Live updates: Monaghan v Donegal

DONEGAL FACE Monaghan in the final group game in the Allianz League Division 1 at St Mary’s Park, Castleblayney this afternoon.

Monaghan stay up thanks to the 1-10 to 1-9 win. That’s four defeats in a row for Donegal, who had Neil McGee and Hugh McFadden black carded in the second half.

John Fogarty knows these things:

Division 1 semi-finals looking like Dublin v Donegal, Kerry v Roscommon #GAA

— John Fogarty (@JohnFogartyIrl) April 3, 2016

FULL TIME: MONAGHAN 1-10 DONEGAL 1-9

Donegal were seven points up in the first half. They’re now a point down and heading for a fourth straight defeat.

We’re in added time and Colin Walshe has put Monaghan ahead for the first time. Monaghan 1-10 Donegal 1-9

Monaghan have a free to take the lead here … and Neil McGee is given a black card after fouling Kieran Hughes. Hughes has missed the free!! Monaghan 1-9 Donegal 1-9

Get the calculators out?

Michael Shields straight red. Kerry lead 0-18 to 1-11 (69). McManus equalises for Monaghan v Donegal. Down to points difference?

— Tony Leen (@tonyleen) April 3, 2016

Stephen McBrearty, who was excellent for the Donegal Under-21s in their Ulster semi-final loss to Tyrone on Wednesday night, comes on for Rory Gallagher’s men.

65 mins: McManus levels it from a free. Monaghan 1-9 Donegal 1-9

Eoin Duffy has a chance to tie things up for the first time, but he’s wide and Donegal lead by a point with Christy Toye on for Donegal.

You’d have to say, we agree with Stephen:

If Donegal go on to lose this game after being 1:04 up……#MONvDON

— Stephen Kirwan (@stephenkirwan75) April 3, 2016

We’re into the last ten minutes. Donegal have hit nine wides and really should have this game sewn up. Just the width of a Rizzla between them as Eamon McGee replaces Martin O’Reilly. Monaghan 1-8 Donegal 1-9

58 mins: Only one in it. McManus again… Monaghan 1-8 Donegal 1-9

55 mins: Ryan McAnespie responds immediately. Still very much game on here, but as it stands Monaghan would be heading for Division 2. Monaghan 1-7 Donegal 1-9

54 mins: Anthony Thompson gets his name on the scoresheet for Donegal. Monaghan 1-6 Donegal 1-9

53 mins: Only three scores on the board in the second half…Now, on comes Colm McFadden for Donegal.

Conor McManus had been down receiving treatment, but has resumed playing again and converts a free. Monaghan 1-6 Donegal 1-8

Thomas Kerr, who was at college at Letterkenny Institute of Technology, has come on to replace Dessie Mone.

45 mins: Murphy converts the ’45 for Donegal. Monaghan 1-5 Donegal 1-8

Ryan McHugh fires across the face of goal, but it comes off Rory Kavanagh and is knocked out for a ’45 by a Monaghan defender. Donegal were closing in on a goal chance there.

37 mins: Conor McManus converts a free and it’s back to a two-point game. Monaghan 1-5 Donegal 1-7

We’re underway again here in Castleblayney…

Half-time: Monaghan 1-4 Donegal 1-7

35 +2 mins: Thompson and McElhinney superb in the build-up to set McBrearty up and it’s a three point game again. Monaghan 1-4 Donegal 1-7

33 mins: Well then…McManus gets the better of Paddy McGrath and Monaghan are turning the screw here. Monaghan 1-4 Donegal 1-6

Conor McManus whacks over for Monaghan and there are just three points between them after his free. Monaghan 1-3 Donegal 1-6

28 mins: Darren Hughes drills over after Donegal get turned over. Monaghan 1-2 Donegal 1-6

Monaghan have been quite poor so far and Donegal certainly will feel they should be further in front. Donegal would take some delight in relegating the Farney County one suspects…

25 mins: Murphy, with another free extends the Donegal lead. Monaghan 1-1 Donegal 1-6

23 mins: Daniel McKenna responds down the other end for Monaghan. Monaghan 1-1 Donegal 1-5

Dirty day but interesting game. #donegalgaa # MonaghanDonegal pic.twitter.com/qb5AMPldB3

— Rónán Mac Niallais (@macniallais) April 3, 2016

22 mins: Game is livening up here and Mac Niallais fires over for Donegal. Monaghan 1-0 Donegal 1-5

21 mins: GOAL for Monaghan. Kieran Hughes wins the kick-out from Beggan and Daniel McKenna fires home. Monaghan 1-0 Donegal 1-4

20 mins: GOAL For Donegal. Martin McElhinney finishes. Donegal put Rory Beggan under pressure. McElhinney won it and got it back after Leo McLoone took possession and laid it off to McElhinney. Monaghan 0-0 Donegal 1-4

20 mins: Patrick McBrearty wins a free off Colin Walshe, takes it himself and converts to put Donegal four up. Monaghan 0-0 Donegal 0-4

18 mins: We did expect this to be low scoring and it’s going as planned, but Donegal will be happy with their lot so far. Monaghan, btw, need to win this or they’re heading for Division 2.

Odhrán Mac Niallais posts a third wide of the day for Donegal after holding off his man. Tight angle was just too much for the Gaoth Dobhair man.

15 mins: Brilliant score from Ryan McHugh. Great break after Martin McElhinney’s strength set him away. Monaghan 0-0 Donegal 0-3

McManus pulls the free to the left and it’s wide. That’s three wides now for Monaghan.

14 mins: Conor McManus is coming out to take a sideline free at a difficult angle. Monaghan yet to score…

10 mins: Eoin McHugh arches over a good score. Cut out the ball in the left corner and got on the end of the move to put two between them. Monaghan 0-0 Donegal 0-2

8 mins: McBrearty has put the free wide from a position he’d normally convert from. Still just the one point on the board. Monaghan 0-0 Donegal 0-1

8 mins: Patrick McBrearty is fouled on the 20-metre line and it’s a chance for Donegal to extend the lead. Monaghan 0-0 Donegal 0-1

Tight and tense in Blayney, as we expected. Just that Murphy free on the board so far with Ryan McHugh down for some treatment.

1 min: Michael Murphy taps over a free and Donegal are in front. Monaghan 0-0 Donegal 0-1

We’re underway at St Mary’s Park!

This is Donegal’s first visit to Castleblayney since 1985 when Monaghan beat Donegal by 10 points in the Championship. It’s wet and a rather ugly looking Sunday in Blayney. It’ll hardly be a pretty spectacle.

Vinny Corey and Kieran Hughes start for Monaghan. Shane Carey and Thomas Kerr don’t start.

Seems as if the programme will bear no resemblance….
Martin McElhinney, Hugh McFadden and Frank McGlynn start, but there’s no Eamon McGee, Kieran Gillespie or Neil Gallagher.

Rather bizarre incident there as Neil Gallagher wasn’t recognised by a steward as he went to take his place among the Donegal contingent, before eventually being let through.

Again no idea if this will be the XV that takes to the field for Monaghan, but here’s what’s published in the programme – Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Colin Walshe, Drew Wylie, Ryan Wylie; Dessie Mone, Fintan Kelly, Karl O’Connell; Neil McAdam, Darren Hughes; Shane Carey, Dermot Malone, Thomas Kerr; Ryan McAnespie, Daniel McKenna, Conor McManus.

We’ve no confirmed team news, but this is the team that has been named in the programme for the game:

Donegal: Mark Anthony McGinley; Paddy McGrath, Neil McGee, Eamon McGee; Ryan McHugh, Anthony Thompson, Kieran Gillespie; Rory Kavanagh, Neil Gallagher; Martin O’Reilly, Leo McLoone, Odhrán Mac Niallais; Patrick McBreaarty, Michael Murphy, Eoin McHugh.

It’s the final game of the group series in the Allianz League so that can only mean one thing – it’s a day for the calculators to come out.

In simple mathematics, Donegal will be in the semi-finals should they defeat Monaghan. Here are the various permutations ahead of today’s games: http://www.donegalsporthub.com/donegal-avoid-monaghan-hammering-theyll-division-2017/

Donegal are coming into this one on the back of three successive defeats. Having lost away to Kerry and at home to Roscommon, they lost to Dublin at Croke Park last Saturday evening. While defensive Donegal were criticised for their style of play last weekend, Rory Gallagher insists that criticism or opinion won’t sway his set-up. Here’s what he had to say on the matter: http://www.donegalsporthub.com/19209-2/

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