National League champions Derry were dumped out of the All-Ireland Qualifiers as Monaghan won a pulsating first round tie at Clones this afternoon.
Click here for Séamus Leonard's minute-by-minute matchtracker.
Paddy Bradley's fourth point of the game pushed Derry 1-12 to 1-11 ahead but crucial late scores from substitute Shane Smith and top scorer Tommy Freeman saw Monaghan prevail.
Dick Clerkin's 30th-minute goal helped the Farney men establish a quickfire six-point lead but Derry cut it to 1-07 to 1-05 by the interval, with Eoin Bradley netting in first half injury-time.
Derry, with Patsy Bradley and Fergal Doherty getting on top in midfield, managed to lead twice in the second period but the hosts had the stronger finish and Mark Lynch's 50-metre free - Derry's final scoring effort - dropped short of the target.
Incredibly, it is only Derry's fifth defeat in 20 All-Ireland qualifier matches since the new system was introduced in 2001.
Monaghan took to the pitch without suspended duo Gary McQuaid and Paul Finlay, with the latter having failed in his attempt to have an eight-week ban overturned by the Disputes Resolution Authority.
The Farney men, who beat Derry in an Ulster semi-final last year, also brought in Ciaran Hanratty for Brendan McKenna as a late change to their team.
Injury-hit Derry drafted Kevin McCloy, Michael McBride, Raymond Wilkinson and Colin Devlin into their side, as well as recalling John Deighan in goal for ankle injury victim Barry Gillis.
Dual player Liam Hinphey's recovery from a pelvic/groin problem gave the Oak Leafers a pre-match boost and they did make a solid start, shooting themselves 0-02 to 0-00 ahead.
Played in bright, sunny conditions, the first half was a slow-burning 35 minutes but it began to simmer midway through thanks to the physical scraps in midfield and the opening up of both defences.
Enda Muldoon and Dessie Mone both hit poor wides before a swift attack involving Hinphey and Mark Lynch led to a 10th-minute free, which Paddy Bradley knocked through the uprights.
Eoin Bradley followed up with a point from play but Monaghan soon settled and struck three points on the trot from Tommy Freeman (free) and late call-up Hanratty (0-02).
It was obvious that Hanratty, such a livewire in last year’s Championship, was determined to make an impression.
Straight after Freeman's successful free, Deighan erred when his short kick-out went straight to Monaghan's Vincent Corey and Hanratty was set up for his first point.
The Castleblayney Faughs clubman drew his second white flag soon after as Monaghan began to pick holes in the Derry rearguard.
But Paddy Crozier's men countered quickly with points from Paddy Bradley (free) and Mark Lynch to move 0-04 to 0-03 ahead.
Tempers briefly threatened to boil over when Fergal Doherty was fouled by Clerkin after going on a powerful run and, following David Coldrick's whistle, Doherty was seen to lash out at the Monaghan midfielder.
There was no yellow card produced, much to Monaghan's dismay, but they let their football do the talking over the next 12 minutes as they scored 1-03 without reply.
The tempo increased as Monaghan's long ball tactic began to pay dividends. Derry defenders were caught out time and again under the high ball and particularly for Clerkin's goal.
The hosts set off on their scoring run with a brace of points from Stephen Gollogly, which included good cameos from Corey and Tommy Freeman.
Seamus McEnaney's side powered 1-05 to 0-04 ahead when a high ball in towards the Derry square was not cleared and Clerkin was able to left-foot a fine volley to the Oak Leafers' net.
Freeman and Conor McManus fired over subsequent points to make it a six-point game and Derry were staring at a big defeat.
Suitably stung into action, Crozier's charges rallied brilliantly by scoring a quick 1-01 before the half-time whistle.
A quiet Enda Muldoon nudged over a much-needed point from long range and then came Eoin Bradley's goal.
The Derry No 13, who operated for much of the half at full-forward, showed great persistence to compete for a loose ball and finish it neatly past Padraig McBennett, after a delivery in from his brother Paddy.
The second half took its time to get going but after Hanratty skied a shot, Freeman retrieved the situation by laying off for Rory Woods to point.
With play-maker Finlay absent, Freeman was influential throughout in the Monaghan attack and he put his side 1-09 to 1-07 ahead, replying to scores from Paddy Bradley and Joe O'Kane.
However, Derry were beginning to get a grip on general play and Mark Lynch increased the tension by reducing the hosts' lead to one.
A superb score from Freeman again steadied Monaghan as he took a pass from Corey, cut in from the left and surged past three defenders to land an inspirational point.
But Derry were back level by the 55th minute as Colin Devlin produced a top notch point and a confident Doherty picked off the levelling point.
Better followed for Derry as substitute Christopher McKeague split the posts to move the visitors 1-11 to 1-10 ahead.
Hanratty, after a poor miss from a wide, redeemed himself with a stunning point from distance which levelled the sides for the second time in the second half.
With time running out, it really was anyone's game. Paddy Bradley slipped as he tried to point a free but the All Star attacker was right on cue when he scored from play, moments later, following a build-up that involved both Patsy and Eoin Bradley.
Battling for every ball and roared on by a vocal home support, Monaghan edged a thrilling finale. First, they got back on terms at 1-12 apiece when Freeman, who got through a huge amount of work, set up substitute Shane Smith's 68th-minute score.
Then, in the first minute of injury-time, Derry substitute McKeague coughed up a foul and Freeman held his nerve to pop over what was the match-winning point.
Derry struggled for any meaningful possession in the closing minute-and-a-half.
After Eoin Lennon was caught in possession, Lynch was presented with a last-minute free but his attempt from outside the Monaghan '45' did not have the required distance and St Tiernach's Park erupted in celebration at the final whistle.
Monaghan: P McBennett; D Mone, JP Mone, D McArdle; D Freeman (capt), D Hughes, P McGuigan; E Lennon, C Hanratty (0-03); C McManus (0-01), D Clerkin (1-00), S Gollogly (0-02); R Woods (0-01), V Corey, T Freeman (0-05, 2f).
Subs used: S Smith (0-01) for Hughes, N McAdams for McManus.
Derry: J Deighan; K McCloy (capt), N McCusker, J O'Kane (0-01); M McBride, G O'Kane, L Hinphey; F Doherty (0-01), Patsy Bradley; E Muldoon (0-01), E Bradley (1-01), R Wilkinson; C Devlin (0-01), P Bradley (0-04, 2f), M Lynch (0-02).
Subs used: C McKeague (0-01) for Hinphey, C Gilligan for R Wilkinson, P Murphy for Muldoon, J Diver for K McCloy, J Conway for Patsy Bradley.
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath).
