Electric Ireland Ulster Minor Football Championship Quarter-Final
Monaghan 4-20 Antrim 3-6 26/5/13
Monaghan ran up an impressive total in a one-sided Ulster MFC quarter-final against Antrim in Newry on Sunday. Fearghal McMahon and Conor McCarthy, in particular, ran riot in an excellent attacking performance by Monaghan, while David McAlister, Ryan McAnespie and Mikey Murnaghan also contributed well as their team dominated. Antrim briefly threatened a comeback when scoring three goals in the first ten minutes of the second half, but despite the best efforts of Gareth George, Ruairí Scott and Ruairí McCann, they played second fiddle.
Monaghan almost had a goal after as little as a minute when Conor McCarthy raced through and sent the ball across for Fearghal McMahon, whose fisted effort was saved by Antrim keeper Ronan Hanna. McCarthy opened the scoring with a well-taken point after good work by Ryan McAnespie and McMahon. Adam Treanor fired home Monaghan’s first goal after good approach play by Dessie Ward and McCarthy and although they missed a few chances to add to their lead, the second major arrived on six minutes when McMahon supplied a precise finish at the end of a move involving Treanor and McCarthy.
Ward added a point, before McAnespie cut through to set up McMahon to split the posts and the Monaghan Harps man then converted a 25-metre free for a foul on McAlister. McMahon linked up with McCarthy to land a fine score from play, although Antrim got off the mark in the 15th minute when Domhnall Nugent curled over with the outside of his boot. McAlister replied for Monaghan, before winning a close-range free for McMahon to tap over and although Ruairí McCann converted a ’45 for Antrim, McAlister booted over a superb long-range free after he had been fouled. Antrim got a couple of points back through Ruairí Scott and Gareth George – the latter from a free – but McAlister won and scored a 30-metre free to give Monaghan a 3-9 to 0-4 half-time cushion.
McMahon kicked the first point of the second half, but Antrim won a penalty for a foot-block by Loughman on James Connolly and even though George’s spot-kick was saved by Conor Forde, he netted the rebound from point-blank range. Barry McGinn responded after good work by McMahon and Niall Loughman, but George punched home his second goal from a high ball in by McCann and Antrim were given hope when Scott thumped to the net after taking a pass from Nugent. McAlister and McMahon tapped over frees for fouls on McCarthy and McAnespie and although McCann won and scored a free, McAlister booted over a long-range free to keep Monaghan well clear.
McCann converted another free for a foul on Nugent, but strong work by Barry McGinn released McCarthy for a point and McAnespie then won a 30-metre free, from which his club-mate McAlister again made no mistake. A long free from McAlister carried over the Antrim full-back line for McCarthy to slide a low shot to the net three minutes from time and Mikey Murnaghan added a fine score, before Conor Forde became Monaghan’s ninth scorer with a firmly-struck ’45. A smartly-taken effort from McAnespie took Monaghan’s points tally to 20 late on, capping a convincing win, which sets Frank Brady’s side up for a semi-final meeting with Cavan on June 29.
Monaghan: C Forde (0-1, ’45); S Treanor, K Loughran (Capt.), C Martin; A Kieran, A Curran, M Murnaghan (0-1); N Loughman, D McAlister (0-6, 5f); D Ward (0-1), R McAnespie (0-2), A Treanor (1-0); C McCarthy (1-2), F McMahon (2-6, 0-3f), M P O’Dowd.
Subs: B McGinn (0-1) for A Treanor (inj., 10 mins), P McArdle for Loughman (40), M McCarville for Curran (45), D Dolan for McMahon (49), D Gleeson for O’Dowd (55).
Antrim: R Hanna; L Laverty, G McCorley (Capt.), C Mallon; C Loney, R Stranney, J O’Connell; C Conway, J Mallon; J Connolly, D Nugent (0-1), R Gowdy; R McCann (0-3, 2f, 1 ’45), R Scott (1-1), G George (2-1, 0-1f).
Subs: C Delargy for O’Connell, L McLarnon for Conway (both H-T).
Referee: S McKinley (Armagh).
By cshalvey Sun 26th May
