Allianz National Football League Division Three 
Monaghan 1-18 Meath 2-3 3/2/13
Monaghan made an impressive start to the NFL with a comprehensive win over Meath in Clones on Sunday. A two-point lead was scant reward for Monaghan’s first-half superiority, before they turned on the style in the second half, with Conor McManus kicking six points from play in a virtuoso performance. Malachy O’Rourke’s side also had fine displays from Gavin Doogan, Neil McAdam, Darren Hughes, who scored a brilliant goal on 47 minutes, Kieran Hughes and Dick Clerkin. Monaghan, who had eight scorers in all, gave league debuts to Fintan Kelly and Pádraig Donaghy from the start and Jack McCarron and Peter O’Hanlon in the second half.
Monaghan were inches away from finding the net in the fifth minute when Kieran Hughes made a great catch from a long ball in by Kieran Duffy, but his shot was saved by Meath keeper Paddy O’Rourke and Paul Finlay hit the post from the rebound. It took seven minutes for the first score to arrive, from a 13-metre free by Conor McManus, after he had been tripped off the ball. Meath took the lead on ten minutes, however, when Monaghan gave the ball away cheaply and were opened up at the back, with Stephen Crosby releasing Jamie Queeney to scuff a low shot past Mark Keogh. Monaghan replied almost immediately when Gavin Doogan linked up with Dick Clerkin to kick his first league point, before Kieran Hughes landed a fine outside-of-the-boot effort to level it up. McManus edged Monaghan ahead when he converted a 50-metre free for a foul on Clerkin, but their lead didn’t last long, as strong work by Joe Sheridan created Meath’s first point of the game for Damien Carroll.
Dessie Mone restored Monaghan’s lead after Pádraig Donaghy had done very well to keep a wayward McManus shot in play and Clerkin added a fine score at the end of a counter-attack started by Neil McAdam. Another good move involving Darren Hughes and Finlay ended with Kieran Hughes tapping over his second point, off his right foot, but Brian Farrell won and scored a 30-metre free to keep Meath in touch and Monaghan needed a brave block by Fintan Kelly to deny Sheridan a possible goal with the last act of the half. The hosts took a two-point advantage in at the interval: 0-7 to 1-2.
Monaghan got the first point of the second half when Owen Lennon finished off a patient build-up, before McManus won a high ball from Darren Hughes and turned to kick his first point from play. Both sides missed chances before McManus curled over a superb score from the right wing, following a one-two with Kieran Hughes, and Monaghan put further daylight between the teams when Darren Hughes fired to the net after exchanging a series of passes with McAdam. McManus clipped over a left-footed point after a good burst forward by Fintan Kelly, before Jack McCarron marked his introduction with a point from play after Owen Duffy had made a high catch from a Donaghy shot and his club-mate Clerkin added a point with his left foot following good approach play by McManus.
McCarron converted a free and McManus booted over another excellent score from distance, before the Clontibret forward kicked his sixth from play at the end of a move involving Darren Hughes and McCarron. Meath finally got their first score of the second half on 32 minutes via a Seán Tobin free and they got a consolation goal a minute later through Conor Gillespie, but Monaghan had the last say with a point from a Darren Hughes ’45. Monaghan travel to Cavan for round two next Saturday.
Monaghan: M Keogh; K Duffy, F Kelly, C Walshe; D Mone (0-1), D Hughes (1-1, 0-1 ’45), N McAdam; O Lennon (Capt., 0-1), D Clerkin (0-2); G Doogan (0-1), P Donaghy, O Duffy; P Finlay, K Hughes (0-2), C McManus (0-8, 2f).
Subs: J McCarron (0-2, 1f) for Finlay (47 mins), P Dooney for K Hughes (55), P O’Hanlon for Doogan (61).
Temporary sub: P Dooney for Doogan (33-HT).
Meath: P O’Rourke; D Keoghan, B Menton, D Dalton; C Lenehan, E Harrington (Capt.), S Crosby; J Sheridan, C Gillespie (1-0); B Meade, D Carroll (0-1), J Queeney (1-0); P Gilsenan, P Byrne, B Farrell (0-1f).
Subs: G Reilly for Byrne, M Collins for Queeney (both 43), C Rowe for Lenehan, S Tobin (0-1f) for Gilsenan (both 52).
Referee: C Branagan (Down).
By michael Sun 3rd Feb
