Getting there is what it's all about; not how you get there. Clontibret took the circuitous route en route to regaining the SFC title but their success was no less for all that.

In 2008, the story broke in the meeja that there "was gold in dem dar hills" around Clontibret. It was frontline news at the time.
However one year later there was only one precious metal being spoken about locally and on the tip of everyone's tongues.
The business of gold mining in the mid-Monaghan area continues of course but talk of an iconic piece of silverware still dominates the landscape.
Clontibret GAA folk who are veterans of the club's halcyon years of the 'forties are a mine of information about how the west was won back then.
However those Clontibret GAA folk of a certain vintage delighted in talking about how their successors mined a 14th top drawer title last October.
The O'Neills Class of '09 struck gold when they captured the SFC title in a final that showcased a lot of the best of Monaghan club football.
Sixty years ago, the O'Neills claimed the top prize for the first time. How fitting then that they should mark that anniversary with another top triumph.
How fitting too that they should give Latton a lesson in the '09 county decider; the self-same Latton that succeeded the O'Neills as champions in '08.
Ironically, the script first ordained that the O Rahillys would first gain a psychological edge by overcoming the O'Neills in their first round clash.
Latton plundered a 0-9 to 0-8 in early June with a last-gasp point from Bernard O'Brien propelling Clontibret into the qualifying rounds.
Played in 'blayney, in perfect conditions, the game was as an archetypal see-saw affair with just the minimum separating the sides at half-time also.
Clontibret won the bulk of the possession in the first half and finished with a flourish with classy points from Rodney Gorman and Owen Greenan.
Ahead by 0-5 to 0-4 at half-time, the O'Neills later stormed into a three point lead - thanks in part to two smashing points by Conor McManus.
But Latton came back strongly in the ensuing final 12 minutes and O'Brien's belter left some introspection on the menu for Clontibret.
The would-be champions had to wait the guts of two months before redemption was secured with a 0-13 to 0-9 victory over Ballybay at 'blayney.
Both teams laboured to fine their best form on the greasy sward but Conor McManus was one who didn't seem too put out as he shot seven points.
Despite losing Dessie Mone to injury after 20 minutes, Clontibret finished the first half the stronger and led by double scores, 0-6 to 0-3, at half-time.
The dismissal of a Ballybay player in the last eight minutes and an injury point by Shane McMahon eventually helped put pay to Ballybay's plans.
Meetings between Clontibret and Truagh in the 2009 league were close and their SFC clash in mid-August didn't brook the trend either.
Clontibet played some of their best football of the championship campaign in notching a workmanlike 0-18 to 2-8 victory over the Gaels in Scotstown.
The O'Neills were so good for much of the contest in fact that they had vaulted into a ten point lead with as many minutes left on the clock.
However the red and blacks unleashed a sting in their tail that gave Clontibret the proverbial kick in the arse in the dregs of the game.
Clontibret played most of their best football in the opening 30 minutes at the end of which they led by 0-9 to 0-2.
Further points then by Conor McManus, Anthony Rooney and Rodney Gorman then made it a ten point game at the end of the third quarter.
Truagh did reduce their deficit to just two points thereafter but a point apiece from Conor McManus and Colum Greenan helped seal the issue.
A sudden death clash with 'blayney at the tail end of August caught the imagination of the county but would favourites Clontibret be caught cold?
The match in Ballybay finished 11 points apiece which wasn't entirely surprising given that the sides were tied at six points apiece at half-time.
In what was always an evenly-contested encounter, 'blayney drew level at the death courtesy of a free scored three minutes into injury time.
In the replay, it was Clontibret who left their best wine 'till last to leave their opponents punch drunk and out of the race to claim the Mick Duffy Cup.
Emyvale played host to another closely-fought tie with the sides level on ten separate occasions in a game that went to extra-time.
Clontibret led at half-time by the odd point in eleven but it was in the third-quarter that they really put their feet on the gas and opened their shoulders.
Their storming start to the second half sw them storm into an eight point lead after 11 minutes, thanks, in part, to a well taken Dessie Mone goal.
However a Dermot McArdle goal for 'blayney in the 13th minute of the second half got the town side right back into the frame.
The sides were tied at 1-12 each at the end of normal time and there was still only a point between them at half-time (1-16 to 1-15) in extra-time.
Clontibret showed terrific ambition and resilience from there to the finish to chisel out a magnificent 1-18 to 1-16 quarter-final victory.
In the penultimate round, Clontibret faced a Magheracloone side that boasted straight victories over Doohamlet, Inniskeen and Castleblaney.
In the end, the O'Neills fairly coasted their way into the county decider with their 2-13 to 1-9 winning margin not in the least bit flattering.
That said, Magheracloone were arguably the better team in the first half and led at half-time by 1-7 to 1-5 in a forceful show of strength.
Fergal Mone scored Clontibret's opening goal in the 23rd minute which helped lay the foundation for a much more fired-up second half showing.
In that respect, county ace Conor McManus led the way with a quality 1-6 tally after the restart as Clontibret all but over-ran the Mitchells.
In what was a slow-to-the-boil semi-final tie, Magheracloone hit five unanswered points between the 13th and 17th minutes to open a three point lead.
Clontibret continued to be hit by quick-fire sucker-punches and they later conceded 1-2 to trail by 1-5 to 1-7 at the interval.
The second half was a different story entirely though with John Golden very much to the fore in midfield for the would-be finalists and champions.
Aided and abetted by John Paul Mone, Clontibret's forward momentum climaxed with a great move at a time they were leading by four points.
With two minutes left to play, great work by Colum Greenan and Martin Corey saw McManus apply a sublime finish to kill of the Mitchells' challenge.
Co-incidentally, Clontibret would also notch 2-13 in their subsequent county final appearance with opponents Latton registering just 0-9 at Clones.
The O'Neills' victory was posted from a long way off the final whistle. With ten minutes left in the match, Latton trailed by a whopping 11 points.
It was at that juncture that the losers-elect introduced the injury-riven Eoin Lennon but the dye had been well and truly cast by then.
Clontibret scored both their goals in the first half. After the restart, they had the ball in the net on three further occasions but all three were ruled out.
Latton actually led by the odd point in three by the 12th minute but in the subsequent eight minutes, Clontibret laid the foundations for their triumph.
The O'Neills notched two goals and three points without reply in that period with Rodney Gorman and Conor McManus both netting a goal apiece.
Clontibret led by 2-5 to 0-5 at half-time and three unanswered points between the 8th and 12th minutes left the writing in big block capitals on the wall.
And when man-of-the-match McManus extended Clontibret's lead to eleven points in the 18th minute, the Fat Lady had already cleared her throat.
It was all too easy for the Saffrons as Latton limped across the finish line having been forced to play a dull second fiddle all day.
The final whistle could scarcely have sounded so sweet for the brave but battered Latton lads.
For the Great O'Neills, the long whistle brought with it the realisation that a magnificent 14 SFC titles had been bagged - four of them coming in the noughties.
Team of the decade? Most definitely.
Clontibret ( 2009 SFC final v Latton);
Paul McElroy; Martin Corey, Eoin Greenan, Colin Duffy; Colm Greenan, Dessie Mone, Darach Mooney; John Paul Mone, Vinny Corey (0-1); John Golden, Paul McGuigan, Anthony Rooney (0-1); Fergal Mone, Rodney Gorman (1-2), Conor McManus (1-9, five frees).
Subs used; Brendan Magennis; Michael Hughes; Sean Leonard. Tweet

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