First Farney win pleases McEnaney in push for survival

Monaghan manager Séamus McEnaney was pleased to see his team record their first win of the league as they bid to preserve their top-flight status.

The Farney men were full value for their five-point win over Donegal, condemning the hosts to their first defeat in Ballybofey since 2010.

After two wins and two defeats, the victory moves Monaghan to four points, one behind Donegal. Two of three sides below McEnaney's side will provide the opposition in the final two rounds with games away to Kildare and at home to Dublin to decide their fate.

Monaghan’s success came after a dominant first-half showing where they dominated against the breeze and claimed the only goal of the game courtesy of Andrew Woods.

"Donegal are a very good running team, but the thing about playing them is that it doesn’t make any odds with the wind, they play the same way with or against it," McEnaney told RTÉ Sport.

"They brought the running game very strongly in the second half.

The Farney boss conceded that Donegal were missing players – talisman Michael Murphy was introduced late in the first half – but that it still proved to be a good display and timely one after a heavy defeat to Kerry last time out.

"It was a very important two points. We came up here on a mission. Donegal hadn’t been beaten here in 12 years

"We have an experienced group of players that value the status of Division One, we won’t be letting go of that mantle easily.

"We had three massive performance in our first three league games, albeit we came out of it with only two points. We felt the Kerry game was in isolation."