Conor McManus Monaghan is hauled down by Sean Cavanagh of Tyrone
All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final
Tyrone 0-14 Monaghan 0-12 3/8/13
Monaghan exited the All-Ireland SFC after a closely-contested quarter-final against Tyrone at Croke Park on Saturday. Both teams played most of the second half of an often controversial match with 14 men and it came down to a tight finish which saw Tyrone kick the last two points to advance. Monaghan had fine performances from Conor McManus, Dessie Mone, Drew Wylie and Colin Walshe, while Seán Cavanagh, Joe McMahon, Matthew Donnelly and Conor Clarke led Tyrone through.
Monaghan were first off the mark when Conor McManus converted a 25-metre free for an off-the-ball foul on Kieran Hughes, who added a fine point from play after taking a pass from Drew Wylie. Darren McCurry got Tyrone on the scoreboard from a 30-metre free, but McManus responded with a similar effort after he had been fouled. A late tackle on Dessie Mone allowed Paul Finlay to convert a 30-metre free, but Seán Cavanagh replied from a 20-metre free after an off-the-ball foul on McCurry. Finlay and McCurry swapped points from frees after fouls on McManus and Cavanagh, who then kicked a fine score from play.
Conor Clarke then brought Tyrone level, but McManus responded with a great score at the end of an attack started by Kieran Duffy, while Kieran Hughes was unlucky not to turn a long ball from Dessie Mone into the net and Finlay was off-target from a scoreable free. Another well-taken point by Cavanagh equalised again, before Joe McMahon edged Tyrone ahead for the first time and the same duo added good points to give the Red Hand County a three-point lead. McManus linked up with Stephen Gollogly to kick another superb score from play, which left Monaghan trailing by two at half-time: 0-9 to 0-7.
As punches were thrown on the way into the tunnel, Tyrone had Martin Penrose sent off before the restart, while Conor Gormley was lucky to escape punishment. Gollogly had a goal chance just two minutes into the second half after a loose kick-out by Pascal McConnell was cut out by Monaghan sub Christopher McGuinness, but it flew over the bar. Dick Clerkin added a nice point from play, but Monaghan could never get their noses in front in the second half, with a well-taken Peter Harte point regaining the advantage for Tyrone.
Ciarán McGinley doubled the gap and although McManus won and scored a 13-metre free (when he was hauled to ground by a cynical tackle as he bore down on goal), Matthew Donnelly provided a quick response, by which stage Monaghan had also lost a man when Kieran Hughes was shown a second yellow. A point from play by McGuinness and a 25-metre free by McManus, following a foul on Clerkin, briefly brought Monaghan back on terms, only for Tyrone to once again produce a quick response through sub Rónán O’Neill. In a dramatic last five minutes, Tommy Freeman had a goal disallowed for an alleged push on Conor Gormley, just before Clarke crashed a shot off the crossbar at the other end. Cavanagh then landed a point from another free and Tyrone held on to set up a semi-final meeting with either Donegal or Mayo. Monaghan can still hold their heads high at the end of a year which saw them win a first Ulster SFC title since 1988.
Tyrone: P McConnell; C McCarron, C Gormley; D Carlin; C Clarke (0-1), P Harte (0-1), C McGinley (0-1); C Cavanagh, S Cavanagh (0-5, 2f); Mark Donnelly, Matthew Donnelly (0-1), Joe McMahon (0-2); D McCurry (0-2f), S O’Neill (Capt.), M Penrose.
Subs: P McNiece for McMahon (45 mins), A Cassidy for McCurry (47), R O’Neill (0-1) for S O’Neill, R McNabb for McNiece (both 55), P Kane for Mark Donnelly (65).
Monaghan: R Beggan; K Duffy, D Wylie, C Walshe; V Corey, N McAdam, D Mone; O Lennon (Capt.), D Hughes; P Finlay (0-2f), S Gollogly (0-1), D Malone; P Donaghy, K Hughes (0-1), C McManus (0-6, 4f).
Subs: D Clerkin (0-1) for Malone (29), C McGuinness (0-1) for Donaghy (H-T), T Freeman for Finlay (50), J McCarron for Walshe (inj., 69).
Referee: C Reilly (Meath).
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By cshalvey Sat 3rd Aug
