Monaghan lost out to Meath in their opening game in the Allianz National Football League Division Two on Sunday, but there were better fortunes for other county teams. The senior ladies got off to a winning start (2-7 to 1-5) in the Ladies NFL Division One, with Caoimhe Mohan and Ellen McCarron finding the net, while the Under-21 footballers made it two out of two in the Shamrock Cup with a 2-13 to 2-5 win away to Meath.
It was so near, yet so far for Scotstown in the Ulster Under-21 Club Football Championship on Sunday, when goals by James Hamill and Shane Carey weren’t enough to prevent a 1-12 to 2-8 defeat in their first-round game against Omagh. Castleblayney started their Ulster Club Senior Football League campaign with a draw against Tyrone champions Dromore, while Truagh lost to another Tyrone side, Trillick. Blayney’s hurlers got off on the front foot in the Táin League by beating Na Magha from Derry, but Truagh fell to a heavy defeat.
Three Monaghan players were involved as the University of Ulster, Jordanstown came from behind to get their Sigerson Cup campaign off to a winning start against the University of Limerick by 1-10 to 1-9 on Tuesday. Monaghan Harps man Neil McAdam and Scotstown forward Kieran Hughes started the game for UUJ and Truagh’s Daniel McKenna came on as a sub for the last 20 minutes or so and while none of them got on the scoresheet, they played their part as Jordanstown turned a three-point half-time deficit around to avoid a shock defeat. It was a McAdam free that fell for Tyrone’s Diarmuid McNulty to get the goal that turned the game and Hughes was centrally involved as Paul Devlin kicked the winning point. Elsewhere on Tuesday, defending champions UCC eased past GMIT by 1-15 to 0-5 and UCD had nine points to spare (0-13 to 0-4) against Athlone IT. Harps man David Hughes kicked two points from wing-back to help DIT defeat Carlow IT after extra-time, although Doohamlet defender Colin Walshe missed out through injury. Paul McGuigan played at centre-back for Queen’s and held his opponent scoreless, but QUB lost by a point to NUI Maynooth. In the Trench Cup, Monaghan Harps forward Donal Hahessy and Clontibret defender Pauric Boyle helped reigning champions St. Pat’s, Drumcondra to a high-scoring 1-21 to 4-10 win over Dundalk IT, who featured Scotstown trio Rory Beggan, David Caulfield and Mark Treanor and Aghabog’s Paddy McCabe.
By michael Tue 7th Feb
