Monaghan Captain Eoin Lennon leads his team in the pre match parade in Clones.
Ulster Senor Football Championship Semi-Final
Monaghan 1-10 Cavan 0-12 29/6/13
Monaghan are through to the Ulster SFC Final after a dramatic one-point win over Cavan in Saturday’s semi-final at Clones. The sides were closely-matched throughout a typically intense local derby, which was ultimately decided by a goal from Christopher McGuinness and six points by Conor McManus, who was rewarded by being named Man of the Match. Monaghan also had excellent performances from Colin Walshe, Kieran Hughes and Drew Wylie as they banished the memories of last year’s semi-final defeat against Down. David Givney, Cian Mackey and Killian Clarke led Cavan’s challenge, but Monaghan’s greater experience perhaps told in the closing stages.
The closest either side came to scoring in the first five minutes was when Christopher McGuinness had a shot cleared, with strong suggestions that the ball had crossed the line. Cavan opened the scoring on eight minutes through Eugene Keating after good work by Killian Brady and they quickly moved two clear thanks to David Givney, but Monaghan struck for the game’s only goal on 12 minutes when a poor kick-out by Conor Gilsenan allowed Darren Hughes to send McGuinness through to slide a low shot past the Cavan keeper. Givney’s second point brought Cavan level and they retook the lead with a good score from Cian Mackey, before Niall McDermott fond his range.
Kieran Hughes landed a fine score for Monaghan after taking a pass from Tommy Freeman and selling a dummy, but Martin Dunne restored Cavan’s two-point lead from a 30-metre free, following a foul on Mackey. Conor McManus linked up with Kieran Hughes to open his account on 26 minutes and although James McEnroe replied for Cavan, McManus then converted a brace of 30-metre frees for fouls on Kieran and Darren Hughes to bring Monaghan back on terms. Dunne tapped over at the other end following a move involving Killian Clarke, Mackey and Givney, but Darren Hughes burst through to kick an inspirational equaliser right on half-time, making the score Monaghan 1-5 Cavan 0-8.
Neither side scored in the first 12 minutes of the second half, but a well-taken point from McManus, at the end of an attack started by a Stephen Gollogly interception, broke the deadlock. Two 30-metre frees by McDermott, won by Mackey and Keating, ended 18 scoreless minutes for Cavan, who went close to finding the net when a point-attempt from Damien O’Reilly dipped and hit the crossbar, but Monaghan substitute Paul Finlay then tapped over a 20-metre free for a foul on McManus to restore parity.
McManus won and scored another free, only for Dunne to respond in kind after Keating had gone down, levelling it up for the sixth and final time. Another fine point from play by McManus and a 20-metre free by Finlay, after a foul on Darren Hughes, gave Monaghan a two-point lead and although Cavan closed the gap with a 50-metre free by Gilsenan, it wasn’t enough to stop Malachy O’Rourke’s side advancing to the Ulster final against All-Ireland champions Donegal.
Monaghan: R Beggan; C Walshe, D Wylie, K Duffy; V Corey, N McAdam, D Mone; O Lennon (Capt.), D Hughes (0-1); G Doogan, S Gollogly, C McGuinness (1-0); T Freeman, K Hughes (0-1), C McManus (0-6, 3f).
Subs: P Finlay (0-2f) for Freeman (43 mins), D Clerkin for Doogan (39), K O’Connell for McAdam (58), P Donaghy for McGuinness (63), D Malone for Gollogly (70).
Cavan: C Gilsenan (0-1f); J McLoughlin, A Clarke (Capt.), R Dunne; K Clarke, R Flanagan, J McEnroe (0-1); D O’Reilly, D Givney (0-2); C Mackey (0-1), N McDermott (0-3, 2f), F Flanagan; K Brady, E Keating (0-1), M Dunne (0-3, 2f).
Subs: M Reilly for K Brady (48), T Corr for McEnroe (59), K Tierney for Dunne, J Brady for McDermott (69).
Referee: Martin Duffy (Sligo).
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By cshalvey Sat 29th Jun
