FOLLOWING A CONTEST that ebbed and then flowed, it was Donegal who sealed a place in the final of the Ulster Minor League with Niall O’Donnell firing 13 points against Monaghan.
Monaghan 0-21 Donegal 0-23
After extra-time
In an extra-time time marathon at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones, two points from Eoghan McGettigan – who had just been resorted to make up 15 for Donegal after Seaghan Ferry’s dismissal in normal time – and Niall O’Donnell’s 12th of the day finally put some daylight between them at 0-21 to 0-18.
Fabian Beggan pulled one back for Monaghan but the second half of extra-time opened with O’Donnell scoring again.
Monaghan’s James Wilson got a punch on a dropping free from David Garland – who kicked 10 points beforehand – in that second period of extra-time but Kieran Gallagher grasped ball from underneath the Donegal crossbar.
A free from Michael Bannigan brought the deficit down to one before Jason McGee, with a monster free, won it.
Finally, the game was won.
Donegal can now look forward to a final – where they are chasing their third title on the bounce – next Saturday against Tyrone, who overcame Armagh 1-16 to 1-10.
Both sides today, Donegal and Monaghan, had their spells of domination as the initiative swung from side to side like a pendulum on an old grandfather clock.
But when the match referee – Conor Dorneen from Cavan – tooted for full-time the teams had shared 36 points.
Parity was probably fair at that juncture.
Donegal played out the contest for the final eight minutes without Ferry, who was shown a black card for a tug on Wilson to add to his previous yellow so it added up to red.
But they fought back to level in the last minute when JD Boyle was fouled and O’Donnell popped over his 11th point of the day.
Monaghan burst from the traps – in what felt like an awful long time beforehand – and in little more than two minutes had posted three points from play with Colm Lennon, Brannigan and Garland on the mark for the home team.
But Donegal steadied themselves and O’Donnell scored an excellent point on the turn and then two frees after Odhran Shields had also popped up from wing-back. So from three down Donegal were 0-4 to 0-3 in front by the quarter-hour mark.
And although Garland levelled it up with a free briefly, that proved to be Monaghan’s only score in 23 minutes.
McGee for Donegal, in the meantime, pointed a long-range free and O’Donnell had eyes for goal when his blistering drive went over on 22 minutes to leave Donegal 0-6 to 0-4 in front.
Monaghan got back into the groove with points from Tyler O’Hanlon and Garland, only for Gallagher and O’Donnell to put Donegal into a decent 0-8 to 0-6 half-time advantage.
Shaun Paul Barrett has seen his team come through Antrim 2-12 to 0-6 last Saturday in Magherafelt to come second behind Tyrone – who they lost to 2-8 to 1-9 in Ballybofey – in Group A. Donegal’s other outings were victories were over Fermanagh 2-11 to 0-8 and Derry 3-12 to 0-6 at Celtic Park.
Monaghan’s Garland and O’Donnell for Donegal swapped scores at the start of the second half but the ebb and flow nature continued.
Donegal were having bother getting out of their own half from a succession of kick-outs and from being two down, Monaghan scored four points in succession – a belter from Fergal Hanratty, two more from Garland and one from Bannigan – to go from two down to two up, at 0-11 to 0-9.
Again, though, that was more of a twist than a turn.
By the 52nd minute, Donegal were 0-16 top 0-15 in front with McGettigan, Ciaran McGinley, Boyle and Aiden McLaughlin joining O’Donnell with points.
At the other end, Hanratty added another fine point, while Garland scored an array of fine scores, including one with his fist.
When Ferry was shown the line, Donegal still managed to maintain their slender lead – this time 0-17 to 0-16 – until two minutes from time.
However, Garland and then Ryan O’Connor looked to have won it for the Farney County. But Boyle won a free late on and O’Donnell scored again and extra-time it was.
Monaghan: Thomas Marron; Frank Connolly, Owen Quinn, Josh Walsh; Ciaran Burns, Ryan Mahon, Fergal Hanratty (0-2); Padraig Finnan, Colm Lennon (0-1); Ryan O’Connor (0-1), James Wilson, Padraig McMahon; David Garland (0-11, 5f), Michael Bannigan (0-4, 2f), Tyler O’Hanlon (0-1). Subs: Fabian Beggan (0-1) for Lennon (10), Conor Doyle for Burns (26), Aaron Courtney for Mahon (40), Shane McMahon for O’Hanlon (43), Jack Gormley for Doyle (46 black card), Sean Burns for Quinn (58), Quinn and McMahon for Beggan and S Burns (half-time, extra-time), S Burns for Connolly (black card 78), C Burns for McMahon (80).
Donegal: Gavin Mulreany (St Naul’s); Seaghan Ferry (Gaoth Dobhair), Aaron McCrea (Four Masters), Mark Curran (An Clochan Liath); Aidan McLaughlin (0-1, Naomh Padraig Muff), JD Boyle (0-1, Naomh Conaill), Odhran Shields (0-1, Gaeil Fhánada); Jason McGee (0-2, 2f, Cloughaneely), Kieran Gallagher (0-1, Naomh Conaill); Ciaran McGinley (0-1, St Michael’s), Odhrán Ferry (Gaoth Dobhair), Nathan Boyle (Aodh Ruadh); Brian O’Donnell (Kilcar), Niall O’Donnell (0-13, 8f, St Eunan’s), Eoghan McGettigan (0-3, Naomh Conaill). Sub: Stephen Carr (Glenfin) for McGinley (56), Jack Flannery (Naomh Conaill) for McGettigan (59). Restored to team for extra-time: Eoghan McGettigan. Michael Mulhern (Cloughaneely) for Curran (76), Gary Molloy (Kilcar) for Flannery (78)
Referee: Conor Dourneen (Cavan).
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