Ulster Senior Football Championship Semi-Final
Monaghan 0-11 Donegal 0-10 19/7/15
Monaghan won their second Ulster SFC title in three years when they held on in an absorbing final against Donegal in Clones on Sunday. Monaghan recovered from a slow start to lead by 0-8 to 0-4 at half-time, helped by some superb scores from Conor McManus, Karl O’Connell, Dessie Mone and Kieran Duffy. Donegal rallied in the second half, but a combination of poor finishing and some outstanding defending by Monaghan ensured that Malachy O’Rourke’s side held on to win by the narrowest of margins, keeping Donegal scoreless from play for a full hour in the process. McManus, Mone, O’Connell and Ryan Wylie were among the star men for Monaghan, who now progress to an All-Ireland quarter-final on August 8.
Monaghan: R Beggan; V Corey, C Walshe, R Wylie; K O’Connell (0-1), D Mone (0-1), F Kelly; N McAdam, O Lennon (0-1); K Duffy (0-1), C McManus (Capt., 0-6, 3f), D Hughes; D Malone, K Hughes, O Duffy (0-1).
Subs: R McAnespie for Duffy (45 mins), S Gollogly for Malone (53), D Clerkin for Lennon (69)
Donegal: P Durcan; P McGrath, É McGee, F McGlynn (0-1); M McHugh, N McGee, K Lacey (0-1); N Gallagher, M McElhinney; C Toye, C McFadden, O Mac Niallais; R McHugh, P McBrearty (0-6, 4f), M Murphy (Capt., 0-2f).
Subs: M O’Reilly for Toye (32), A Thompson for Lacey (40), D O’Connor for McFadden (52), L McLoone for Mac Niallais (69)..
Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).
By cshalvey Sun 19th Jul