Sunday was a day to remember for Monaghan GAA with two senior county teams picking up National League wins and Truagh winning the All-Ireland Club IFC title.
The county senior footballers had an excellent 0-20 to 0-8 win over Meath in Clones on Sunday. A close game was expected against an in-form Meath team, but Monaghan tore into a 0-13 to 0-1 lead by half-time, with Conor McManus, Jack McCarron, Thomas Kerr, Christopher McGuinness and Fintan Kelly on the scoresheet. McManus and McCarron continued to rack up the points in the second half and even though the latter had a penalty saved by Paddy O’Rourke, Monaghan were never troubled, with their own keeper, Rory Beggan, landing three points. There is now a three-week break from league action, with Monaghan’s next game being a repeat of the 2013 Ulster SFC Final against Donegal in Letterkenny on Sunday, March 2.
Monaghan (v Meath): R Beggan (0-3, 2 ‘45s, 1f); R Wylie, D Wylie, F Kelly (0-1); K Duffy, C Walshe, C Boyle; G Doogan, P Finlay; T Kerr (0-2), D Malone, P Keenan; J McCarron (0-5, 1f), C McManus (Capt., 0-7, 3f), C McGuinness (0-2).
Subs: K Hughes for Kerr (60 mins), S Gollogly for McGuinness (64), S Smyth for McManus (66), K O’Connell for Walshe (68).
Monaghan’s ladies made a winning start to the NFL Division One when they cruised past Laois on Sunday. After their first game under John Morrison was delayed by the previous Sunday’s postponement, Monaghan showed no signs of being off the pace, with goals by Laura Boylan and Therese McNally setting them up for a 2-19 to 1-9 win.
Truagh became the first Monaghan club to taste All-Ireland IFC success since Inniskeen in 2006 when they finished strongly to defeat Kiltane from Mayo in an epic final at Croke Park on Sunday. Truagh recovered from conceding two early goals to find the net twice themselves through Man-of-the-Match Daniel McKenna and Mark Counihan, to take a 2-10 to 2-6 half-time lead. Kiltane piled the pressure on at times in the second half, but points by Adam Treanor, the inspirational Paudie McKenna and substitute Seán McKenna saw Truagh pull away in the closing stages to win by 2-21 to 2-13.
Truagh (v Kiltane): I Treanor; J McCarron, N Feely, N McQuillan; P McKenna (0-4, 1f), R Treanor, N McRory; P Treanor (Capt.), B Cuddy; E Kelly, C McKenna (0-2, 1f), M Counihan (1-1); D Finnegan (0-1), D McKenna (1-7), A Treanor (0-4).
Subs: N Coyle for Kelly (39 mins), K Sheerin for McRory (49), S McKenna (0-2) for Finnegan (52), J Treanor for R Treanor (54), D McRory for A Treanor (59), A Coyle for Counihan (62).
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Monaghan lost their second group game of the Shamrock Cup against Antrim in Belfast on Saturday. Monaghan recovered from conceding an early goal to lead by 1-7 to 1-6 at half-time, but Antrim converted a second-half penalty to secure a 2-10 to 1-11 win. The Monaghan team showed several changes from the win over Louth, with Ryan McEnaney, Barry Hanratty, Brian Greenan, Fergal McGeough and Darren McElroy coming in for county seniors Ryan Wylie, Conor Boyle and Pádraic Keenan, as well as Cillian Cromwell and Ryan McAnespie.
Monaghan (v Antrim): David Kirk; Ryan McEnaney, Dónal Courtney, Jason Murphy; Barry Hanratty, Johnny McGuigan, Fergal Malone; Brian Greenan, Shane Conlon; Fergal McGeough, Mark McGuirk, Michael Galligan; Darren McElroy, Mel Boyce, David Freeman.
Meanwhile, Patrician High School, Carrickmacross are through to the semi-finals of the Ulster Colleges MacLarnon Cup. The south-Monaghan school had a comprehensive quarter-final win over Our Lady’s & St. Patrick’s, Knock last Thursday, with Alan McCahey, Dáire Rowe and Paudie Kirk leading the scoring.
Monaghan’s representatives in the Quinn’s Corner Ulster Club Football Leagues were both involved in one-point games over the weekend. Inniskeen edged out Tyrone’s Derrlaughan in the IFL Group B on Saturday, while Doohamlet were pipped by Bryansford of Down in Group A of the SFL on Sunday.
Before all that, two Monaghan players qualified for the Sigerson Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday) with Dublin colleges. Pete Dooney of Aughnamullen lined out at wing-back as DCU cruised past NUI Galway. Goals by Michael Quinn and Conor McGraynor gave DCU a narrow lead towards the end of the first half, following a sluggish start, before Conor McHugh added a brace either side of the interval to open up a decisive gap, setting up a Dublin derby with UCD. Meanwhile, Tyholland’s Karl O’Connell was also at wing-back and scored a point as DIT edged out St. Mary’s Belfast, with crucial goals coming from Conor Grimes and Conor Madden. The holders will face UUJ in the last eight.
By cshalvey Tue 11th Feb
