Armagh spoil the party (again)
December 30, 2010After the high of 2008 when Monaghan were pipped in both an Ulster final and an All-Ireland quarter-final, minor football in the county seems to have slipped back into more-familiar territory. Mind you, it must be pointed out that the 2009 and 2010 defeats were suffered against Armagh who, as All-Ireland champions, were deservedly rated as the best U18 team in the land. So one shouldn't be too hard on the Monaghan lads.
We lost to Armagh by 2-14 to 2-8 in the 2009 Ulster semi-final and our neighbours went on to claim the All-Ireland. In 2010, the Orchard County confirmed their superiority with a 0-10 to 0-8 victory in the Ulster minor football league at Cullyhanna in April followed by a 1-13 to 1-8 championship success at Pairc Esler. Little Monaghan can do except lick their wounds and look forward to next year!
The provisional county minor panel was named in March, with a new squad announced the following month. There was only once change in personnel in the revised 24-man crew, with Cremartin's John McGuigan coming in for Darren Coleman of Donaghmoyne. The championship panel was as follows: Pete Dooney (Aughnamullen), Thomas Kerr (Ballybay), Dean McDermott (Blackhill), Patrick Finnegan (Castleblayney), Benny McElroy (Castleblayney), Cillian Cromwell (Carrickmacross), Conor Boyle (Clontibret), David Savage (Clontibret), Keith McEneaney (Corduff), Ben Woods (Corduff), Patrick McGuigan (Cremartin), John McGuigan (Cremartin), Jack McCarron (Currin), Ciaran McCaffrey (Currin), Cillian Coleman (Donaghmoyne), Anthony Mulligan (Drumhowan), Liam Hahassey (Monaghan Harps), Thomas Connolly (Latton), Owen Coyle (Latton), Rory Beggan (Scotstown), Steven Sherry (Scotstown), Shane Carey (Scotstown), Mark McGuigan (Sean McDermotts) and Daniel McKenna (Truagh).
As warm-up for the championship, the Ulster MFL offered matches against Armagh, Down, Dublin, Meath and Cavan on successive Saturdays between March 13th and April 10th. Apart from the opener against Armagh, the other four games were all played in Ballybay. After a two-point defeat to the Orchard lads, Monaghan beat Down by 2-10 to 1-8 and drew with Dublin (2-7 apiece). This was followed by a 2-7 to 2-6 defeat to the Royals and a 0-14 to 1-10 victory over Cavan. All five games had been closely-contested so the hope was that Monaghan's promising young side was sufficiently battle-hardened to deal with the demands of the championship…
Monaghan travelled to Newry on the last weekend of May to face an Armagh team that had already benefited from an outing in the 2010 MFC (beating Derry in the preliminary round). They went in cold against a county boasting a superb recent record against the Oriel men, Armagh having prevailed at Monaghan's expense in 2003 (by one point), 2004 (after a replay), 2006 (by a point) and 2009 (by six points). Ulster finalists in 2001 and 2008, Monaghan faced a major challenge as they attempted to reach a third provincial decider of the new millennium.
In his fourth year at the helm of the county minor side, Bernie Murray couldn't have asked for a more difficult opening assignment. The Orchard boys still had two of the starting players who had won the preceding year's All-Ireland (Ronan Finnegan and Peter Carragher) as well as a number of 2009 squad members. Monaghan also had a decent representation from their '09 squad. These included the versatile Pete Dooney, goalkeeper Dean McDermott, David Savage, Eoin Coyle, Jack McCarron and Daniel McKenna.
Both sides had fielded understrength teams in the Ulster league, so that game would have no bearing whatsoever on the championship tussle. The fact that so many of the Monaghan players had tasted All-Ireland Vocational Schools glory also gave them heart. Paul McShane's Armagh side, meanwhile, had almost been caught napping in the closing stages against Derry at Celtic Park and had learned a valuable lesson from that game. Thus, there was no chance of catching them on the hop!
Speaking to the local media before the game, manager Bernie Murray accepted the size of the challenge ahead but remained quietly confident: "Absolutely, there is no doubt we face a very difficult task, and a very difficult match on Saturday evening. Armagh were very impressive against Derry in Celtic Park and it was only two late goals by Derry the made them look good because they were outplayed for practically the entire match. Armagh were very impressive all over the park, big in midfield, tenacious at the back and dangerous up front and there is no doubt they have to be rated as being as good as last year's team at least. They also have a core of experienced players as two of the team that started against us last year and who started the All-Ireland final are involved again this year but they have six other survivors from last year's panel who all got very valuable game time during last year's championship series. All that underlines the difficult task facing our players but we do not regard it - and the players do not regard it - as an impossible task."
Throw-in at Newry was at 7.30pm and by 9.00 that evening Monaghan's season was over as Armagh carved out a 1-13 to 1-8 win. A stronger, more physical Armagh side was full-value for its victory over the course of the hour, dominating midfield and using their greater experience to telling effect. After an evenly-contested opening quarter that saw the sides level on four occasions, the decisive turning point arrived in the 22nd minute when Paul McKeown netted for the winners after the Cavan referee had refused Monaghan a stone-wall free. Suddenly, the holders led by 1-5 to 0-4. They went on to lead by six at the interval and by eight shortly after the restart, leaving Monaghan playing catch-up for the rest of the match.
A brilliant run of 1-3 without replay saw Monaghan close to within two points by the 46th minute, with the goal coming from Jack McCarron. Indeed, Monaghan's full forward line was on top form clipping over their entire tally, with Daniel McKenna (0-3) and Keith McEnaney (0-2) supplementing McCarron's 1-3 haul. The introduction of Anthony Mulligan at midfield at half time had sparked a revival as it allowed Pete Dooney to move to the edge of the square, while defenders Owen Coyle, Conor Boyle, David Savage and Padraig McKenna defended tenaciously throughout.
Daniel McKenna had fired Monaghan into the lead after two minutes and also supplied their second score before McCarron made it 0-3 to 0-2 in Monaghan's favour after nine minutes. McEnaney made it 0-4 apiece in the 15th minute but the Orchard lads went on to take a 1-8 to 0-5 interval lead. They added two more points in the first six minutes of the second half before Monaghan bounced back with scores from McCarron (two frees), McEnaney and a McCarron goal 16 minutes after the restart. At 1-10 to 1-8, the match was very much in the melting pot with 14 minutes left, but Armagh grabbed the last three points to advance to the semi-finals.
After the match, a disappointed Bernie Murray confirmed that his fourth year in charge of the county U18s would also be his last: "Yes it is. I have done my bit at this stage, I have completed four years and I think it's now time for someone else to carry the mantle at minor level. It has been a very enjoyable experience, even though it has been frustrating - as it has been for the players, I suppose - but fellows are affected in different ways on the evening of championship games. However I feel I have done my time at minor level and I think it needs someone fresh to come in with new ideas and hopefully Monaghan can make the breakthrough in the next couple of years."
Monaghan, 2010 Ulster MFC V Armagh: Dean McDermott; Conor Boyle, David Savage, Mark McGuigan; Cillian Coleman, Owen Coyle, Padraig McKenna; Stephen Sherry, Pete Dooney; Liam Hahessy, Patrick McGuigan, John McGuigan; Jack McCarron (1-3), Keith McEnaney (0-2), Daniel McKenna (0-3). Subs: Anthony Mulligan for J McGuigan (29), Ciaran Treanor for C Coleman (44), Thomas Kerr for L Hahessy (45). Tweet
