Shamrock Cup but no Ulster final for U21s
December 30, 2010Some silverware is better than none but, in fairness, the Shamrock Cup wasn't the one that Monaghan wanted. most It'll do as a consolation prize but the championship is everything and the county U21 footballers will ultimately look back on their 2010 campaign as a disappointing one. There was much promise inherent in the side and they failed to deliver on it.
Having claimed the Cremartin tournament, they went into the knockout competition with a spring in their step. Defeat of buoyant Antrim at the quarter-final stage was encouraging and Monaghan then battled back bravely after a disastrous start to their semi-final duel with neighbours Cavan. Alas, it was the Breffni County who mustered a late winning point and the Oriel boys who were left licking their wounds.
Just like that, their year was over.
Antrim Pt I (Shamrock Cup)
The Shamrock Cup started on Saturday February 6th, with Monaghan slipping to a home defeat to Antrim while Down beat Tyrone in Healy Park. It was the first year the Saffrons had entered the tournament and they certainly hit the ground running with a 1-9 to 1-7 victory over the hosts in a hard-fought battle at Cloghan. David Millar got Monaghan off to a flying start with a goal in the first minute but Antrim never rolled over and the sides were level four times before the short whistle sounded at Monaghan 1-3, Antrim 0-6.
Kieran Duffy's point ensured that Monaghan were still level four minutes into the second half. After Antrim's goal in the 38th minute, Monaghan closed within a point with scores from Christopher McGuinness and Donal Hahessy. But Antrim rallied again and a late Keith Hill point was not enough to get the hosts out of jail.
Monaghan, 2010 Shamrock Cup V Antrim: Emmet McArdle; Matthew Reilly, Darren Daly, Sam Dooney; Patrick Tavey, Kieran Duffy (0-1), Conor Galligan; Gary Feely, Peter O'Hara; David Hughes, Christopher McGuinness (0-1), Brian McArdle; Keith Hill (0-1), Gerard McArdle, David Millar (1-3 ). Subs: Fintan Kelly, Colm Greenan, Donal Hahessy (0-1), Daniel McNally, Kieran Hughes.
Down Pt I (Shamrock Cup)
Monaghan's second outing was under lights at Newry on Tuesday February 16th. The hosts hit two late equalising points to grab a draw - a result that would ultimately be enough to see both teams through to the final. But Monaghan had been arguably the stronger side over the hour and probably deserved to win this game.
The final score was Monaghan 0-12, Down 1-9. The match was played at full intensity in bitterly cold conditions, with the Mourn County seeking to build upon their defeat of Tyrone. Monaghan made nine changes to the side beaten by Antrim and used three players who had featured two days earlier against Galway in the national football league - Colm Greenan, Dermot Malone and Kieran Hughes.
Down led by two at the interval (1-6 to 0-7) but Monaghan came back to lead at key stages in the fourth quarter.
There were no scores from either side in the first 18 minutes of the second half but Daniel McNally and Donal Hahessy had the visitors level with ten minutes to play. A Dermot Malone point ensured that the sides were still level going into added time. Twice in injury time, Monaghan went ahead - first through McNally and then via Colin Walsh - but on both occasions Down rallied to muster an equalising score in a thrilling finale.
Monaghan, 2010 Shamrock Cup V Down: Kieran Boyce; Colin Walshe (0-1), Darren Daly, Steven McBride; Kieran Mooney (0-1), Kieran Duffy, Shane McNally; Ciaran Hughes, Colm Greenan; Donal Hahessy (0-4), Dermot Malone (0-3), Kieran Hughes (0-1); David Millar, Daniel McNally (0-2), Christopher McGuinness. Subs: Peter O'Hara, Patrick Tavey, Fintan Kelly, Gary Fealy, Sam Dooney.
Tyrone (Shamrock Cup)
Monaghan booked their place in the decider with a brilliant 1-14 to 1-10 victory over Tyrone under lights at Emyvale on Thursday February 25th. This was a heart-warming Monaghan display in cold and wintry conditions. The sides were twice level inside the opening ten minutes but Monaghan then outscored their opponents by 1-8 to 0-3 up to the interval to take a commanding half-time lead. Peter O'Hara and Colm Greenan dominated midfield and - with David Millar wreaking havoc - Monaghan remained on top for the rest of the game, with two injury-time Tyrone points putting a misleading look on the final scoreline.
Monaghan were never behind. Christopher McGuinness got the opening point in the first minute and finished a good move to restore their advantage a few minutes later. David Hughes converted a 45 and Patrick Tavey fisted a point. McGuinness and Millar (2) added points as the winners pulled clear. The same two players were again on target before Millar palmed to the net in the 21st minute to finish the match as a contest. The winners led by eight points at the break, 1-10 to 0-5.
Monaghan, 2010 Shamrock Cup V Tyrone: Emmett McArdle; Mattie Reilly, Darren Daly, Conor Galligan; Colin Walsh, Kieran Duffy, David Hughes (0-1); Colm Greenan, Peter O'Hara; Donal Hahessy (0-2), Dermot Malone (0-1), Brian McArdle; Christopher McGuinness (0-7), Patrick Tavey (0-1), David Millar (1-2). Subs: Ciaran Boyce, Sam Dooney, Fintan Kelly, Keith Hill, Daniel McNally.
Down Pt II (Shamrock Cup)
Played on Sunday February 28, the final at Shamrock Park, Cremartin was a repeat of the 2008 decider which went to extra time before Conor McManus captained Monaghan to their first outright victory in the Shamrock Cup competition. These teams had also drawn in the second round this year. However, on this occasion, it wasn't quite so close. Monaghan produced a magnificent display to prevail by 2-13 to 0-9 - a superb win that provided the ideal pre-championship boost.
Monaghan laid the foundations for victory with a scintillating period in the early stages of the second half when they totally outclassed Down to hit 1-5 without reply. Down had no answer to the pace and fluency of Monaghan's game and the winning margin of ten points is a fair reflection of their total dominance.
Monaghan's three-man full forward line of Christopher McGuinness, Patrick Tavey and David Millar accounted for 2-8 of the winning tally. The match got off to a tentative start with both sides missing early chances and they then went on to exchange points on two occasions, Christopher McGuinness from a free and Patrick Tavey on target for Monaghan to leave the sides level on 0-2 each after ten minutes. Monaghan then began to settle a little more into their usual rhythm and points from Kieran Hughes and Patrick Tavey saw them open a two-point lead. But Down had levelled again by the break: 0-4 apiece.
Monaghan roared out of the blocks on the restart to completely dominate their opponents. Five unanswered points within seven minutes via McGuinness, Donal Hahessy (2), Tavey and Millar put the hosts on their way before McGuinness' 38th-minute goal settled the match as any kind of contest.
When Down responded with a point, Millar and Tavey were on hand to stretch the gap to nine going into the fourth quarter. The Mourne men tried to get back into the match but Monaghan finished strongly with two further McGuinness points and a late Tavey goal to capture the Cup for the second time.
Monaghan, 2010 Shamrock Cup final V Down: Emmett McArdle; Mathew Reilly, Darren Daly, Conor Galligan; Colin Walshe, Kieran Hughes (0-1), David Hughes (0-1), Colm Greenan, Peter O'Hara; Donal Hahessy (0-2), Dermot Malone, Brian McArdle (0-1), Christopher McGuinness (1-3), Patrick Tavey (1-3), David Millar (0-2). Subs: Daniel McNally, Sam Dooney, Gerard McArdle, Keith Hill, Shane McNally.
Antrim Pt II (Ulster championship)
The championship opener on Wednesday March 24th was a perilous assignment. Monaghan had to travel to Casement Park to take on an Antrim side that had inflicted defeat upon them in the opening round of the Shamrock Cup. With Antrim football on a real high after the county's run to the 2009 Ulster final and St Gall's stunning success in the All-Ireland club championship, the visitors faced a stern examination against a side managed by Antrim senior manager Liam Bradley. But Monaghan also had their senior county manager at the helm - and Eoin Lennon had done wonderful work as team trainer - and they produced a fine performance to win by 2-12 to 2-6.
With the exception of the opening ten minutes or so, Monaghan dominated this game completely and they were more comprehensive winners than their six-point winning margin would suggest. However, a failure by the winners to convert all their good play into scores led to a closer scoreline than the general play merited.
The losers opened the scoring from a second-minute free but Christopher McGuinness had Monaghan back on terms a minute later. However, a mistake by goalkeeper Emmet McArdle handed the Saffrons a seventh-minute penalty which they dispatched to move three points clear. Cue an immediate Monaghan response with a goal from midfielder Kieran Hughes in the eleventh minute following hot on the heels of Donal Hahessy's point. Antrim managed to get back on terms but Banty's boys now took the match by the scruff of the neck as points from David Millar, Hahessy (3) and McArdle propelled them into a five-point lead. Antrim pulled one back just shy of the interval but it was Monaghan who led by 1-7 to 1-3 at half time.
Monaghan picked up where they had left off upon the resumption with David Hughes raiding through for a point before McGuinness converted a free. The issue was completely settled in the 35th minute when Millar finished to the net to give the winners a nine-point cushion. Dermot Malone and substitute Daniel McNally added to the winning margin as Antrim's attempted revival was stifled. In the end, it was a much more comprehensive and comfortable win than the scoreline might indicate.
Monaghan, 2010 Ulster U21 FC V Antrim: Emmet McArdle; Matthew Reilly, Darren Daly, Conor Galligan; Colin Walshe, Kieran Duffy, David Hughes (0-1); Colm Greenan, Kieran Hughes (1-0); Donal Hahessy (0-4), Dermot Malone (0-1), Brian McArdle; Christopher McGuinness (0-3), Patrick Tavey (0-1), David Miller (1-1). Subs: Peter O'Hara, Gerard McArdle, Daniel McNally (0-1), Kieran Boyce, Sam Dooney.
Cavan (Ulster championship)
The semi-final against Cavan finally took place at Enniskillen on Saturday April 6th and Monaghan missed out narrowly on a place in the Ulster decider as a late David Givney point gave the 14-man Breffni boys a dramatic 1-10 to 1-9 victory. The match had originally been scheduled to take place the previous Wednesday but was postponed due to the onslaught of winter's last hurrah that made Brewster Park unplayable midweek.
Monaghan looked dead and buried as early as the 15th minute after their neighbours opened with an unanswered salvo of 1-5. But they fought back valiantly and looked on course for a brilliant win when David Millar found the net at the three-quarters stage, with Cavan already down to 14 men following the dismissal moments earlier of James McEnroe.
After their disastrous start, Monaghan rallied with points from Kieran Hughes, Donal Hahessy (2) and Christopher McGuinness to halve the leeway by the 22nd minute. It was a remarkable show of character. McGuinness closed the first-half scoring with a free and that point left Monaghan primed and ready to pounce, trailing by just a goal at the break, 1-5 to 0-5. Having dominated the second quarter with five points in succession, the Oriel County now had all the momentum. Certainly, Cavan were relieved to hear the short whistle.
The comeback continued unabated after the resumption with further points from half-time substitute Peter O'Hara and Dermot Malone - seven points on the trot and the gap was now just a single minor, 1-5 to 0-7. Cavan mustered two points before Hahessy again made it a two-point game. When Daniel McNally lofted over an inspirational score shortly after being introduced into the fray, Monaghan were back within a point and they again looked likely victors.
The dismissal on 45 minutes looked set to prove a fatal blow to Cavan when corner forward Millar found the corner of the net to give Monaghan a two-point cushion. The brilliant fightback had been completed in style and surely now Banty's team were on course for a provincial final… Alas, just when it looked like the hard work had been done, it was Cavan's turn to stage a Lazarus-like revival as they clipped over the last three points of the game to seal an astonishing win.
Millar's goal had propelled Monaghan into the lead for the first time with 46 minutes gone and they had plenty of chances in the final quarter but somehow lost their way when it mattered most. Monaghan were without Colm Greenan through injury but they could make no excuses at the final whistle as they had simply been outscored by a spirited Cavan team in a rip-roaring contest. Sometimes that happens in sport. The line between winning and losing can be so fine that it makes no sense.
As Cavan progressed to an Ulster final meeting with Donegal, a disappointed Monaghan manager Seamus McEnaney paid tribute to his players: "It is bitterly disappointing to have lost that game, and by just a point even with the poor start, but I thought the lads showed great character to come back from being a goal and five points to no score down in the first quarter. I thought they played exceptionally well and brought us back into the game but it was very disappointing that, when we went two points up, we looked as if we could go on and win the game but we didn't. It is also very disappointing in that we practically owned the ball for the last ten minutes of the game but maybe we panicked a little because we kicked a lot of balls wide that should have been scores."
Monaghan, 2010 Ulster U21 FC V Cavan: Emmet McArdle; Matthew Reilly, Darren Daly, Conor Galligan; Colin Walshe, Kieran Duffy, David Hughes; Gerard McArdle, Kieran Hughes (0-1), Donal Hahessy (0-3), Dermot Malone (0-1), Brian McArdle; Christopher McGuinness (0-2), Patrick Tavey, David Miller (1-0). Subs: Peter O'Hara (0-1), Daniel McNally (0-1), Gerard McArdle, Keith Hill. Tweet
