Social Media Reaction – The greatest Ulster rivalry?

Odhrán Mac Niallais of Donegal shoots to score his side’s first goal of the game during the Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi-Final game between Donegal and Monaghan at Kingspan Breffni Park in Cavan. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Saturday night’s drawn game (1-11 to 0-14) between Monaghan and Donegal was not only a fantastic advertisement for Ulster Football, but another chapter in what has devloped into an absorbing rivalry between the two counties.

The game had hard hits, fantastic scores, and was a close run affair throughout. For the two sets of fans it was a heart-stopping affair, for the neutral it was a fantastically entertaining.

Even the dive by Mark Anthony McGinley, which received criticism from fans on social media, could not dampen what was a thrilling match.

Odhran MacNiallais’s fantastic goal got Donegal back into a game that was slipping away from them, and they almost snatched victory before Conor McManus coolly scored the equaliser.

Since 2011, the Ulster Championship has been shared between the two teams, and they look like they are determined to dominate the competition for a while longer. The two have also built up a strong, passsionate rivalry which was evident in the hard hits, and battling performances on Saturday night.

The replay is due to take place on Saturday night, and at the time of writing it wasn’t certain whether it would be televised. But if it isn’t, it would be well worth the price of petrol.

See the following Reaction to Saturday night’s game, and vote on whether the Donegal Monaghan rivalry deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Tyrone Armagh circa the mid 2000s.

With so many non-event matches televised week after week, will be a shame if Donegal/Monaghan replay isn’t shown live, as looks certain.

— Kieran Cunningham (@KCsixtyseven) June 27, 2016

Donegal/Monaghan the very best football rivalry around now. An average of one point between them in each of their last 4 lge/ch’mp meetings.

— Colm Keys (@KeysColm) June 25, 2016

Another replay in the Ulster SFC. That’s why Ulster is the only c’ship left. Hon #Monaghan

— Oliver Callan (@olivercallan) June 25, 2016

Phenomenal game on @SkySportsGAA Ulster Championship has lit up in the last 7 days. Magic stuff.

— David McIntyre (@DaveMcIntyreNT) June 25, 2016

Wonder will that incident involving the Donegal keeper be highlighted as much as Tiernan McCann’s was last year. #DejaVu

— Kyle Coney (Noney) (@kyleconey1) June 25, 2016

Donegal goalie should be playing in the Euros! #whatadive

— Michael Duignan (@DuignanMichael) June 25, 2016

donegal keeper get up son, for god’s sake and for the parish get the feck up ?

— Mary K Burke (@MKBurke1) June 25, 2016

‘I’m embarrassed for McGinley’: Donegal ‘keeper roundly criticised for ‘Ronaldo-esque’ dive https://t.co/f7pvIpcsZZ pic.twitter.com/NiHwsXlbWp

— Independent Sport (@IndoSport) June 26, 2016