Dr McKenna Cup: Donegal thump Monaghan 4-14 to 0-11 to set up Derry decider
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Watch: Donegal outclass Monaghan in McKenna Cup semi-final
Donegal set up a Dr McKenna Cup final against Derry next weekend as their total first-half dominance ensured a 4-14 to 0-11 win over Monaghan.
Oisin Gallen's early empty-net goal, after Monaghan keeper Darren McDonnell gave the ball away in midfield, set the tone for the mismatch.
Gallen netted a further penalty in his 2-4 first-half total as Donegal led 3-9 to 0-3 at half-time in Castleblayney.
Odhran Doherty and substitute Ronan Frain hit Donegal's other goals.
Donegal boss Jim McGuinness was on the sideline at Castleblayney after Ulster GAA's disciplinary authorities on Thursday night opted not to uphold the proposed ban that he had been given by the provincial body for fielding 17-year-old Finbarr Roarty in the opening McKenna Cup win over Armagh.
McGuinness' men looked a team that had put in a lot of work in recent weeks with Monaghan's largely inexperienced line-up no match for the opposition.
McGuinness parades experienced side
Donegal's starting team included Gallen, Ryan McHugh, Patrick McBrearty, Shaun Patton, Mark Curran, Brendan McCole, Caolan McGonagle, Jeaic McKelvey, Ciaran Thompson, Shane O'Donnell and Jamie Brennan.
In contrast Monaghan were without the majority of their frontline players with Rory Beggan, Conor McManus and Darren Hughes among the absentees as Ryan O'Toole, Gary Mohan, Stephen O'Hanlon and Andrew Woods provided the experience for Vinny Corey's side.
Beggan - who is set to go to NFL trials in the USA in the coming weeks - has perfected the sweeper-keeper art in recent seasons but his understudy O'Donnell was caught out on several forays upfield in the first half - including Gallen's opening goal.
After moving to halfway, McDonnell attempted a long kick pass but his delivery was intercepted by man of the match Doherty and the ball was quickly worked to Gallen, who lobbed to the empty net from 30 metres.
The pattern of the contest quickly became set with Donegal winning turnovers and then attacking at pace, which left McDonnell having to scurry back to his goals on numerous occasions.
Monaghan proved no match for Donegal at Castleblayney
Brennan and Gallen added further points before Barry McBennett opened Monaghan's account in the 14th minute but Donegal responded with an unanswered 1-3 which included Doherty's emphatic finish to the roof of the net in the 18th minute.
By that stage, Donegal had also had a goal disallowed after Brennan was adjudged to have been in the square when he received a pass from Gallen, with not a Monaghan defender in sight.
Gallen stroked in his penalty in the 30th minute after Thompson had been hauled down.
Double goalscorer Gallen hit Donegal's remaining three first-half points before departing from the fray as they led by 15 at half-time.
The second half was a predictable non-event with McBrearty setting up Frain's goal before Donegal eased up in the closing stages as Monaghan hit five straights points before Karl Joseph Molloy's two closing efforts for the winners.
Free-taker Stephen Mooney finished with 0-8 for the well-beaten home side.