Donegal’s MacCumhaill Park record to prevail against Monaghan

Donegal continue their return to the playing fields with the second round of games in the Allianz National Football League Division One North when they host Monaghan in MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey on Saturday (5pm).
The game is live on RTÉ 2 and eirSport and it is a crunch tie in what is a very condensed league this year.
Monaghan come to Ballybofey needing to get something from the game to avoid a relegation battle. That is the demanding nature of this three-game league. Should Donegal win then Monaghan will automatically be condemned to a relegation play-off and their final group game against Tyrone the following Saturday would only be to decide if they finish third or fourth.
Donegal, on the other hand, will be looking to cement their place near the top of the Division One North table. After one round of games, Armagh are tops, thanks to their four point win over Monaghan in the opening game.
Donegal supporters will be tuning in to eirSport after the Monaghan game to see how Armagh fare at home against Tyrone, and they will be hoping for an Armagh win. Should both Donegal and Armagh be successful, then both would qualify for the semi-finals. Otherwise, it will come down to the final round of games and possibly score difference when Donegal have to travel to the Athletic Grounds to face Armagh on Saturday week (7.30pm)
But the Donegal focus will be firmly on Monaghan for this weekend. Odhrán McFadden Ferry is back from the Lebanon and ready for action and the Donegal management will be hopeful that Stephen McMenamin, Paddy McGrath and Eoghan Bán Gallagher are ready for action. McGrath was used as a man marker for Conor McManus in the past; could that happen again?
Otherwise, Declan Bonner will want his side to reproduce the first half display from Healy Park, Omagh on Saturday last where they matched Tyrone blow by blow. Monaghan were deprived of a home game because they breached Covid-19 training regulations and had to play last weekend's game in Enniskillen.
They will be hurting from the Armagh defeat and Donegal will have to be at their best to take the league points. You have to go back to 2010 for the last time Donegal lost an NFL game in MacCumhaill Park, so hopefully they will continue the good start to the new season.