All-Ireland SFC: Donegal stage dramatic comeback

All-Ireland SFC Quarter-Final

Donegal 1-26 (1-2-22) Monaghan 1-20 (1-4-12)

By Paul Keane at Croke Park

Donegal are through to the Championship's last four for the second season running but it took a remarkable second-half performance at Croke Park to propel the Ulster champions through.

Trailing by seven points at half-time wasn't in any script written up by manager Jim McGuinness beforehand. At that stage, many people's All-Ireland favourites were on the brink of a shock Championship exit.

But the energy and intensity of the second-half recovery, when they outscored Monaghan by 1-15 to 0-5, scoring 0-11 without response at one stage, underlined just why they are so fancied to regain the Sam Maguire Cup next month.

Michael Langan came alive with a huge second-half performance, scoring 1-3 in that period, while Shane O'Donnell kicked three important points and was named Man of the Match.

Michael Murphy blasted three poor wides for Donegal but was as influential as ever in normal play and finished with four points, the same tally as Conor O'Donnell and Ciaran Thompson.

The eventual six-point win amounted to a 13-point turnaround on the scoreboard from half-time to full-time.

Making it through to the last four again means that Donegal have at least matched what they managed under McGuinness in 2024 though they will believe that a first All-Ireland win since 2012 is now within their reach.

But it's the end of the road for Monaghan who will wonder just how this game swung so violently against them in that second-half.

Monaghan came into the game on a roll having impressed ever since half-time in their Ulster SFC quarter-final defeat to Donegal in Clones back in April.

They won the second-half of that game by five points, won all three of their subsequent group games and returned to Croke Park armed with vital momentum.

Monaghan trailed by seven points at one stage in the first-half of that provincial game but, remarkably, hit the interval this time with a seven-point lead.

You could argue that it flattered them slightly as the scores were tied at 0-8 apiece with 27 minutes on the clock.

It wasn't until the closing minutes of the half that they really hit the afterburners, reeling off another 1-7 before the interval.

But they'd already blasted half a dozen wides at that stage and Ryan McAnespie had twice been blocked with shots at goal.

Donegal, playing their ninth game in the Championship and their fourth in June, had goal chances that they wasted in the first 25 minutes or so too.

Eoghan Ban Gallagher drew a save from Rory Beggan after being cleverly fed by Murphy.

And Finbarr Roarty fired just wide after being picked out in space by a Gallen ball over the top.

Murphy himself booted an early free wide and those misses came back to haunt them as Monaghan rallied late in the half.

Shaun Patton's difficulties in the Donegal goals were clear as he failed to find team-mates with his kick-outs time and again.

One short, drilled kick-out went out over the sideline, allowing McAnespie to play in Micheal Bannigan for his first point.

That was in the 11th minute but Patton never quite recovered and kicked straight to Stephen O'Hanlon in the 27th minute who fed Micheal Bannigan for Monaghan's goal.

Now the Farney Army were in full voice with a 1-9 to 0-8 lead and they cheered again as Patton was penalised for taking too long with a 33rd minute kick-out, resulting in a tap-over Bannigan point.

Monaghan closed out the first-half with a two-pointer from roving goalkeeper Beggan after the buzzer, leaving them in dreamland with a 1-15 to 0-11 half-time lead.

Three Donegal points after the restart amounted to a strong response to the Monaghan blitz.

And when Langan played a one-two with Murphy, cut through the centre of Monaghan's defence and smashed a stunning goal in the 44th minute, Donegal wrestled back control of the game.

Now it was the Division 1 side finding gaping holes in the opposition defence and the two O'Donnells, Shane and Conor, took advantage with scores.

Monaghan's cause wasn't helped by losing McAnespie to an apparent hamstring injury after 40 minutes. And McCarthy suffered the same fate and had to be taken off approaching the hour mark.

Donegal were five points clear at that stage as they continued to press up hard on Monaghan and pick off point after point.

There was a turning point of sorts in the 49th minute when Beggan hit the woodwork with a two-point attempt for Monaghan. Woods gathered up the rebound but sent his kick wide. If Beggan had converted, Monaghan would have been three up and, more importantly, would have broken Donegal's march.

There was no stopping the Tir Chonaill men though who simply ground down Monaghan with their relentless energy and thirst for scores.

They reeled off 11 points without response between the 46th and 68th minutes, forcing Monaghan to resort to two-point pot-shots in the closing minutes.

Scorers for Donegal: Michael Langan 1-3, Ciaran Thompson 0-4 (2 tp), Conor O'Donnell 0-4, Michael Murphy 0-4 (2fs), Oisin Gallen 0-3, Shane O'Donnell 0-3, Peadar Mogan 0-2, Patrick McBrearty 0-2, Ryan McHugh 0-1.

Scorers for Monaghan: Micheal Bannigan 1-2 (1f), Rory Beggan 0-5 (1 tpf, 1 tp, 1 45), Andrew Woods 0-4 (2 tp), Stephen O'Hanlon 0-3, Conor McCarthy 0-2, David Garland 0-2 (tp) Ciaran McNulty 0-1, Ryan O'Toole 0-1.

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Finbarr Roarty, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Ciaran Moore; Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan; Caolan McColgan, Ciaran Thompson, Shane O'Donnell; Conor O'Donnell, Michael Murphy, Oisin Gallen.

Subs: Daire O Baoill for McColgan 40, Jason McGee for McFadden 45, Patrick McBrearty for Gallen 49, Eoin McHugh for R McHugh 56, Niall O'Donnell for Murphy 67.

Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Ryan O'Toole, Kieran Duffy, Dylan Byrne; Ryan Wylie, Dessie Ward, Aaron Carey; Micheal McCarville, Gary Mohan; Ryan McAnespie, Conor McCarthy, Stephen O'Hanlon; Andrew Woods, Micheal Bannigan, Ciaran McNulty.

Subs: Jack McCarron for McAnespie 40, Louis Kelly for McCarville 50, David Garland for McNulty 51, Darren Hughes for Mohan 59, Karl O'Connell for McCarthy 59, Stephen Mooney for Garland 60-63, blood.

Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon).