Conor McManus: Donegal set and sprang the trap for impatient Monaghan

A contrasting weekend.

I arrived in Brewster Park early for the Saturday BBC broadcast of Fermanagh v Down. It looked awful. The stand was empty, the terrace was empty, there was nobody coming in. It was raining and the pitch was in poor shape. First thoughts were this is going to be a disaster.

We were thinking there’d be more at McKenna Cup games. Now, to be fair, despite all these negative first impressions, it actually turned into quite a good game. I suppose that’s what the new rules bring to it.

The one thing that was really highlighted was that it’s fatal if you start losing your own kick-out. It’s how Down turned things around. Daniel Guinness supplied the shots with the two-pointer that started the scoreboard run and then the goal but Fermanagh couldn’t get out on their own kick-out.

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I think they’ll also be hugely disappointed with the defending that facilitated Down getting back into the match and then winning it.

I’m still not a fan of the two-pointers. We have enough scores and the adjusted game is open enough without turning the scorelines into these massive totals. I accept that it has created an incentive and we are seeing more long-range kicking, but in my view it’s at the expense of goals.

There’s no massive reason to go for goals and that was very evident in the Monaghan-Donegal match in Clones on Sunday. I don’t think there was a single out-and-out, clearcut chance.

As mentioned here last week, it was a battle of the ‘keepers. Shaun Patton was immense on his own kick-out. Some of his kicking was absolutely top-drawer.

Donegal's Shaun Patton. His kicking was very impressive against Monaghan at Clones. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho

A couple of times we were looking at his options thinking, there is nowhere to go with this. All of a sudden, he’d just float a mid-range 45-55-metre kick-out over the press and literally into a two-square-foot area, which was the only place he could land it.

There was one he kicked out to Ciarán Moore in the second half and despite the press, guided it right out on the sideline into his arms. That got Donegal into the opposition 45 because referee David Coldrick didn’t notice him dropping the mark and gave a 50-metre bonus for obstruction.

Monaghan were dominated on their own kick-out in the first half and weren’t allowed any short options. I don’t think they were looking for short kick-outs initially even though they tried to get some away midway through the half. Anyway, anything that went out long, Donegal won it.

Monaghan made a change to the middle of the field, five minutes before half-time and things got slightly better after that, and the kick-out was better in the second half,

They missed seven two-point opportunities, usually an area of strength for them. In the first half, I think they needed to be more patient in their play. Against a stiff enough breeze, they forced things and between drop-shorts and turnovers, this really fed into Donegal’s game plan.

It’s well-known that Jim McGuinness’s team feed off turnovers and mistakes – and no better team to punish you on the break.

Monaghan had their fair share of possession in the first half, and if they had just controlled it a bit more, maybe tried to work an extra pass or two in closer to the goal to prevent the ball dropping short, it would have made a huge difference.

They actually had more shots than Donegal in the first half but if you’re dropping ball short against them, you’re in serious, serious trouble.

Monaghan's Mícheál Bannigan blocks a shot from Michael Langan of Donegal at Clones. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho

The Ulster champions were clever. They looked intent on not defending around the arc and were happier to let Monaghan in through the D and then set up the swarm, to defend deep. Let Monaghan into that area, and then get them turned over.

This meant no frees being conceded within two-pointer range for Rory Beggan, whose long-range potential – such an important part of Monaghan’s weaponry – was effectively annulled.

Donegal fouled Monaghan twice in that area in the first half. One was just before half-time and a little inside the arc. Micheál Bannigan kicked the one-pointer free.

The other incident was a foul outside the D and David Coldrick had his hand up for an advantage. Monaghan actually played on and got a one-pointer, as opposed to stopping the play and calling Rory up. They wouldn’t have even had to bring the ball out.

Rory got up a good bit in the second half and got involved but the only actual chance I remember, he popped the ball into Gary Mohan rather than taking a shot.

Donegal’s defence was excellent, though. Ryan McHugh dropped back into a kind of sweeper role, and it pushed out from there.

I read somewhere that in his first period in charge, McGuinness absolutely hammered them in training if they fouled inside the scoring zone. I’d say that was a huge emphasis for them on Sunday.

Monaghan now have a long four weeks before the All-Ireland group stages. Donegal might not have been at their best but Ulster is a tough environment and they are two from two, unscathed and still on course for the provincial final.