DONEGAL WILL TRAVEL to Croke Park with the intention of winning the Nicky Rackard Cup for the second time following today’s comprehensive semi-final win.
Donegal 4-22 Monaghan 1-10
The team managed by Micky McCann were victors over Monaghan at Owenbeg with Davin Flynn scoring 2-11 and now have an opportunity to match their 2013 success, when they take on Warwickshire, who overcame Tyrone, at HQ two weeks today.
Today was also a repeat of last year’s quarter-final when Monaghan ended Donegal’s campaign as they ran out four point winners, 1-16 to 1-12, there was significant revenge with a simple win.
Flynn scored the first goal of the match on just two minutes when he spin past Brian Flanagan, the Monaghan corner-back, and placed past goalkeeper Patrick Bermingham following a ball in from Declan Coulter.
That made the score 1-1 to 0-0 just two minutes in, with Gerry Gilmore having shot Donegal into the lead on 20 seconds.
A second Donegal goal arrived on seven minutes when Kevin Campbell netted, taking on possession after Coulter’s flick from the left from Ciaran Matthewson’s ball in had opened the Monaghan defence. Monaghan lost their netminder Bermingham then through injury.
Monaghan, though, replied in kind with an excellent goal on 12 minutes to pull themselves back into the contest. It was Mark Treanor who went on a defence-splitting run from over 40 metres out to score a superb goal.
But with Flynn in the groove with a succession of fine points, Donegal were 2-8 to 1-2 in front by the 28th minute and looking strong. Jamsie Donnelly then scored a monster point from the middle of the field. Flynn, then juggled and spun to score, taking his personal first half total to 1-7.
He would add another before the break, with Donegal going in with a comfortable lead of 2-12 to 1-3.
Monaghan, needing something, opened the second half with three points on the bounce, with Niall Garland, Fergal Rafter and substitute Conor Flynn on the mark.
But, on 41 minutes, from Sean McVeigh’s ball in, Donegal grabbed a third goal when the rebound fell to Flynn, who made no mistake from close range. It made an advantage of 3-12 to 1-6.
Monaghan’s cause wasn’t helped when full-back Kevin Crawley was given a straight red card on 45 minutes for his part in a clash with Danny Cullen.
Coulter, Cullen with two and Flynn points left Donegal 3-16 to 1-7 in front by the 50th minute and from then on it was just a matter of keeping the scoreboard ticking over. Monaghan finished with 13 as Cormac McNally, a substitute, was given a second yellow in injury time.
A Donegal replacement, Caolan McDermott, slotted home his side’s fourth goal moments later to complete the 21-point rout.
Donegal: Paul Burns; Padraig Doherty, Christopher McDermott (0-1), Stephen Gillespie; Gavin Browne, Sean McVeigh, Jamesie Donnelly (0-1); Ciaran Mathewson (0-1), Danny Cullen (0-2); Bernard Lafferty, Declan Coulter (0-5, 1f), Enda McDermott; Kevin Campbell (1-0), Gerry Gilmore (0-1), Davin Flynn (2-11, 6f). Subs: Ciaran Flynn and Lee Henderson for Lafferty and McDermott (40), Caolan McDermott (1-0) for Campbell (60), Mark Callaghan for Donnelly (63), Joe Boyle for Cullen (67)
Monaghan: Patrick Bermingham; Jamie Guinan, Kevin Crawley, Brian Flanagan; Martin Murphy (0-1), Peter Treanor, Patrick Finnegan (0-1); Mark Treanor (1-0), Aaron Kenny; Fergal Rafter (0-5, 5f), Brian McGuigan (0-1), Conor Boyle; Niall Garland (0-1), Eamonn Collins, Tadhg Campbell. Subs: Niall Butler for Bermingham (9), Conor Flynn (0-1) for Boyle (35), Conor McNally for Collins (49), Cathal Power for Campbell (54), Shane McNally for Garland (61)
Referee: Chris Mooney (Dublin).
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