Ulster Senior Football Championship First Round
Monaghan 1-12 Antrim 1-9 27/5/12
Monaghan dug out a three-point win over Antrim in Clones on Sunday to earn a place in the Ulster SFC semi-finals. Despite taking just 32 seconds to score a goal – a dream first touch in championship football for Karl O’Connell – Monaghan were never able to pull away from a dogged and well-organised Antrim team and they fell behind when James Loughrey fired home a wonder goal ten minutes into the second half. Monaghan faced an uphill battle when trailing by three with 20 minutes left, but the arrival of Tommy Freeman sparked a comeback which saw Eamon McEneaney’s men kick seven of the last eight points. Dessie Mone, Dick Clerkin, Colin Walshe, O’Connell and Freeman were the main men for Monaghan, while Michael McCann, Loughrey, Michael Magill and Kevin O’Boyle led Antrim’s challenge.
Monaghan made a perfect start when Karl O’Connell took a pass from Christopher McGuinness and raced beyond the Antrim cover to shoot at goal and although Chris Kerr parried it, the debutant was on hand to boot home the rebound. Paddy Cunningham and Paul Finlay swapped points from 20-metre frees after fouls on Aodhán Gallagher and Christopher McGuinness, before Cunningham landed a 45-metre free for a foul on Mark McAleese.
Owen Lennon kicked a well-taken point after good work by Dick Clerkin and Stephen Gollogly, but Michael McCann linked up with James Loughrey to reply for Antrim, who closed the gap to the minimum when Michael Magill kicked a fine score over his shoulder following a pass from Tony Scullion. Kieran Hughes responded with an equally good point off the outside of his left boot, but Monaghan missed a chance to increase their lead when Matthew McKenna’s fisted effort hit an upright. Hughes converted a free from a difficult angle after a foul on Conor McManus, but a long ball into Magill set up Cunningham to reduce the gap to two at half-time: Monaghan 1-4 Antrim 0-5.
Monaghan got the first score of the second half through a long-range effort from Clerkin, but Aodhán Gallagher kept Antrim in touch. After Tomás McCann and Hughes both failed to take chances from frees, James Loughrey broke through on the end of a move involving Anto Healy and Magill to fire a cracking shot beyond Mark Keogh and into his top corner. A good point by Michael McCann was followed up by another score from Mark McAleese, but a foul on Kieran Hughes allowed Conor McManus to get one back from a 30-metre free. Tommy Freeman marked his introduction with a trademark point off his left foot after he had been well-placed by Kieran Duffy. McManus was the width of an upright away from bringing Monaghan level, but they soon equalised when Clerkin fisted over after an attack involving Duffy and Stephen Gollogly, although they were grateful to goalkeeper Mark Keogh when he made a timely interception from a dangerous cross by Magill.
Freeman linked up with Gollogly to kick a superb outside-of-the-boot point, but Antrim got back on level terms when Cunningham tapped over after a Tomás McCann effort broke kindly for him. Dessie Mone regained the lead for Monaghan with a fine point at the end of patient build-up involving Gollogly and James Turley and substitute Pete Dooney capped his SFC debut with a brilliant score from the right wing. McManus sent over a 40-metre free after a foul on Freeman to seal the win in injury-time, as Monaghan booked a June 24 semi-final meeting with the winners of next Sunday’s game between Down and Fermanagh.
Monaghan: M Keogh; C Walshe, V Corey, D Morgan; K Duffy, D Mone (0-1), K O’Connell (1-0); O Lennon (0-1), D Clerkin (0-2); M McKenna, S Gollogly, J Turley; C McGuinness, P Finlay (Capt., 0-1f), C McManus (0-2f).
Subs: K Hughes (0-2, 1f) for Finlay (inj., 19 mins), T Freeman (0-2) for McGuinness, P Dooney (0-1) for McKenna (both 46), D Wylie for Duffy (67).
Antrim: C Kerr; K O’Boyle, J Crozier, R Johnston; M McAleese (0-1), T Scullion, A Healy; M McCann (0-2), C Murray; T McCann, M Sweeney, J Loughrey (1-0); P Cunningham (0-4, 2f), A Gallagher (Capt., 0-1), M Magill (0-1).
Subs: O Gallagher for Scullion (58), C Kelly for Murray (60), B Neeson for Magill (64)
Referee: M Deegan (Laois).
By michael Sun 27th May
