Murphy for C McGovern, D McKibbin for C Mooney, A Carr for P Turley, M Poland for R Johnston.

Monaghan - R Beggan; F Kelly, D Wylie, R Wylie (0-1); C Walshe, V Corey, N McAdam; K Hughes (0-1), D Hughes (0-2); K O'Connell, K Duffy, O Duffy (0-1); C McCarthy (0-1), J McCarron (0-3, 2f), C McManus (0-6, 3f). Subs: R McAnespie for N McAdam, D Mone for K Duffy, D Ward for O Duffy, D Malone for C McCarthy, C Forde for R Beggan.

Referee - D Coldrick, P Neilan.

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