Donegal blow away Monaghan in style in Conor McGurk Cup opener

Donegal opened their Conor McGurk Cup campaign with a comprehensive quarter-final victory over Monaghan in the Donegal GAA Centre. 

Donegal 3-31 Monaghan 0-8 

Mickey McCann’s men were fitter, faster, more physically powerful and deadly clinical in front of the posts as they racked up a huge score. And interestingly, they did it without Davin Flynn (unavailable), Danny Cullen (holidays), Bernard Lafferty, Gerry Gilmore and Mark Callaghan.

In their absence, Burt’s Conor Gartland and Liam McKinney turned in powerful displays while Brian MacIntyre and an in-form Richie Ryan up front showed no mercy to Monaghan. 

This match was well over by half-time as the home side led by a whopping 3-17 to 0-4. Monaghan improved slightly in the second half with the aid of a slight breeze, but Donegal continued to hit some impressive points.

Ironically it was Ethan Flynn, a brother Of Davin's, who put the visitors into an early lead after 90 seconds.  But it was all Donegal thereafter as Gartland, Ryan and McKinney responded smartly and the first of three first half goals came after Daire O’Maoileidgih found the net from a good Christopher McDermott pass to put Donegal into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead by the 13th minute. 

Ronan McDermott and Ryan added two more goals before the break as Monaghan found it difficult to break the tackle and to even get out of their own half. Gritty Monaghan forward Pearse McKenna and Flynn were on target for Monaghan in sporadic attacks. The lively Ruairi Campbell replied for a rampant Donegal. 

The pace dropped a bit on the resumption, but Donegal managed to tack on another 0-14 to their opponents’ 0-4. 

Both sides ran the benches with Donegal throwing on Declan Coulter who landed a pointed free. A badly outgunned Monaghan had slightly more possession but got very little joy from a well-organised Donegal defence, ably marshalled by Jack O’Loughlin and Mick Donaghue. 

Donegal scorers: Richie Ryan 1-10, 2f; Ronan McDermott 1-2; Liam McKinney 0-5,4f; Daire O’Maoileidigh 1-1; Ruairi Campbell 0-4; Conor Gartland 0-3; Ryan Hilferty and Brian McIntyre 0-2; Jack O’Loughlin 0-1; Declan Coulter 0-1f.
Monaghan scorers: Pearse McKenna 0-3; Ethan Flynn 0-2; Fergal Rafter 0-2; Kieran McGuirk 0-1.  

Donegal: Luke White, Steven McBride, Ciaran Bradley, Christopher McDermott; Brian McIntyre, Jack O’Loughlin, Oisin Marley; Conor Gartland, Ryan Hilferty; Ronan McDermott, Liam McKinney, Mick Donaghue(26); Ruairi Campbell, Richie Ryan, Daire O’Maoileidigh. Subs:; Declan Coulter and Sean Ward for Christopher McDermott and Ruairi Campbell (42), Conor Griffin and Dean Harvey for Ryan Hilferty and Daire O’Maoileidigh (47), Padraig Doherty for Michael Donaghue (50), Thomas Hartnett for Ronan McDermott (58).  
Monaghan: Hugh Byrne; Jack Guinan, Colin Merrick, Cathal McAnespie; Aaron Kenny, Kevin Crawley, Cormac McNally; Conall McHugh, Declan Hughes; Emmet Walsh, Fergal Rafter, Ciaran Guinan; Ethan Flynn, Ryan Andrews, Pearse McKenna. Subs; Conor Flynn for Conall McHugh (42), Conor Faul for Fergal Rafter, Kieran McGuirk for Kevin Crawley and Shane McNally for Declan Hughes (56). 
Referee: James Clarke (Cavan)