Fixtures: Thursday, April 7: Under-16 FL Division One v Castleblayney (Away) at 6.30pm

Saturday, April 9: SFL v Carrickmacross (Away) at 7pm; Under-14 FL Division Five v Carrickmacross (Away) at 4.45pm

Monday, April 11: Under-14 HL v Castleblayney (Home) at 6.30pm

Tuesday, April 12: MFL Division One v Truagh (Home) at 6.30pm

Wednesday, April 13: SFL v Truagh (Home) at 7pm

 

Monaghan Harps Lotto: Numbers 2, 5, 6 and 23. Jackpot of €4,600 not won. Residual prizes: €100 Wayne McQuaid c/o Séamus Treanor; €40 Liz Brennan c/o herself; €40 Kevin Treanor c/o Séamus Treanor; €40 Clare Farrell c/o Marie Farrell. Jackpot for Sunday, April 10 is €4,700 and Mary and Fergus Coyle are on duty. Lotto draw takes place in our refurbished clubhouse every Sunday night. All welcome.

 

Seniors: Our next Senior Football League game is away to Carrickmacross this Saturday at 7pm, while Truagh are the visitors to Gavan Duffy Park next Wednesday evening. Please support!

 

Reserves: We fell to a disappointing defeat away to Latton in the RFL Division 1A last Saturday evening. We missed a couple of goal chances in the first half and gave a brace of goals away at the other end to allow Latton to take charge. Éimhín Morahan led our scoring, with Conor Forde and Paddy Connolly also on target, but there was no way back into the game.

Team and scorers: Darragh Hannon; Paul Smyth, James McKenna, David Lowry; Francis Lynch, Nicholas Treanor, Niall Treanor; Éimhín Morahan (Capt., 1-5, 1-2f, 0-1 ’45), John Mulligan; Dean McMahon, Robbie Moyna, Conor Forde (0-1); Evan Doherty, Paddy Connolly (0-1), Ruairí Forde.

Subs: Kyle O’Leary for R Forde, Pat Meehan for C Forde, John Treanor for Doherty.

 

Minors: Our minor footballers started their league campaign with an away game against Scotstown on Tuesday. Next Tuesday’s game is at home to Truagh.

 

U-16: Our Under-16 footballers started the Division One league with a hard-earned win at home to St. Patrick’s last Thursday. A brace of goals by Conor McCrystal and points from Conor, Corey McArdle and Adam O’Neill saw our lads get off to a good start. St. Pat’s rallied to leave just two points in it at half-time (2-5 to 1-6) and the Ballybay/Drumhowan side edged ahead after the restart, only for a goal by Mujtaba Gamal and points from Oisín Fagan, Adam and Brendan Óg Ó Dufaigh to keep our lads in touch. The Harps hung in there and a late goal by Oisín saw them grab a dramatic 4-9 to 3-11 win. This Thursday sees our Under-16s travel to Castleblayney.

Team and scorers: Dylan Ballantine; Conor McCarron, Seán Conway, Andrew Lyden; Dylan Maguire, Anann Connor, Stephen Ward; Lochlainn Power, Oisín Fagan (1-1); Lorcan O’Rourke, Corey McArdle (0-2), Killian Conlon; Adam O’Neill (0-2), Conor McCrystal (2-3, 0-2f), Brendan Óg Ó Dufaigh (0-1).

Subs: Luke Coyle, Mujtaba Gamal (1-0).

 

U-14: Our Under-14 Division Five team have their second league game away to Carrickmacross on Saturday at 4.45. The Division One Championship semi-final against either Latton or Inniskeen has been deferred until Friday week, April 15.

 

U-12: Our Under-12 Zone B team had a comprehensive win in Donaghmoyne last Tuesday, while both teams were involved in an entertaining Spring League double-header at home to Carrickmacross on Saturday. The Zone A game saw our lads start brightly, with Jamie Cooney, Eoin O’Hanlon, Josh Kelly and Seán Callan kicking scores and although Carrick hit back to edge ahead, further scores by Jamie, Seán, Eoin, Jake McConnon, Luke McManus, Shea Swift and Cian Bradley saw the Harps finish the half strongly. Fionán Ó Gallchóir kicked some fine scores in the middle period, but Carrick showed good ability to take points with the breeze at their backs in the final 20 minutes to get back into the game. Luke, Jamie and Jake added to their tallies, but with goals and points counting equally, this game ended up in a high-scoring draw at 20 apiece.

Team and scorers: Ethan Ballantine; Patrick Dooley-Duffy, Gary Devlin; Michael McMorrow, Seán Callan (1-1); Eoin O’Hanlon (0-3), Jake McConnon (0-2, 1f); Luke McManus (3-1), Shea Swift (1-0); Jamie Cooney (2-4), Josh Kelly (1-0).

Subs used: Cian Bradley (1-0), Senan Cudden, Mark Clerkin, Eoin McCleary, Morgan Coyle, Max Mallen, Fionán Ó Gallchóir, Oisín Reilly, Dáire Conlon, Shane Moran

The Zone B game saw our lads make a flying start, helped by scores from Oisín Reilly, Morgan Coyle and Ethan Ballantine. Cian Bradley, Fionán Ó Gallchóir and Senan Cudden were also on the mark in the first half, at the end of which the Harps led by 12 scores to three. Fionán and Oisín Reilly hit the scores that kept our lads ahead in the last period, backed by some hard work by all the defenders, while all the subs also contributed well, with Oisín Treanor kicking a fine point. The next games are at home to Castleblayney on Saturday week, April 16.

Team and scorers: Karol Parszywka; Mark Clerkin, Dáire Conlon; Shane Moran, Max Mallen; Ethan Ballantine (1-1, 0-1f), Oisín Reilly (1-1); Morgan Coyle (1-2), Cian Bradley (1-2); Fionán Ó Gallchóir (0-4, 1f), Senan Cudden (0-1).

Subs used: Aidan McGeough, Jack Corrigan, Mark Corrigan, Oisín Treanor, Shea Swift, Eoin McCleary, Matthew McGonnell.

 

Know Your Sport: Our sports prediction competition is back for 2016, with another 20 questions to be answered. Put your sporting knowledge to the test and try to beat last year’s winner, Emmet McWilliams, who got 16 correct! Forms are available now from senior players and club members and anyone with outstanding forms is asked to return them as soon as possible. All support is greatly appreciated.

 

Saturday-morning coaching: Our popular Saturday-morning coaching and games sessions for U-6s, U-8s & U-10s is up and running again and will continue every Saturday at 10am. Saturday-morning football for boys and girls in Gavan Duffy Park continues to go from strength to strength, with the numbers attending growing year on year. The club is very fortunate to have a pool of hardworking and dedicated individuals who look after and coach these ‘early learners’. Our Saturday-morning activities are fun-filled and enjoyed by the children and are an equally rewarding and enjoyable experience to those who help make it happen, so we encourage anyone with an interest to get involved.

 

Dates to remember: We are looking forward to our Cake Sale in the Shopping Centre on Saturday week, April 16. We will host a Scór night in the clubhouse on April 23: check back for more details. We will once again host Darkness into Light Monaghan this year in the early hours of Saturday, May 7, with meetings for all interested on Monday nights in the clubhouse and some registration nights also being planned. Our Golf Classic and Street Collection will both take place in June (more details later).

 

Membership: Registration fees (€20 for adults, €50 for a family) for 2016 must be paid to club registrar Kevin Treanor (086 2591411) or in the clubhouse as soon as possible. All players and parents of juveniles are asked to ensure that their membership is paid.

                                                                                        

County/Colleges: Well done to Neil McAdam and the Monaghan senior footballers, who secured NFL Division One status for 2017 with a gutsy win over Donegal last Sunday. Good luck to Kevin Loughran and Fearghal McMahon in the Ulster U-21 Final v Tyrone in Armagh on Wednesday night and Shane McMahon, Thomas Croarkin, Jamie Shields and Niall Ward with the county minor and U-17 teams in their Ulster league campaigns. Best wishes to all Harps players currently playing for schools teams, especially the Sem’s Dalton Cup team, who await their semi-final this week.

 

Coaching: Keep an eye on the Monaghan GAA website or contact Pádraig Callan on 087 4515206 for details of upcoming Coach Education programmes.

 

Pitch bookings: All pitch bookings for 2016 for training or matches must be made via 086 1957155. Training slots have been allocated and any changes must be notified in advance. Work is ongoing on the main pitch at present and all co-operation from team mentors is appreciated.

 

Gavan Duffy Park: The refurbished Monaghan Harps clubhouse is available to book for functions. Contact Jimmy Croarkin on 087 1249635 or Pádraig Callan on 087 4515206 for more information. Anyone looking to book the clubhouse for meetings, functions, etc. is asked to please give a week’s notice for convenience.

 

Sympathy: The club sends sympathy to the family of the late Patricia McElvaney.

 

Hurling:

Juveniles: Training continues every Sunday at 12pm in Rooskey.

U-14: Our U-14s got their season off to a winning start when they secured two league points away to Truagh last week. Fine performances from Seán Callan in goals, Kasper Ostrowski, Ché Treanor and Liam Conway in the backs, some nice scores off the stick of Aidan McKenna and the tireless work of Evan Meighan saw them to a two-point win (3-2 to 3-4). With this week’s game against Carrick postponed, next up for the squad is their championship semi-final at home to Castleblayney on Monday, April 11 at 6.30pm.

Minor: The minors’ opening fixture is at home to Castleblayney on Sunday, April 17 at 12pm.

Senior: Our seniors get their season underway on Thursday, April 14 at 7.15pm with an away trip to Castleblayney in the Development League.

 

Ladies: Our senior reserve team played away to Scotstown on Sunday evening and put in a tough fight for the win. Well done to all the players, especially those new to the senior team.

Our Under-14 team put in an outstanding performance against Seán McDermotts on Monday night to come away with a win of 7-3 to 2-3. Well done to the whole team on a tremendous effort.

Training continues for all girls under 12 and 14 this Thursday from 6 to 7. All Under-16 girls and seniors train on Friday and Monday nights from 6 to 7.  All new players welcome!