Saturday 16th August will long live in the memory of a group of young footballers who for the 1st time ever ensured that the Buncrana Cup was making the long journey down to Monaghan for the year. After two pulsating, nail-biting games of football it was quite fitting that Ulster GAA President Martin McAviney presented the winning trophy to Team Captain Frank Connolly of Toome. To put things in perspective, this was Monaghan’s only 3rd ever appearance at the finals weekend and they had never reached the final before so history really was achieved.
Monaghan had qualified for this tournament by beating Fermanagh and Tyrone in earlier rounds of the competition back in May. They had trained regularly over that time and took part in the prestigious Gerry Reilly Tournament in Meath. Preparations pre-finals went really well and this group were ready for action.
The players left Cloghan early Saturday Morning for the long journey ahead were they faced Derry. Conditions ensured that the proverbial game of two-halves would be played as a gale-force breeze blew down the pitch. Monaghan won the toss and elected to play with the advantage of the breeze. They opened brightly with Micheal Bannigan registering the 1st point of the game. This was followed up quickly by a magnificent goal by Padraig Finnan who literally rampaged through the heart of the Derry defence and finished to the back of the net. James Wilson chipped in with two well-taken goals before Derry registered three quick-fire points to reduce the arrears. However that proved to be their only scores of the half as Monaghan registered further points through Micheal Banningan, James Wilson and a David Garland free to leave Monaghan 1-8 to 0-3 points up at half-time. The Monaghan management team emphasised to the players what a battle the 2nd half would be and that’s exactly how it proved be. Derry set out eating into the Monaghan lead rattling off point after point until with 4 minutes to go Derry scored a go ahead point after they had scored 9 unanswered points. But cometh the hour, cometh the man, and up stepped Micheal Bannigan to score two free-kicks into the teeth of the wind to ensure that this young Monaghan team qualified for the Ulster Final where they faced Armagh.
Roles were slightly reversed in this encounter when Armagh decided to play with the advantage of the breeze and within 6 minutes they had raced into a 4 point lead. But once again Monaghan didn’t panic as Micheal Bannigan kicked a free and David Garland converted a penalty after Aaron Courtney was upended in the penalty box. Armagh rallied and scored two more points before in a whirl-wind 3 minute spell before half-time Monaghan scored 2-1 with the potent full-forwards of Garland and Bannigan scoring goals and Paudie McMahon kicking a well-taken point to leave Monaghan 3-3 to 0-7 up at half-time.Monaghan extended this lead to 7 points by the 10th minute of the 2nd half with further points from Bannigan. However, the next 10 minutes of the half saw Armagh score 1-4 without reply to level matters. But true character was shown again by these players and instead of capitulating they scored three point from the trusted left foot of David Garland. At the final whistle there were scenes of jubilation as Monaghan celebrated success.
Great credit for this victory must go to this group of players who showed an abundance of team-work and work-rate and who showed tremendous character to win both games when they were in the melting pot. Team Management of Garrett Coyle, Martin Corey and Seamus Mullholland were understandly delighted with how their charges performed. The work of the backroom team of Conor McElvaney, John O’ Brien, Liam Swift and Patrick McCarron ensured no stone was left unturned. Many years of hard work has gone into the work of development squads and finally there is silverware to show for it, though this ultimately should not be the pinnacle of their inter-county careers but more a spring-board for county minors. The lads represented their clubs, schools and families with so much pride and it’s testament to the amount of quality coaching that they are receiving that it has aided their development to the level whereby they are now the best team in Ulster at this age group. Team and scorers were; Jack Kirk (Magheracloone) Cian Hand (Ballybay), James McKenna (Truagh Gaels), Oisin Campbell (Emyvale), Gary McCaffrey (Truagh Gaels), Frank Connolly (Toome Capt), Padraig McMahon (Magheracloone 0-1), Kieran Burns (Kileevan), Padraig Finnan (Tyholland 1-0), Conor Leonard (Eire Og), Fergal Hanratty (Corduff), Aaron Courtney (Donaghmoyne), David Garland (Donaghmoyne 2-5), James Wilson (Toome 0-4), Micheal Bannigan (Aughnamullan 1-8), Jack Deery (Monaghan Harps), Aaron McNally (Sean McDermotts), Calvin Carisle (Eire Og), Colm Lennon (Ballybay), Dean Brennan (Clontibret), Dean McDonnell (Clontibret), Michael Savage (Clontibret), Owen Quinn (Drumhowan), , Remy McKenna (Monaghan Harps), Ross Lowey (Clontibret), Ryan O’ Connor (Carrickmacross), Sean Grant (Sean McDermotts), Shane McMahon (Monaghan Harps) and Shane Monaghan (Ballybay).
