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Overall the better team won. Monaghan's conversion rate was just about 50% compared to Donegal who according to Irish News stat were operating around 75%. Jack's bad miss from a free, McCarthy going for goal when a point was a better option are two that stick out.
Again the team showed great heart and character to come roaring back into the game unfortunately just left it a little too late. Our panel really is suffering from the likes of Lavelle, Kelly, Jones and Hamill not being available. Donegal's great impact swung the game in the closing 20 minutes.
Disappointed to lose but I think the squad and panel have plenty of positives to take forward into the All Ireland series.
Just one observation from today was the Ryan McHugh substitution. It wasn't announced by the stadium announcer as a temporary sub and I dont believe it was a blood sub. If that was the case then Donegal would have used 6 subs instead of 4 as per match reports.
Im sure it was all above board but still felt strange at the time.
shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1948 - 21/04/2025 00:03:35
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A tilt at the Ulster title would have been nice this year but sadly it was not meant to be. I was nervous for the team today going into the game today, not sure how they'd respond to going up against the most fancied team in the country at the moment. Today was the first real test for the team and we came through it. First half they had their wobbles and plays weren't executed the way they should have been but that was all to be expected really. The second half showed us what the team is capable of.
There is sill a rawness to the team that needs to be harnessed and honed but harnessed and honed it will be and I'm looking forward to seeing how this Monaghan team develops.
Blackcardnot (USA) - Posts: 42 - 21/04/2025 00:12:11
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Replying To KingdomofBreifne: "You're not winning it this year either. Ten years since you won a meaningful competition. A team that depends on a 34 year old goalkeeper to create all their scoring chances should stay silent about other teams chances. Your all Ireland is as it always has been, winning a div 1 league game in January." But Monaghan is a better footballing county than Cavan. That's all that matters between the two counties. Monaghan consistently a division 1 team. Has Cavan ever even been in div. 1? Was there even a league back in the 40's when Cavan had its last decent team?
foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2194 - 21/04/2025 00:35:48
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Replying To KingdomofBreifne: "Sam? Dream on. You can't even get close to winning Ulster. And the nerve of posters like Vetern/TomS coming on the Cavan forum telling us we're going nowhere. A bit of reality needed for you lot. Monaghan are at the same level as Cavan, Roscommon, Meath. You've no right including yourself in the conversation around Sam." You're dead right fella they shouldn't be going on your forum saying stuff like that after you are badly beaten, they should wait for you to come over here to tell you (peeping through the hedge)
You're going nowhere
Never mind, You might still get us in the draw, and win your All Ireland
mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1066 - 21/04/2025 01:03:35
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Replying To KingdomofBreifne: "Sam? Dream on. You can't even get close to winning Ulster. And the nerve of posters like Vetern/TomS coming on the Cavan forum telling us we're going nowhere. A bit of reality needed for you lot. Monaghan are at the same level as Cavan, Roscommon, Meath. You've no right including yourself in the conversation around Sam." Still in hiding after the massacre of Healy park? I heard some Cavan forwards still haven't made their way home and out of the Tyrone defenders pockets. At least us Monaghan people can be proud of our team and efforts and the pride in the jersey. That's the difference in us and yiz..
veterngaa (Monaghan) - Posts: 745 - 21/04/2025 07:48:03
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The call at the final whistle was marginal and it would be a distraction to focus too much on it. Gabriel Bannigan handled it well and did not berate the officials when he was not clear himself on the rule.
However, the 2 point call was significant in that it gave Donegal that bit of an extra cushion throughout game, and turns out to be the material difference in the end. At most it was a free on half way for Donegal as there was no material involvement in the game when it occurred. A best it could have been given the other way!
On a wider note, being allowed a 2 point option on this rule seems excessive. 20m free and that should be it.
On the game itself, Donegal deserved the win but Monaghan can rightly feel they left a golden chance behind. They did not manage the game well in the first half against a stiff wind and a packed Donegal defence. 5 dropped short tells that story. Unfortunately it was a mistake to start Garland, better to have gone with more running power at the start of the game. Donegal made hay down their left side time and again in the opening period.
McPhillips made a big impact in the second half and to be fair after being routed in midfield early on, Monaghan turned the tide in the second half. But big momentss of their own making saw them fall short. MCarthy probably should have tapped over an equaliser for momentum sake, Jack missing a handy free under the stand, Beggan getting blocked, trying to engineer a long ball to the square for McPhillips, giving away possession on the break after a great Wylie turnover. All crucial turns and much more relevant than the final call in the hooter. Also, I thought management were slow to change up when they had the initiative. Donegal by contrast used 3 subs at the right time to get legs on the pitch. When we did change, not sure young Wilson was the right call. Mooney has to start from now on.
All in all, the setup deserve great credit for pushing a Top 4 team to its limit while still have much to improve on.
Get Lavelle, Jones and McBennett back, and be brave in the qualifiers. The season is only starting so keep the faith!
Finally, Good luck to Donegal in Ulster, a super team who play football the right way.
Eddie the Exile (Monaghan) - Posts: 1181 - 21/04/2025 09:54:23
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Replying To Eddie the Exile: "The call at the final whistle was marginal and it would be a distraction to focus too much on it. Gabriel Bannigan handled it well and did not berate the officials when he was not clear himself on the rule.
However, the 2 point call was significant in that it gave Donegal that bit of an extra cushion throughout game, and turns out to be the material difference in the end. At most it was a free on half way for Donegal as there was no material involvement in the game when it occurred. A best it could have been given the other way!
On a wider note, being allowed a 2 point option on this rule seems excessive. 20m free and that should be it.
On the game itself, Donegal deserved the win but Monaghan can rightly feel they left a golden chance behind. They did not manage the game well in the first half against a stiff wind and a packed Donegal defence. 5 dropped short tells that story. Unfortunately it was a mistake to start Garland, better to have gone with more running power at the start of the game. Donegal made hay down their left side time and again in the opening period.
McPhillips made a big impact in the second half and to be fair after being routed in midfield early on, Monaghan turned the tide in the second half. But big momentss of their own making saw them fall short. MCarthy probably should have tapped over an equaliser for momentum sake, Jack missing a handy free under the stand, Beggan getting blocked, trying to engineer a long ball to the square for McPhillips, giving away possession on the break after a great Wylie turnover. All crucial turns and much more relevant than the final call in the hooter. Also, I thought management were slow to change up when they had the initiative. Donegal by contrast used 3 subs at the right time to get legs on the pitch. When we did change, not sure young Wilson was the right call. Mooney has to start from now on.
All in all, the setup deserve great credit for pushing a Top 4 team to its limit while still have much to improve on.
Get Lavelle, Jones and McBennett back, and be brave in the qualifiers. The season is only starting so keep the faith!
Finally, Good luck to Donegal in Ulster, a super team who play football the right way." Super football its just another attempt to destroy football again by placing 7 players around the arc if this catches on its going to do away with the beauty of 40 yard points mcguinness is a spoiler of gaa sure look the way football went after 2012 matches ending up 5 points to 3 and its nothing to do with yesterday's result btw super football is the way galway monaghan dublin play open shootouts and I certainly hope it doesn't catch on like 10 years ago as it will regress the game but going back to yesterday thought mooney should have come on earlier and that patton should have been pulled on the slow kickoouts as we wouldn't have have had what happened at the end
Farneyblueandwhite (Monaghan) - Posts: 54 - 21/04/2025 11:47:41
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Good luck to the u20s tonight in the Ulster semi v Antrim
farneygael3 (Monaghan) - Posts: 188 - 21/04/2025 14:12:05
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Replying To Farneyblueandwhite: "Super football its just another attempt to destroy football again by placing 7 players around the arc if this catches on its going to do away with the beauty of 40 yard points mcguinness is a spoiler of gaa sure look the way football went after 2012 matches ending up 5 points to 3 and its nothing to do with yesterday's result btw super football is the way galway monaghan dublin play open shootouts and I certainly hope it doesn't catch on like 10 years ago as it will regress the game but going back to yesterday thought mooney should have come on earlier and that patton should have been pulled on the slow kickoouts as we wouldn't have have had what happened at the end" Grow up nothing to do with mcguinness just lazy unimaginative copycat coaching of a lesser standard. Armagh and Tyrone introduced packed defences long before donegal....kicking for two pointers is a lower percentage shot which is why Donegal had over 80 percent shot conversion versus monaghan less than 50 percent, where the game was won...on the scoreboard
totalrecall (Leitrim) - Posts: 1038 - 21/04/2025 14:26:07
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Replying To Farneyblueandwhite: "Super football its just another attempt to destroy football again by placing 7 players around the arc if this catches on its going to do away with the beauty of 40 yard points mcguinness is a spoiler of gaa sure look the way football went after 2012 matches ending up 5 points to 3 and its nothing to do with yesterday's result btw super football is the way galway monaghan dublin play open shootouts and I certainly hope it doesn't catch on like 10 years ago as it will regress the game but going back to yesterday thought mooney should have come on earlier and that patton should have been pulled on the slow kickoouts as we wouldn't have have had what happened at the end" The games were always going to tighten up once the league was over and teams had a good idea of how the rules were working. Donegal are entitled to set up any way they want within the rules and Monaghan needed to push them back to make space to get the long range shots away. I think Monaghan were a bit naive expecting to be able to continue their league approach. Not a serious ciriticsim - just part of the learning process for a new team and management.
I'm not in favour of the 2 pointer. If the wind picks up in the second half then the advantage to the team with it is huge. It's completely random. Many team sports try to take the elements out of the game - hence the number of stadiums with roofs (which I'm not in favour of either).
PolicemanFox (Monaghan) - Posts: 191 - 21/04/2025 14:36:58
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Good luck to the u20s tonight in the Ulster semi v Antrim
farneygael3 (Monaghan) - Posts: 188 - 21/04/2025 14:48:41
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Replying To veterngaa: "Still in hiding after the massacre of Healy park? I heard some Cavan forwards still haven't made their way home and out of the Tyrone defenders pockets. At least us Monaghan people can be proud of our team and efforts and the pride in the jersey. That's the difference in us and yiz.." Are you done with the angry rant now, 'Tom'. We're just as proud of our team as you are. We are aware though of our current squad's limitations and youth. You on the other hand are delusional. You're bit part players, just like ourselves.
KingdomofBreifne (Cavan) - Posts: 177 - 21/04/2025 14:48:42
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Eddie is 100% right when he says we let a golden chance slip. Yes Donegal were the better team, but in the end it was a 1 score game, and purely based on the fact we missed at least twice as many chances as donegal did, it was there for the taking.
Given the relatively 'new' team we have, and the injuries, it was a brave effort, especially the 2nd half. The players will feel that they should have beaten donegal, and possibly made an ulster final, and the trick for the management team now is to harness that over the next few weeks.
Hard to single players out, but we can't afford to be getting a combined zero from 3 of our starting forwards. When Woods was subbed, I had almost forgotten he was on the pitch, the game bypassed him completely.
Mooney must start, he's got more scores from his 2 last substitute appearances than others have in full games.
O Toole ships a lot of criticism on here, but I thought he did well again yesterday. Mcphillips made a big impact, him and Mohan had a good second half.
Not a disaster, things to work on, and still potentially a decent Summer ahead for the team.
moodoo (Monaghan) - Posts: 461 - 21/04/2025 16:13:49
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Watched game back last night. Donegal deserved to win no question . There was a crucial 10 mins after Mccarthys wide goal effort where they got back on top and we ran into blind alleys. They are a v well drilled side with some brilliant players young goarty and Mogan played like two players each yesterday. Still think they will fall short through of the big one as not quite the donegal of 2012 but serious outfit with great strength in depth. As for us agree with other posters. Season starts now. Div 2 was in some respects shadow boxing. Donegal were our first serious test and thankfully the heads and bodies look in a lot better shape than last year where we'd lost that game yesterday by double figures old or new rules.
seanie08 (Monaghan) - Posts: 1880 - 21/04/2025 16:16:28
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Very low key build up to the Ulster u20 semi this evening. Great chance of making a final.
farneygael3 (Monaghan) - Posts: 188 - 21/04/2025 16:26:44
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Replying To KingdomofBreifne: "Are you done with the angry rant now, 'Tom'. We're just as proud of our team as you are. We are aware though of our current squad's limitations and youth. You on the other hand are delusional. You're bit part players, just like ourselves." You should not talk about monaghan cavan or any players like that.
They put in as much effort as the players from kerry, dublin and the likes abd deserver some respect.
farneygael (Monaghan) - Posts: 300 - 21/04/2025 16:51:30
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Replying To Farneyblueandwhite: "Super football its just another attempt to destroy football again by placing 7 players around the arc if this catches on its going to do away with the beauty of 40 yard points mcguinness is a spoiler of gaa sure look the way football went after 2012 matches ending up 5 points to 3 and its nothing to do with yesterday's result btw super football is the way galway monaghan dublin play open shootouts and I certainly hope it doesn't catch on like 10 years ago as it will regress the game but going back to yesterday thought mooney should have come on earlier and that patton should have been pulled on the slow kickoouts as we wouldn't have have had what happened at the end" Your clutching at straws. If you had watched Championship matches to date you would have seen that all teams set up the same way as Donegal did ( men covering the arc) where teams were slow in their build up play, like Monaghan were in the first half yesterday. Teams are obviously trying to stop 2 pointers. When Monaghan broke at pace in the second half they got far more joy.
As for saying Patton was slow on kick outs, he was always well inside the allocated time for all kickouts.
What happened in the end was down to your own player taking too long to take a sideline ball.
It was a great match overall. Enjoyed the crack with Monaghan supporters. There will always be a few begrudgers like yourself.
Hopefully you will get a good run in the Group stages.
Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 459 - 21/04/2025 17:18:23
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Replying To Scenicparish: "Your clutching at straws. If you had watched Championship matches to date you would have seen that all teams set up the same way as Donegal did ( men covering the arc) where teams were slow in their build up play, like Monaghan were in the first half yesterday. Teams are obviously trying to stop 2 pointers. When Monaghan broke at pace in the second half they got far more joy.
As for saying Patton was slow on kick outs, he was always well inside the allocated time for all kickouts.
What happened in the end was down to your own player taking too long to take a sideline ball.
It was a great match overall. Enjoyed the crack with Monaghan supporters. There will always be a few begrudgers like yourself.
Hopefully you will get a good run in the Group stages." Cowardly football someone called its not begrudging donegal at all they were the better team but take galway they defend man on man and have more faith in defending 1 one 1 and makes for a better watch instead of setting up structures and mass defences to defend the arc and it could turn the game into going over and back the three quarter line and turn it into the crap we have been watching this last 10 years its a plague that could start if he gets success is all am saying just like from 2012 on , as for the result good luck to donegal and maybe we will meet again in the summer
Farneyblueandwhite (Monaghan) - Posts: 54 - 21/04/2025 18:28:26
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Replying To farneygael: "You should not talk about monaghan cavan or any players like that.
They put in as much effort as the players from kerry, dublin and the likes abd deserver some respect." Nowhere did I dispute that. In fact, my point is that we're as proud of our players as Vetern/TomS or any Kerry fan is. All the same, we know that our team is too young and inexperienced to seriously compete for Sam. Tom and his ilk need to realise that your lot are no nearer competing for meaningful titles than we are. That's my point.
KingdomofBreifne (Cavan) - Posts: 177 - 21/04/2025 19:24:00
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Replying To mhunicean_abu: "You're dead right fella they shouldn't be going on your forum saying stuff like that after you are badly beaten, they should wait for you to come over here to tell you (peeping through the hedge)
You're going nowhere
Never mind, You might still get us in the draw, and win your All Ireland" Where are you going? Your all Ireland is winning a league match in January or February.
KingdomofBreifne (Cavan) - Posts: 177 - 21/04/2025 19:27:02
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