Monaghan will be in Division One for a fifth successive season after beating Donegal by 1-16 to 1-10 at cold, blustery Clones.

While the hosts have secured their fourth win of the campaign, Donegal managed just one win from six outings so far and now face a winner-takes-all relegation shoot-out against Mayo in Ballybofey next Sunday. Dublin's draw with Galway today has ended Monaghan's changes of progressing to the league final but they still have a dead-rubber Round Seven clash with the Dubs to look forward to at Croke Park next weekend.

Two late David Garland frees had the home team ahead at the break after a 1-2 salvo from Jamie Brennan gave Declan Bonner's men a real foothold in the game.

Michael Murphy's free at the Roslea Road end opened the scoring in the first minute and Conor McManus equalised six minutes later before Rory Beggan executed an excellent diving save to deny Eamon Doherty a goal for the visitors; the big Monaghan custodian then thumped over the 50-metre free that fired the Farney ahead after quarter of an hour.

Murphy's second free cancelled out one from Garland but a rare Dermot Malone strike made it double scores, 0-4 to 0-2 in favour of the hosts, who were well on top but guilty of a few nervy misses. But there were three between them when Beggan nonchalantly thudded over another trademark free and a beautiful McManus brace - one off each boot - made it 0-7 to 0-2 with less than ten minutes left before the break.

Niall O'Donnell blazed over Donegal's fourth point after Brennan had reduced the arrears and the latter popped up with the equalising goal to the top right corner of the net in the 29^th minute - 1-4 to 0-7. Brennan edged the visitors ahead as they reeled off 1-3 without reply and Garland's free steadied the home team, who needed a fourth Beggan save to keep them in the game.

Having conceded their first major of the campaign, Malachy O'Rourke's men had the Scotstown clubman to thank that they didn't leak a few more! A third converted Garland free had the Farney ahead by the minimum at the break, 0-9 to 1-5.

Half-time substitute Ryan Wylie got forward to plant a shot to the bottom corner of the Donegal net at the start of the second half and they led by five when Kieran Hughes followed up with a trademark point off the outside of the boot; Karl O'Connell powered through to make it 1-11 to 1-5 after 38 minutes.

Eoghan Ban Gallagher benefited from a Beggan error to reply but his point was cancelled out by another inch-perfect McManus free. A brace of Murphy frees brought it back to a four-point game with 48 minutes played but Monaghan replied immediately through the peerless Dessie Mone.

Beggan's third converted free of the game was cancelled out by Ciaran Thompson and McManus popped over a routine free in added time after Murphy had posted one at the other end. Substitute Conor McCarthy provided the icing on the cake in the fourth minute of stoppage time as Monaghan added Donegal's scalp to those of Kerry, Tyrone and Kildare.

Monaghan - R Beggan (0-3f); C Walshe, C Boyle, K Duffy; B Kerr, D Wylie, K O'Connell (0-1); K Hughes (0-2), N Kearns; D Ward, D Malone (0-1), R McAnespie; D Hughes, D Garland (0-3f), C McManus (0-4, 2f). Subs: D Mone (0-1) for B Kerr, R Wylie (1-0) for C Walshe, C McCarthy (0-1) for D Garland, O Duffy for D Malone, P McKenna for D Ward, A Lynch for N Kearns.

Donegal - S Patton; E Ban Gallagher, C Ward, C Morrison; F McGlynn, E Doherty, R McHugh; H McFadden, L McLoone; M McHugh, M Murphy (0-6, 3f), J Brennan (1-2); M Langan, N O'Donnell (0-1), S McBrearty. Subs: M O'Reilly for C McGinley, N Mullins for L McLoone, C Thompson (0-1) for S McBrearty, D O'Connor for M Langan, C McGonagle for C Ward, T McCleneghan for F McGlynn.

Referee - S Hurson. 

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