IT’S THE first showdown of the day in Croke Park as the Allianz football league finals take centre stage.
Jim McGuinness takes his Donegal side into action against Malachy O’Rourke’s Monaghan.
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Hello and welcome along to a sunny Croke Park for the start of today’s double-header. Both Donegal and Monaghan are on the pitch now undergoing their warm-up’s before the start of the Division 2 decider.
Here’s the Donegal team that’ll start:
Paul Durcan; Eamonn McGee, Neil McGee, Karl Lacey; Frank McGlynn, Leo McLoone, Anthony Thompson; Rory Kavanagh, Martin McElhinney; Christy Toye, Ryan McHugh, Odhrán Mac Niallais; Colm McFadden, Michael Murphy, Patrick McBrearty.
And here’s the Monaghan team that is selected to start:
Rory Beggan; Kieran Duffy, Drew Wylie, Fintan Kelly; Dessie Mone, Vinny Corey, Karl O’Connell; Owen Lennon, Paul Finlay; Kieran Hughes, Stephen Gollogly, Chris McGuinness; Dermot Malone, Jack McCarron, Conor McManus.
Changes on both sides. Donegal bring in Luke Keaney for Leo McLoone. While Monaghan draft in Colin Walshe, Darren Hughes and Paudie McKenna for Karl O’Connell, Chris McGuinness and Jack McCarron.
Donegal 0-1 Monaghan 0-0: 1 mins – First blood to Donegal. Colm McFadden and Karl Lacey combine to pop the ball up for Patrick McBrearty who shoots instantly and the ball touches the post before falling over the bar.
Donegal 0-2 Monaghan 0-0: 2 mins – Donegal’s lead is doubled through a McFadden free.
Goal chance for Monaghan but Luke Keaney does brilliantly to flick the ball away from Kieran Hughes.
Donegal 0-2 Monaghan 0-1: 8 mins – Rory Beggan comes upfield to boot over the resultant ’45 for Monaghan.
Donegal 0-2 Monaghan 0-2: 9 mins – Hawkeye confirms that Monaghan have drawn level through Darren Hughes. Great turnover by Paudie McKenna on Rory Kavanagh to instigate the move that resulted in that point.
Donegal 0-3 Monaghan 0-2: 13 mins – McFadden knocks over a free to restore Donegal’s lead.
Monaghan 0-3 Donegal 0-3: 15 mins – Darren Hughes breaks through the Donegal cover for another splendid point.
Monaghan 0-4 Donegal 0-3: 16 mins – Now Monaghan go ahead after a lovely curling kick from the right wing by Paul Finlay.
Monaghan 0-5 Donegal 0-3: 18 mins – Monaghan moving well now with Conor McManus kicking them into a two-point lead.
Monaghan 0-6 Donegal 0-3: 19 mins – Great interplay by Monaghan as they prise open the Donegal rearguard and McKenna shoots over in style.
Monaghan 0-7 Donegal 0-3: 20 mins – Monaghan’s shooting has been exemplary. Dessie Mone floats over another great score.
Monaghan 0-7 Donegal 0-4: 21 mins – Donegal respond with Michael Murphy blasting over a fierce drive.
Monaghan 0-7 Donegal 0-5: 22 mins – Now Murphy points a free to cut the deficit Donegal face.
Monaghan 0-8 Donegal 0-5: 24 mins – Another Monaghan point for McKenna and another score where a Monaghan player hit the ball straight on from the outside of his right boot. It’s been excellent to watch in this first-half.
Subs: Jim McGuinness isn’t hanging around here. He’s whipped off Christy Toye and Martin McElhinney for Donegal with Mark McHugh and Neil Gallagher shunted into the action.
Monaghan 0-9 Donegal 0-5: 28 mins – Kieran Hughes fetches a long ball, turns Eamonn McGee before tearing in on goal and unleashing a rasping shot over the bar. He was certainly going for goal but had to be content with a point.
Monaghan 0-10 Donegal 0-5: 30 mins – Magnificent point by Finlay stretches Monaghan’s lead to five points.
Monaghan 0-10 Donegal 0-6: 32 mins – Belter of a point from Michael Murphy as he bangs the ball over a free from 45 yards.
Monaghan 0-10 Donegal 0-7: 34 mins – Gap is down to three now with McFadden swinging over a free.
Monaghan 0-10 Donegal 0-8: 38 mins – Odhrán Mac Niallais has just lofted over a fine left-foot point for Donegal.
Monaghan 0-11 Donegal 0-8: 42 mins – And after that dust-up, Finlay bags a free for Monaghan.
Neil McGee was shown a yellow card as well after that altercation. It’s getting feisty between these teams.
Monaghan 0-11 Donegal 1-8: 53 mins – Michael Murphy smashes the ball to the net past Rory Beggan.
Monaghan 0-12 Donegal 1-8: 55 mins – Important point for Monaghan as they respond to that goal. It’s captain Conor McManus who skips in from the left wing and nabs a fine score.
Monaghan 1-12 Donegal 1-8: 57 mins – Big score from Monaghan. It’s Kieran Hughes who palms the ball to the net after a move that started with Rory Beggan in goal fielding an under hit shot by Colm McFadden. Monaghan swiftly counter-attack with several players involved in a hand-passing move that featured great support play.
Subs: Changes on both sides with Darach O’Connor on for Ryan McHugh on the Donegal team while Chris McGuinness replaces Darach O’Connor on the Monaghan side.
Monaghan 1-12 Donegal 1-9: 60 mins – Donegal not going away with McFadden grabbing his first point from play today.
Monaghan 1-13 Donegal 1-9: 61 mins – Dick Clerkin charges through the Donegal defence, shakes off challenges and points at ease into Hill 16.
Monaghan 1-14 Donegal 1-9: 63 mins – Great bit of work by Monaghan corner-back Fintan Kelly to keep possession near the end line and spray the ball back for Chris McGuinness who darts past a couple of Donegal defenders before pointing.
Hard not to fancy Monaghan here. Seven minutes left, five points up and with a man advantage.
Fair play to Leinster ,and to heaslip , who’s balls I have broken for a while now , he was top shelf lately when they needed him.
Agree totally about Heaslip. I put my hand up as a Heaslip basher too. Eating humble pie now and gladly admit it. But as to turning a corner, stillthink there is a lot of work to be done.
I know every coach has his own style but why in the name of god did O’Connor go in the complete opposite direction to what Schmidt was doing at Leinster. He has turned ye from one of the best ball handling sides in the world to a side that now can’t string 5 passes together without someone dropping it or putting boot to ball. The sooner he goes the better it will be for Leinster and Irish rugby.
From all his soundbites and the evidence of past games, MOC seems to be a guy who tells his players to try Plan A, and if that doesn’t work, to try Plan A harder
Plan b is a fallacy. There’s the gameplan and there’s playing heads up when the opportunity arises. Coming up with one gameplan is hard enough, getting 23 guys on the same page about two gameplans is a waste of time.
I guess so, mate. It depends on the way you look at it. Maybe what I mean is that Leinster are pretty one-dimensional under MOC. Coaches should be able to tweak things at half time. Plus Leinster are lacking technically in a lot of areas, hence my suggestion that MOC just tries to get the players to try the same stuff with more intensity
Leinster were great to watch under Schmidt now they are a bore.
When Schmidt landed he could do no right , look at him now “loike”
That lasted for all of a few weeks though. We’re a season and a bit in and they’ve still only been impressive twice. Northampton away and the Pro12 final. Every time they win there’s the feeling that it was unconvincing and a bit jammy. I don’t get anything like the enjoyment from watching them play that I used to. Still just as big a supporter but there are too many ugly wins.
Your turnip stew is going cold buddy.
Ya not alone I’ve felt like that since kidney left Munster :)