Resurgent Donegal secured home advantage in the preliminary All-Ireland quarter-finals with a 0-19 to 0-17 Ulster derby win over Monaghan at O'Neills Healy Park.
A season that appeared to be stumbling from one crisis to another has turned the corner for the men from the north-west, and this refreshing display was a long time coming.
Following a decent showing against Derry, they took another step in the right direction with a confident attacking effort that has renewed their All-Ireland challenge and stoked optimism among their long-suffering supporters.
Donegal suffered a pre-match blow when injury-troubled skipper Paddy McBrearty, due to make his first start of this year's Championship, was forced to cry off just before throw-in.
But they found attacking flair and potency in a fast-moving opening half that saw them hit 13 scores, all but two of them from play, picking holes in a nervous Farney defence to finish with impressive efficiency and accuracy.
Building from deep off Shaun Patton’s one hundred per cent success from kick-outs, long and short, the men from the north-west moved with a confidence and assurance that had been sadly absent prior to their creditable performance against Derry, and now was beginning to find greater expression.
Daire O Baoill’s line-breaking runs created scoring opportunities for colleagues, and he fired over three points himself as Donegal varied the point of attack to stretch a Farney defence fortified by Darren Hughes in his habitual sweeper role.
Ciaran Thompson also arrowed over three scores, with Conor O’Donnell nailing a couple of neat points as well.
But Monaghan kept in touch, also able to exploit their opponents’ uncertainty at the back, with Micheal Bannigan, Conor Boyle, Gary Mohan, Ryan McAnespie and Jack McCarron on target, but they managed to get their noses in front for just a couple of minutes midway through the half.
Oisin Gallen, well marshalled by Ryan O’Toole, managed to break free of his marker to float over a delightful score to open up a three-point gap 10 minutes before the break, and pushed his side on with a converted free to send them in with a 0-13 to 0-9 interval lead.
Both managers played their attacking aces, Vinny Corey springing Conor McManus from the bench and Aidan O’Rourke introducing McBrearty.
Neither was able to significantly influence the contest, but Donegal had their tails up and never allowed the intensity to dip.
Disciplined at the back, where Eoghan Ban Gallagher was an assured presence and Hugh McFadden turned over ball tirelessly, they stretched the lead through Gallen and O’Donnell, opening up a six-point advantage by the end of the third quarter.
Monaghan were forced to commit more men forward and clawed it back with three McCarron points from placed balls.
But they were increasingly vulnerable to the counter-attack, with 'keeper Beggan living dangerously as he left his goal unguarded and as almost punished, as O’Donnell sprinted in from his own half and opted to take a point.
Farney desperation however was beginning to produce results, and they had it back to two points as Conor Boyle sent over his second score as the game slipped into stoppage time.
Monaghan did have their chances to rescue the draw that would have given them the prize of second place and a home tie next week, but shot a handful of wides as their composure deserted them.
Donegal: S Patton (0-01, f); M Curran, B McCole, C McColgan; C Ward, E Ban Gallagher, S McMenamin; C McGonagle (0-01), H McFadden; D O Baoill (0-03), J Brennan (0-02, 1f), C Thompson (0-03, 1f); O Doherty (0-01), O Gallen (0-05, 3f), C O’Donnell (0-03).
Subs: J Ross Boyle for Ward (47), P McBrearty for Gallen (55), R O’Donnell for O Baoil (59), L McGlynn for O’Donnell (72)
Monaghan: R Beggan; R O’Toole, K Duffy, R Wylie; K O’Connell, C Boyle (0-02), C McCarthy; K Gallagher, K Lavelle; S O’Hanlon (0-01), M Bannigan (0-02), R McAnespie (0-01); J McCarron (0-05, 3f, 1m), G Mohan (0-03, 1m), D Hughes (0-02).
Subs: C McManus (0-01, f) for Gallagher (41), S Carey for Lavelle (47), K Hughes for D Hughes (58), C Lennon for O’Connell (59), F Hughes for McCarron (67)
Referee: L Devenney (Mayo).
