Monaghan V Donegal Ulster Final

[rrhf]

am i right that monaghan ultimately are in line to play kerry in the aisf.  i think they will have enough to reach the aif this year.  they were super...

[Maguire01]

Delighted with result today, although the last 20 minutes were tough on the nerves. Some great defensive work, but still plenty of room for improvement. If I was from Donegal i'd have been sick looking at the endless number of shots drifting wide, although i'm putting a lot of them down to having no options due to Monaghan's defence.

It's Tyrone next (sorry Sligo, I just can't see any other scenario), the winners to play Kerry. Monaghan really need to push on past the QF this year to show progress. Tyrone will be a tough test, but Monaghan are more than capable of beating them - and at least with playing Tyrone there should be no complacency.

[babarino]

No tour of the county with the cup, is what I'm hearing. We've got eyes on bigger days.

Our 2nd quarter today was excellent. Donegal shot a lot of wides in the 3rd.

4th quarter was poor from Monaghan. Clerkin should have been on 20 minutes out.

[Jinxy]

I was very surprised Big Dick wasn't brought in sooner.
A steadying influence was badly needed in the middle third.
Could have been very costly.

[Main Street]

Five weeks ago Donegal were world beaters and lauded for their innovative style of football. Mayo were seen as being stale with no new players coming through and not in the top three. Today Mayo are seen as a team of real potential in the championship. While Donegal were seen as a tired team with no plan B. Kerry two weeks ago after being completely outplayed by a so called useless Cork team survived courtesy of a dodgy penalty and a hail Mary point! The reality is you are from here on is you are one game away from being World beaters or a game away from being useless!

Media is always knee-jerk, as is the public discourse it drives.

What ever happened to the sledging "crisis"?

I assume that was an extremely tough game for you to watch J70,  I wouldn't even wish it on my worst enemies, never mind our Donegal brethren. Overall the game was played tough but fair enough and without histrionics.
Nevertheless, I would expect Donegal to make it to Croke Park  and possibly both Monaghan and Donegal will be looking for 1/4 final redemption against Mayo and Tyrone respectively.

I was extremely frustrated for most of it, but a bit happier, if ultimately sickened :p with the last fifteen when we finally figured out that the McHughs and other small forwards running at you might bring a bit of success. Just a shame it took so long. Better team over the whole game clearly won though.

And yes, it was nice to see an absence of bullshit and shoving!

I think we are up against it now in terms of reaching last four. Galway will be very tough,  before we even begin to think of Mayo!

Naw - galway needed serious help from the ref to beat a worse derry team than you've already beaten. You'll beat them easily.

2 weeks should be long enough for Donegal to find their mojo. This final was very different to the totally shattering 2013 game, this was mainly a sickener.
Where will the game against Galway be played?

[Syferus]

Thought Monghan should never have left themselves in that nerve-jangling position near the end, which speaks to how superior they were for much of the match.

I think Monaghan have every chance of making the AISF this year and are exactly the type of tough and defensively sound northern team that have given Kerry so much trouble over the last decade. I can't see them being fodder for anyone.

[Main Street]

Thought Monghan should never have left themselves in that nerve-jangling position near the end, which speaks to how superior they were for much of the match.

I think Monaghan have every chance of making the AISF this year and are exactly the type of tough and defensively sound northern team that have given Kerry so much trouble over the last decade. I can't see them being fodder for anyone.

2nd half, Monaghan's incursions into the Donegal half were few but should have had a point or two from those attacks.
I'd assume that the Monaghan plan in the 2nd half was to control the game by playing Donegal at their own game. Donegal are more effective when teams attack them but have a difficulty to play against the likes of themselves. Tactically just too rigid?
The situation today was similar to the 2013 final when Monaghan built up a comfortable cushioned lead in the first half and controlled the game after that.
Up to the 65th minute on sunday, Monaghan were a cosy 3 points ahead. McHugh began to have some effect for Donegal, but the real damage caused were the easy frees he and others won from a very benign Coldrick
Still plenty of room for improvement. and this is an experienced team. 7 from the 2007 final team were on the pitch today, 8 if you include Finlay who nearly came on as a sub.

[tyroneman]

Am I missing something with this game?

Monaghan for all their endeavour (with a very strong wind in the first half) were hanging on by the skin of their teeth for the last 15-20min against a Donegal side who peaked against Tyrone and Armagh.

Yet some folks have them comfortably dispatching Tyrone and then rattling Kerry after that.

Whatever about Monaghan v Tyrone (and I wouldn't call it on the basis of the first league match) Kerry in fourth gear would have far too much for Monaghan.

[BluestackBoy]

A big well done to Monaghan who managed to do a real number on our big name players. Never have I seen Murphy, McFadden, McNiallis, Toye, & Lacey so ineffective together in one game.

Monaghan also put us under big pressure when going for scores which resulted in 17 wides, again a first for Donegal.

I hope the Monaghan lads all had a great night!!

[Maguire01]

Am I missing something with this game?

Monaghan for all their endeavour (with a very strong wind in the first half) were hanging on by the skin of their teeth for the last 15-20min against a Donegal side who peaked against Tyrone and Armagh.

Yet some folks have them comfortably dispatching Tyrone and then rattling Kerry after that.

Whatever about Monaghan v Tyrone (and I wouldn't call it on the basis of the first league match) Kerry in fourth gear would have far too much for Monaghan.

You're missing something if you think there was a "very strong wind" in the first half. There wasn't.

And on what basis did Donegal peak against Tyrone and Armagh? Do you mean they had better performances against them? Do you see not think the opposition could have had an impact on how well Donegal looked in their various matches?

[ludermor]

Very little mention of the Donegal management, what do the Donegal lads think of Gallagher and the way he set up the team? Would McG have made much difference?

[DennistheMenace]

Murphy quiet again, same with Tyrone and Derry game. He's had 1 good game in the Championship this year. Donegal still deserved the win I thought.

[charlie linkbox]

Well that was some day!

We were saying on the way to the game yesterday that, if we won, it wouldn't be able to match the feeling in 2013. But in a way it kind of surpassed it. Two years' ago we knew we had it won with a few minutes to go so we were in celebration mode and ready to go mad at the final whistle but yesterday was pure tension and anxiety right to the last kick of the ball. The way the Donegal crowd behind the goal cheered McBrearty's last effort and then the umpire waved it wide was not good for the blood pressure! It took a moment to recover from that before we could concentrate on our celebrations.

Malachy the genius once again got it spot on. Once we settled into the game after 10 minutes we were completely dominant for the rest of the first half. The team showed admirable patience and skill to hold possession, often for long periods, to wait for the right opportunity to work a score. It may not have looked pretty but it was a great ploy to bring both McManus and Kieran Hughes out the field in the first half to get them on the ball as Malachy knew they'd be suffocated and ineffective inside and often when you looked at our one man full forward line in the first half it was Fintan Kelly, Neil McAdam, Kieran Duffy or Eoin Duffy in there. Kieran Duffy's excellent point came from exactly that tactic. Then in the second half, when we had built our lead and Donegal were forced to push up and chase the game McManus went back inside where there was a bit more room and he got a good point in there. Donegal did get a run on us towards the end but that's what good teams do and had the game been two minutes longer then who knows how it may have panned out. But who cares about that this morning, the best team won.

Vinny Corey was excellent and did the job on Murphy that we have come to expect from him. Ryan Wylie was his usual tenacious self. Karl O'Connell and Dessie Mone carried the ball at Donegal all day and both got good points that their hard work deserved. Good to see Eoin Lennon back, how we have missed him! And of course there's nothing more to say about McManus that hasn't been said before. With Drew Wylie and Chris McGuinness still to come back we're in good shape heading into August.

To complete the day a most enjoyable night was had in Terry's last night in the company of the team and the Anglo Celt.

As an aside, and I know this is a debate for another day and another thread, but how could they ever take the Ulster Final out of Clones?  The whole day and setting was a fantastic occasion to be part of.

Great day, great win, great feeling. Up Monaghan!!!

[Bingo]

Great day for the county. Went to the very wire and made everyone sweat but winning is all that matters and you take that any day.

Was very surprised at Donegal at times, particularly in second half. They came out like a team that had been told the wind was on their backs and shoot from distance. In first 5 mins of second half they done this at any chance and paid for it, aimless pot shots from some and snap shots from others like McFadden who should have done better.

I think the Monaghan defence aren't get much credit but they where superb throughout as a unit after a shaky start. Constantly working to close down in the danger areas, forcing the ball wide and out and getting a hand in at crucial times. Donegal had plenty of wide's but they got forced into them a lot of the time.

Donegal can look at themselves at not playing well but Monaghan had a big say in that. Corey on Murphy was brilliant, never left him when Donegal had the ball and then pulled him round the field when play broke up. Wylie, Mone and O'Connell ran constantly up the field and ensured Monaghan broke as one.

Monaghan will need and have another gear to go up. They will be disappointed with their own forward play at times - the two Hughes in particular very quiet, missed McGuinness to come into the game as well and they missed the only goal chance of the game. I couldn't believe Malone missed that, he is normally lethal from there, drops the shoulder and rounds the keeper.

No idea if the last wide was a point, was on side of it. Spoke to a few after it and they swear it was wide  Regardless, I was close to the last free that Donegal "won" to make it a 1 point game and it was never a free.

Happy days in Monaghan. No tour of the county today, so the lads can enjoy themselves today and back to the grindstone tomorrow.

Hit the Diff lads 

[Rudi]

Monaghan will be cannon fodder in the all Ireland series.

Aye right. Gonna quote you on that.

You already did. You just beat a Donegal team that was way over-trained by a single point, the same team kicked the game away. McManus is top class, one of the best in the country, however if he is double marked, Monaghan have nothing else. The management team deserve great credit for getting far more than the sum of the parts. Have a very bad habit of defending a lead instead of pushing on in a big game. By the way I honestly wish Monaghan well, small county like ourselves and all that.