An alternative view: The Farney and the GPA barney

It’s common enough on the week of Cheltenham to hear plenty who crumple their dockets tell you what they were going to do instead of what they actually did.

On the other hand on Sunday, when there was silence from players with the GPA instruction not to conduct post-match interviews in a bid to raise awareness of an issue over expenses, there was the unusual sound of the visiting support being the boisterous ones leaving MacCumhaill Park. So nobody was none the wiser as to what the hosts planned to do when compared to what they actually did do.

Division 1 of the Allianz League is a competition of inches and even though Monaghan failed to win any of their first four fixtures, becoming the first away team to post a league win in Ballybofey in 12 years - or 22 matches - means they’ve every chance of survival.

Donegal’s performance was a poor one, with, unless there’s a serious behind-the-scenes thing going on here, no real evidence to suggest they’ve a game plan when playing with the wind, even though it’s a facet of this county as evident as our other USPs - poor infrastructure, misspelt signposts, potholes and going against the national trend whenever possible at the ballot box.

Against the wind, there was a bit of an improvement. Last year Monaghan blew a nine-point lead and missed more chances than enough in a behind-closed-doors MacCumhaill Park Division 1 North fixture only to draw and wandered out muttering that old theory that if nobody was there to see it then it didn’t really happen. This year, they didn't have to think of a plausible coverup.

Then, in the Dr McKenna Cup final in Omagh when there were plenty watching on, Donegal whittled down a nine-point deficit to one only for the music to come on and they were the ones without a seat. That night at Healy Park, which was plain for all to see so it must’ve happened, Michael Murphy’s introduction at half-time didn’t quite make Donegal turn from the caterpillar into the butterfly, although the impact was enormous.

So, when so many members of the team who had done so well to beat Tyrone on matchday four were absent without explanation, with more dropping off before throw-in with Murphy named on the bench, you kinda got the feeling this might not be Donegal’s day.

Monaghan have always been something of a bogey to Donegal, from the time Kieran Keeney scored a point in the opening seconds of the 1979 Ulster final was scrubbed off as the band, assembled on the sideline, struck up Amhrán na bhFiann, which referee Hugh Duggan had forgotten about beforehand, so he essentially pressed the reset button on the scoreboard.

There was 1995 when Donegal had climbed the mountain to oust All-Ireland champions Down only to slip on the hill when it came to the task many thought was merely a formality in overcoming Monaghan in Ballybofey, only to get soundly beaten 1-14 to 0-8 in Ballybofey.

Then, of course, was 2013 and the first rendition of ‘Jimmy’s Losing Matches’ outside the Creighton Hotel as Donegal, holders of Sam Maguire, missed out on a first ever Ulster three-in-a-row, losing 0-13 to 0-7 in Clones.

Sunday’s contest mightn’t have been as climactic as those clashes, although Monaghan’s 1-7 to 0-4 lead was certainly merited and, more so by accident than design, Murphy was up and on just 28 minutes in as Ciaran Thompson pulled up. The Naomh Conaill player was just the next of the host of other centre-fielders like Caolan McGonagle, Michael Langan and Hugh McFadden on the sidelines, with Jason McGee having also gone down only to arise sharply.

Following Andrew Woods’ goal, Shaun Patton made a fine stop from Shane Carey and as the second half took shape, it was Monaghan who were still pressing on. At the back, Brendan McCole - as was evident from one thunderous shoulder - was performing a manful job on Conor McManus, Odhran McFadden-Ferry was mixing it, as was McGee in midfield, while Aaron Doherty would certainly be excused from any criticism, showing glimpses in his first league start.

Donegal, seven down at one stage, got back to two with 15 to play, with Murphy slotting over a free-kick and then, and only then, did the Fortress Ballybofey notion sweep through your head. Down the years Donegal have scraped the occasional draw or even win when it was scarcely deserved.

With Patton in the Donegal goal making a vital late save from Gary Mohan, it looked like the hosts - although skating in thin ice - might’ve been in a position to grasp something, but Monaghan, learning from being reeled in before, saw it out with Michael Bannigan, Kieran Duffy, Fintan Kelly and a McManus mark. And that was that, with not much to be said about it and nobody to say it even if you wanted them to.