WHO would have written this script? Who would have dreamt of such a scoreline? Donegal 0-7, Monaghan 0-13.
Eamonn McGee was one of many Donegal players who didn’t play to their ability today.
The shock defeat plunges Donegal into the qualifiers next weekend against Laois.
And on Sunday evening the bookies’ pushed Donegal’s odds of retaining the Sam Maguire out to 9/1.
Even before a ball was kicked at Clones, the pundits and the bookies all heavily fancied All Ireland and Ulster champions Donegal to win the game at a canter.
Some even thought Donegal would have raced to away to win the Anglo Celt cup for three years on the bounce with a seven-point win.
But Monaghan had other plans up their blue and white sleeves.
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness was worried that Monaghan would come out with the same hunger his team had three years ago.
And those fears were soon realised when Monaghan hit the ground running at Clones and scored four points without reply with just seven minutes on the clock.
Monaghan started the brightest, had a bit more pace in their step and had that hunger Jim McGuinness was so worried about.
They had done their homework on Donegal and spent hours watching the match between Donegal and Down.
Donegal looked jaded, a little out of sorts and unlike the team normally, were sloppy on the ball, gave it away too cheaply.
And what was even more crucial was that Donegal didn’t take their scores in front of the goals.
In the first half, Monaghan came out of the traps quickly and Darren Hughes put the Farney men 0-1 up after less than a minutes.
Two more free kicks to Monaghan and by the seventh minute of the game Jimmy’s boys were 0-4 down.
Donegal’s cause didn’t get any better when Mark McHugh had to go on nine minutes with what looked like a dead leg.
It wasn’t until the 15 minute that Donegal had their first opportunity on goal but Colin McFadden put his free wide.
On 20 minutes, Rory Kavanagh thought his point had gone over the bar but the linesmen and referee consulted and said it had gone wide.
By 30 minutes, Monaghan had gone 0-5 up with a free kick from Conor McManus.
Things were staring to look bleak for Donegal.
However, on 31 minutes McFadden landed Donegal’s first point with a free 20 yards out of the Monaghan goal.
And with one minute of extra time gone, Frank McGlynn pegs the deficit back to just three points.
When the half time whistle came, Jimmy McGuinness couldn’t wait to get his team into the dresssing room and regroup them for the next 35 minutes.
But Donegal didn’t get the start to the second half they wanted when Darren Hughes kicked over with 55 seconds gone.
McBrearty missed an early point for Donegal and it looked like they would miss those championships.
However, Ryan McHugh scored a good point and the Donegal fans had something to cheer about early in the second half.
But in the space of just two short minutes, Donegal were dealt two severe blows when Darren Hughes scored two points.
It appeared that Donegal’s full forward line had left their shooting books back in the hills.
McFadden, who pulled Donegal out of a hole against Down, just wasn’t at his best on Sunday.
He missed an early chance in the second half before he got on the score sheet.
However, there was quick reply from Monaghan and Frank McGlynn almost scored a goal on 51 minutes but it was save and Donegal’s hopes were starting to fade.
When Ross McWherity went wide on 53 minutes, Donegal had notched up ten wides.
A minute later, Donegal fans had thought Michael Murphy had scored a goal after bringing the ball down only for it to go inches wide of the post. It just looked like it wasn’t going to Donegal’s days.
And it wasn’t to be for Donegal.
Monaghan ran out 0-13 to 0-7 winners in front of a crowd of 31,812 and the Anglo Celt cup was going back to Scotstown for the first time since 1988.
It was the icing on the cake for the county.
Earlier, in the minor final, Monaghan lifted the title with the ladies the current holders of Ulster Ladies championship.
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