Tyrone are still pointless in Division One following a 1-14 to 0-16 defeat to gritty Monaghan at Inniskeen.

There was a tense finale to this absorbing contest but it was the home side who kept their nerve to grab a vital win - their first of the campaign.

Tommy Freeman claimed the only goal of the game two minutes from the break, after a mistake from Conor Gormley.

Paul Finlay and Rory Woods hit the decisive late points for Monaghan, who had Freeman sent off late on (for a second yellow) before Dermot Carlin landed a consolation point for Tyrone.

Monaghan led by 1-7 to 0-9 at the break thanks to a 33rd-minute goal from Freeman.

Before that, the visitors had largely dominated proceedings but Banty McEnaney's charges simply refused to roll over.

Kevin Hughes' free made it 0-5 to 0-3 to Tyrone after 15 minutes. Freeman had opened the scoring but Martin Penrose and Tommy McGuigan were on target for the Ulster champions - as was Paul Finlay for Monaghan - before Dick Clerkin levelled it at 0-3 each.

The O'Neill County were dominant, though, and they pulled away to lead by double scores, 0-6 to 0-3.

Raymond Mulgrew, Hughes and Owen Mulligan got the points that sent Tyrone three clear. Penrose and Finlay were also amongst the scorers as the visitors led by 0-8 to 0-4, with Monaghan just about hanging onto their coat tails.

Amazingly, Freeman's trademark goal just shy the break had the home side level, 1-6 to 0-9. And Finlay's fourth point had the hosts ahead at the interval, 1-7 to 0-9.

Conor McManus doubled Monaghan's lead early in the second half. Penrose, McManus and Penrose traded scores before McGuigan hit the leveller for Mickey Harte's team.

The first nine points of the second half all came from frees, to leave it 1-11 to 0-14: Conor McManus, Paul Finlay and Tommy McGuigan had a brace apiece, while Martin Penrose helped himself to three more points.

The match went right down to the wire and a draw looked the most likely outcome, but Monaghan dug deep and managed to score three of the last five points to claim a magnificent one-point victory. Tweet

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