EirGrid Ulster Under-21 Football Championship Preliminary Round
Antrim 0-16 Monaghan 2-14 8/3/17
Monaghan’s Under-21 footballers started their Ulster title defence with a four-point win over Antrim in an exciting preliminary-round tie at the Dub, Belfast on Wednesday night. The lead changed hands numerous times in a free-scoring game, where goals in either half from Dermot Gleeson and David Garland proved decisive for Monaghan, who hit 2-13 from play. Séamus McGarry and Odhrán Eastwood kept Antrim in touch, with the former kicking a string of great points from play, but Monaghan had eight players on the scoresheet as they advanced. Ciarán McBride’s team, who changed ends level at 1-6 to 0-9 just after losing James Mealiff to a black card, will play Derry at the quarter-final stage next Wednesday in Inniskeen.
Antrim: A Hasson; R Delargy, T McGoran, P McCormick (0-1); R Hannigan, P Brannigan, E Walsh; D Nugent, R Scott (0-2); S McGarry (0-8, 2f), C Small (Capt.), J McAuley; P Healy (0-1), R McCann, O Eastwood (0-4f).
Subs: C Lyttle for Hannigan (48 mins), Éamon Fyfe for McAuley (53), P Treanor for Scott (55).
Monaghan: S Garland; C Lennon, M Murnaghan (Capt.), J Daly; N Kearns, B Kerr (0-2), S Finnegan (0-1); S Woods, D McAlister (0-1); D Gleeson (1-1), F Maguire, S McCabe; J Mealiff, M Bannigan (0-4, 1f), D Garland (1-3).
Subs: F Hanratty (0-1) for Daly (20), P Finnan for Mealiff (black card, 30), M Tierney (0-1) for McCabe (H-T), R McDonald for Maguire (50), J Walshe for Woods (59).
Referee: M Farrelly (Cavan).
By cshalvey Thu 9th Mar
