Allianz National Football League Division Three
Cavan 1-10 Monaghan 0-5 9/2/13
Monaghan fell to a disappointing defeat away to Cavan in a niggly NFL game on Saturday evening. Cavan were on top throughout in difficult conditions, in a scrappy game which produced five red cards and 14 yellows, as Monaghan failed to come anywhere near to the performance that saw them ease past Meath just six days previously. The early dismissal of Conor McManus, on top of Paul Finlay’s absence, was a major setback for Monaghan, who struggled badly for scores, even though Tommy Freeman came on to kick three points in his first appearance of 2013. Gearóid McKiernan, Alan Clarke, Niall McDermott, David Givney and Rory Dunne all played key roles for Cavan, while only Darren Hughes and Fintan Kelly could claim any credit for Monaghan, who gave a first start to Jack McCarron.
Monaghan were first off the mark when Conor McManus won and scored a 25-metre free, but that was as good as it got, as Cavan drew level with a point from play by Martin Dunne before hitting the front through Cian Mackey after Niall McDermott latched onto a short ’45 by John McCutcheon. Disaster struck on 11 minutes when McManus was shown a straight red card after an off-the-ball incident and Cavan quickly doubled their lead via a 30-metre free by Dunne, following a foul on McDermott.
Dunne was then dismissed for a strike on Darren Hughes as the game became very disjointed, before Cavan captain Alan Clarke ended 15 scoreless minutes with a good point from distance. David Givney then set up Mark McKeever for a well-taken point before linking up with McCutcheon to kick a score of his own, as Cavan pushed ahead. In the final minute of first-half normal time, a foul on McDermott allowed Gearóid McKiernan to open his account from a 30-metre free and give Cavan a healthy 0-7 to 0-1 lead at the interval.
Just over a minute of the second half had been played when McCutcheon made a dangerously high tackle on Darren Hughes, which earned him the third red card of the match. Jack Brady converted a 30-metre free for a foul on Givney to increase the gap, although Monaghan finally got their first score from play (ending 40 minutes without any score in the process) when Dick Clerkin applied the finishing touch to a move involving Darren Hughes, Martin McElroy and Gavin Doogan. Tommy Freeman marked his introduction by winning and scoring a 25-metre free, but Monaghan’s finishing let them down on a couple of occasions and Cavan put the result beyond doubt when Givney won a penalty, which Martin Reilly stroked into the net.
Monaghan replied with a trademark Tommy Freeman point, but they then lost Doogan and Dessie Mone to second bookings in the space of a minute and McKiernan landed another point from a free for the hosts. Freeman tapped over a 13-metre free for a foul on Darren Hughes, but a foul on Martin Reilly allowed McKiernan to kick the last score of the match from another 30-metre free. There is now a couple of weeks’ break from the NFL, which resumes on March 3, when Monaghan will have to lift their game for the visit of Sligo to Clones.
Cavan: A O’Mara; K Brady, R Dunne, O Minagh; D O’Reilly, A Clarke (Capt., 0-1), J McCutcheon; G McKiernan (0-3f), T Corr; C Mackey (0-1), N McDermott, M McKeever (0-1); M Dunne (0-2, 1f), D Givney (0-1), J Brady (0-1f).
Subs: F Flanagan for Brady (34 mins), K Clarke for Dunne (H-T), M Reilly (1-0, pen) for McDermott (52), N Murray for J Brady (65), J Hayes for Flanagan (69).
Monaghan: M Keogh; K Duffy, F Kelly, C Walshe; D Mone, D Hughes, N McAdam; O Lennon (Capt.), D Clerkin (0-1); G Doogan, P Donaghy. O Duffy; J McCarron, K Hughes, C McManus (0-1f).
Subs: M McElroy for McAdam (22), T Freeman (0-3, 2f) for Donaghy, C McGuinness for McCarron (both 39), P Dooney for O Duffy (54).
Referee: B Cassidy (Derry).
By michael Sun 10th Feb
