Following Down’s big win over Donegal, Niall Gartland looks back on some of the biggest Ulster Championship shocks since 2010:
2024: Derry 0-17 Donegal 4-11
NIGHTMARE fuel for Derry supporters. Manna from heaven if you’re a Donegal fan. The Oakleafers were riding the crest of a wave heading into this match having edged a classic Division One final against Dublin, but Donegal were lying in wait, ready to spring an ambush. Jim McGuinness enjoys an unblemished record against Mickey Harte in championship football and this was a tactical masterclass, exposing Derry’s high press with long kick-outs yielding three of their four goals at Celtic Park.
2022 Tyrone 0-10 Derry 1-18
ALL-IRELAND champions Tyrone endured a sluggish enough start to 2022, but still, they were expected to get things right in the championship. That didn’t transpire and they were dumped out of Ulster by a rampant Derry at O’Neill’s Healy Park. Tyrone mustered only a single point from play in the first half and a comeback never really looked like materialising. Tyrone’s woes were compounded late on when Conor McKenna was red carded for throwing the ball at Ethan Doherty, while Derry marched on to a first Ulster Championship title since 1998.
2020 Donegal 0-12 Cavan 1-13
TO say this was unexpected would be putting it mildly – and that’s no disrespect to Cavan. Declan Bonner’s Donegal were bidding for their third provincial title in a row but Cavan had other ideas, out-fighting and out-smarting Donegal behind closed doors at the Athletic Grounds. A late goal from Conor Madden won the day for the Breffnimen, but this was no smash and grab from a crop of players who gave it absolutely everything in their quest for a first provincial title in 23 years.
2019 Cavan 1-13 Monaghan 0-12
THIS was a fair old shock at the time as Cavan floored a seasoned Monaghan side that had pushed Tyrone all the way in the previous year’s All-Ireland semi-final. This was Mickey Graham’s first championship game as Cavan’s intercounty manager and his side produced a ferociously committed display, putting their bodies on the line against their age-old rivals. They held out to book their spot in the semi-finals where they edged out Armagh after a replay before losing to Donegal in the final.
2018 Fermanagh 1-8 Monaghan 0-10
ONE of Fermanagh’s finest ever wins in the Ulster Championship, overcoming the 2013 and 2015 champions in the 2018 semi-final thanks to a late goal from Eoin Donnelly, who got his hand to the ball after an intelligent ball from Ryan Jones. They deserved their victory – they surged into an early lead and held out well against the inevitable Monaghan fightback. The Ulster final didn’t go to plan, losing heavily to Donegal, but it was still a memorable run to the final.
2017 Down 1-14 Monaghan 0-15
MONAGHAN again felt the brunt of a shock result as Eamonn Burns’ Down clinched a famous victory to book their spot in the Ulster final against Tyrone. The Mournemen had lost by a massive 19 points when they met in the 2016 championship, so this really was a spectacular turnaround. They led by seven at a stage in the second half, before the Farney came back into it. Down held on though with a late breakaway score from Donal O’Hare, sparking jubilant scenes from the Mourne faithful.
2013 – Monaghan 0-13 Donegal 0-7
A FAMOUS day for the Farney. Donegal were strong enough favourites heading into the 2013 Ulster final (I mean, they were All-Ireland champions at the time), but they found the going really tough throughout against Malachy O’Rourke’s Monaghan. The challengers led by 0-5 to 0-2 at the interval and finished the job in style with late scores from Christopher McGuinness, Tommy Freeman and Rory Beggan, sealing their first provincial crown since 1988.
2011 – Donegal 2-6 Tyrone 0-9
A BREAKTHROUGH day for Donegal as they clinched a dramatic win over a famed Tyrone team in the Ulster Championship semi-final. The Red Hands looked almost totally in control in the first half, but Donegal rattled over a few late points to narrow the deficit to two points at half time. The second half was nip and tuck and a replay looked on the cards until Donegal had the final say with a goal in the dying embers from Dermot ‘Brick’ Molloy.
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