All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Qualifiers Round 4B
Monaghan 1-24 Down 1-16 29/7/17
Monaghan booked a fourth All-Ireland SFC quarter-final appearance in five years with an eight-point win over Down in Saturday’s Round 4B Qualifier at Croke Park. Monaghan took their time to get going, until a Fintan Kelly goal turned a two-point deficit into a one-point lead on 26 minutes. Connaire Harrison, who proved a real threat to Monaghan once again, found the net, however, to bring Down level at 1-9 apiece by half-time.
Monaghan upped their game after the restart, with a run of points from Conor McManus and substitutes Conor McCarthy, Owen Duffy and Jack McCarron giving them the initiative. Malachy O’Rourke’s side maintained their lead throughout the second half to progress to the last eight.
Monaghan: R Beggan; F Kelly (1-0), D Wylie, R Wylie (0-1); K Duffy, C Walshe (Capt.), K O’Connell; K Hughes (0-3, 1f), D Hughes (0-3); S Carey, D Malone, G Doogan; R McAnespie, D Freeman, C McManus (0-10, 8f).
Subs: O Duffy (0-1) for Carey, J McCarron (0-2) for Malone (both H-T), C McCarthy (0-4) for Freeman (45), V Corey for Walshe (61), D Ward for McAnespie (67), D Mone for O’Connell (70 + 1).
Temporary sub: D Ward for Doogan (48-67).
Down: M Cunningham; D O’Hagan (Capt.), G McGovern, N McParland; D O’Hanlon (0-2f), C McGovern, C Mooney (0-1); P Turley, N Donnelly; S Millar (0-1), C Maginn (0-2), K McKernan (0-2); S Dornan, C Harrison (1-4), R Johnston.
Subs: J Johnston (0-3, 1f) for Dornan (48), A Carr for Turley (51), M Poland for Maginn, D McKibbin (0-1) for Millar (58), D O’Hare for Mooney (67), J Murphy for R Johnston (70 + 5).
Referee: M Deegan (Laois).
By cshalvey Sat 29th Jul
