FL2: Monaghan push Laois to the brink
March 30, 2014
Monaghan's Dessie Mone with Louth's Andy McDonnell during the NFL Division 2 game at Clones
The result leaves the O'Moore County second-from-bottom of the Division Two table, while Monaghan are now within touching distance of securing promotion for a second consecutive year.
With 2,307 spectators looking on, the sides shared 16 points during the course of an evenly-contested first half that saw them level on four occasions from the 20th minute onwards.
Monaghan had led by 0-4 to 0-1 after eleven minutes but the visitors gradually fought their way back into contention and were full value for their half-time share of the spoils.
The hosts made a late change to their starting XV, veteran campaigner Dick Clerkin coming in at midfield instead of Padraic Keenan.
Scotstown ace Kieran Hughes got the Ulster champions up and running with two lovely points inside the opening three minutes. Ross Munnelly and Gavin Doogan traded scores before Conor McManus pointed from play either side of a Darren Strong effort to leave the hosts ahead by 0-5 to 0-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Points from Conor Meredith and David Conway levelled the scores for the first time and Donie Kingston supplied the point that had the midlanders in front for the first time.
McManus popped over the levelling score from a free but Munnelly replied in kind at the other end: 0-7 to 0-6. When Hughes levelled the scores again, John O'Loughlin pointed the visitors back in front and Laois spurned a great goal chance as Padraig McMahon failed to spot the unmarked Strong, who had an open net at his mercy.
Clerkin sent over the point that meant the sides were on level terms at half time, 0-8 each.
Warhorse Dessie Mone restored Monaghan's lead with a super point three minutes after the restart and Kieran Hughes was on hand to make it 0-10 to 0-8 after 43 minutes. McManus floated over a brace of frees either side of two Laois points and the border county led by two, 0-12 to 0-10, at the end of the third quarter.
Substitute Stephen Gollogly pointed twice within minutes of his introduction and Monaghan led by three with 14 minutes remaining, 0-14 to 0-11.
Two points in a minute from Dessie Mone and Fintan Kelly eased the winners into a five-point lead with ten minutes left.
Gary Walsh closed the gap from a free but Paul Finlay replied. The losers mustered two more points before the final whistle but All-Star attacker McManus had the final say from an injury-time free.
Monaghan - R Beggan; K Duffy, D Wylie, F Kelly (0-1); C Walshe, V Corey, D Mone (0-2); D Clerkin (0-1), G Doogan (0-1); K O'Connell, J McCarron, P Donaghy; D Malone, K Hughes (0-4), C McManus (0-6). Subs: S Gollogly (0-2) for P Donaghy, C McGuinness for J McCarron, D Hughes for D Clerkin, P Finlay (0-1) for D Malone, M McElroy (0-1) for D Mone.
Laois - G Brody; P McMahon, D Booth, P O'Leary; D Strong (0-4), P Begley, C Begley; K Meaney, J O'Loughlin (0-1); R Munnelly (0-3), C Meredith (0-1), B Sheehan (0-1); E O'Carroll, D Kingston (0-1), D Conway (0-1). Subs: G Walsh (0-1) for E O'Carroll, J Finn for K Meaney, P Kingston for D Conway, D O'Connor (0-1) for B Sheehan, MJ Tierney for R Munnelly.
Referee - B Cassidy. Tweet
