A 69th minute penalty by Conor McManus gave Monaghan a share of the spoils in Fr. Tierney Park, Ballyshannon after Donegal looked likely winners in their Division 1 clash.
Donegal had all the possession in the second half but couldn’t get the gap past three points. Apart from the penalty, Monaghan only managed two points but the goal proved crucial.
Jack McCarron was the Monaghan star of the first half, hitting six points, as Monaghan had a one point advantage at the break, 0-9 to 1-5.
McCarron had the opening two points before Donegal hit back with a great goal. Ryan McHugh and Eoghan Ban Gallagher were the creators and Michael Carroll rattled it home.
Donegal kept their noses in front until midway through the half when debut boy Michael Bannigan levelled matters for Monaghan and McCarron and Owen Duffy put them two ahead.
However points from Eoin McHugh and Michael Murphy (free) had Donegal level again before McCarron finished the half as he started, firing over his second point from play.
Monaghan had lost half-back Ryan McAnespie to injury after eight minutes and they also lost Dessie Ward on the stroke of half-time, black carded for hauling Ryan McHugh to the ground.
Donegal had the wind advantage in the second half and they had two points on the board on 36 seconds, Michael Murphy and Ciaran Thompson on target.
Scores were hard to come by but Murphy and substitute Patrick McBrearty stretched the Donegal lead to three. Monaghan had lost Owen Duffy to a black card earlier.
Monaghan hit their first two points of the half to cut the lead with 12 minutes left, but McBrearty and Murphy struck again to leave Donegal three ahead again with four minutes left.
Then came a late Monaghan surge and a ball was played across the goal and Martin McElhinney pushed Darren Hughes. Referee David Gough pointed to the spot and black carded McElhinney.
Scorers - Donegal: Michael Murphy 0-7,4f; Michael Carroll 1-0; Patrick McBrearty 0-2; Eoin McHugh, Ciaran Thompson 0-1 each.
Monaghan: Jack McCarron 0-6,4f; Conor McManus 1-1, 1-0pen,f; Kieran Hughes, Owen Duffy, Shane Carey, Michael Bannigan 0-1 each.
Donegal: M A McGinley; P McGrath, N McGee, E Doherty; R McHugh, E Ban Gallagher, P Brennan; M Murphy, C Thompson; M Carroll, M O’Reilly, E McHugh; J Brennan, H McFadden, C Mulligan.
Subs: M McHugh for P Brennan 33; K Gillespie for McGee ht; P McBrearty for J Brennan 43; M McElhinney for R McHugh 60; M Langan for Thompson 63
Monaghan: R Beggan; F Kelly, D Wylie, R Wylie; R McAnespie, N McAdam, K O’Connell; D Hughes, K Hughes; D Ward, O Duffy, G Doogan; M Bannigan, J McCarron, C McManus.
Subs: S Carey for McAnespie 8; C McCarthy for Ward, bcard 40; D Malone for Bannigan ht; V Corey for McAdam 46; J Mealiff for O Duffy, bcard 53; T Kerr for Doogan 68
Referee: D Gough (Meath)
