ULSTER SHC SECOND ROUND: Monaghan 1-15 Donegal 1-14: FOR THE second week in a row Monaghan plundered an injury-time victory, this time to book their place in the semi-final of the Ulster hurling championship at the expense of Donegal in a game that built to an exhilarating finish in Clones on Saturday.
Monaghan dominated the opening half and deservedly led at half-time by 1-9 to 0-6; Michael Greaney poaching the goal in the fifth minute when he got a touch to a centre by Declan Crowe after just five minutes.
Donegal, though, were a transformed team in the second half and raised their game considerably with a goal by Kevin Campbell when he lashed a free to the Monaghan net in the 24th minute lifting them to new heights.
Entering the final five minutes Monaghan still led by four points but Donegal finished with a flourish to hit four unanswered points between the 30th and 35th minutes to tie the game up and extra-time looking likely.
However, Monaghan had one last throw of the dice with substitute Pat O'Connell firing over the winner from out on the wing a minute into stoppage time.
Monaghan now play Derry in the semi-final next weekend.
MONAGHAN: M McHugh; A Kerr, D Connolly, G Coleman; D Crowe, J McHugh, B O'Brien (0-2, frees); A Hughes, B Phelan; S lambe (0-6, 5 frees), J Greene, E MacSuibhne (0-2); M Greaney (1-1), M Dolan (0-1), B McGuigan (0-1). Subs: P Dowdall (0-1)for Greaney, P O'Connell (0-1)for Greene.
DONEGAL: R Scanlan; M McGrath, J M Wallace, J McGee; J Donnelly, G Dwyer, P Hannigan; M McCann (0-1), E Organ; K Campbell (1-3, 4 frees), B Friel (0-2), S Boyle; N Campbell (0-3), S McVeigh (0-3), L Henderson (0-1). Subs: D Doherty (0-1)for Boyle.
Referee: O Elliott(Antrim).
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)