Declan Bonner was left frustrated as Donegal, for the second weekend in a row, shipped a goal in the early moments of the second half.
Eight days after letting in a three-pointer in the loss to Tyrone in Omagh, Donegal were cursing Monaghan’s Ryan Wylie, who tucked past Shaun Patton just 40 seconds after the re-start in Clones yesterday.
Monaghan led narrowly, 0-9 to 1-5, at half-time, but Wylie’s goal enabled them kick on for a 1-16 to 1-10 win.
“It was disappointing,” Bonner sighed.
“We came in at half-time and we were looking to get a good start to the second half, which we didn’t get. Monaghan got the early goal and that was very disappointing.
“It was something we talked about. Normally we start the second half well. It’s something we need to look at.
“The second half, it was important that we started well and put them on the back foot early on. That didn’t happen.
“We had a number of mistakes and the ball landed into the net within a minute.
“It was totally frustrating after all the good hard. 35 minutes of hard work in the first half was undone in a minute. We need to react better to those situations.”
Donegal kicked 13 wides in all and badly missed the potency of Patrick McBrearty in the final third.
Although Jamie Brennan, who posted 1-2, including a fine individual goal, and Niall O’Donnell looked sharp and lively, McBrearty’s absence told at key moments.
Bonner said: “Our final execution wasn’t good enough. Eight wides in the second half, that was frustrating.
“We have to be better all round and we have to be more clinical. You don’t do that against any of these Division One sides.”