It was a case of deja-vu for the Monaghan senior footballers in 2008 as they launched another commendable championship onslaught only to once more come unstuck against defending All-Ireland champions Kerry at Croke Park. Following a disappointing defeat to Fermanagh in the first round of the Ulster SFC, Monaghan regrouped admirably to see off Derry and Donegal in the qualifiers. But their year ended in early August when a brave effort against the Kingdom came up marginally short. Looking back on the 2008 championship campaign, Monaghan can certainly argue that Lady Luck did not smile kindly upon them. Once consigned to the qualifiers, they were handed three extremely tough draws in rapid succession and the enormity of the challenge finally proved too much for a gallant and commendable team. Banty McEneaney was correct when he spoke about "the draw from Hell" as the task of defeating Derry, Donegal and Kerry over consecutive weekends is daunting to say the least. Having battled to one-point victories over their two provincial rivals, Monaghan went into the final round of the qualifiers on something of a high. They had rediscovered the form and conviction that deserted them in the closing stages of the national football league and the opening round of the championship. Having negotiated two decidedly treacherous obstacles, they could have been forgiven for expecting a half-decent draw this time around. With the four provincial losers entering the equation at this juncture, the possibilities were: Wexford, Fermanagh, Mayo or Kerry. As Ulster counties seem to get attracted to one another like so many wasps in a jam jar, it seemed quite likely that the Oriel County would be handed a revenge mission against the Ernesiders - a tie they would have welcomed. Wexford, who had been pummelled by Dublin, would also have been a welcome proposition. Mayo, meanwhile, did reasonably well against Galway in a better-than-usual Connacht decider but would have been beatable. And then there was Kerry: the All-Ireland champions had somehow relinquished their Munster crown to Cork with a late collapse and represented the obvious landmine in the third-round draw. It just had to be them, didn't it? The groans were audible from Magheracloone to Truagh and from Clontibret to Latton as Monaghan were pitted against Pat O'Shea's double champions for the second successive year. While the fixture presented an obvious opportunity to set the record straight following the luckless one-point quarter-final defeat in 2007, it was nonetheless the worst draw Monaghan could have got BAR NONE. Unperturbed and not in the least bit intimidated by their opponents' reputation, the Monaghan lads set about the task with tremendous application and resolve. For a second year in a row, they pushed the mighty men of Kerry all the way in a Jones Road thriller. For the second year in a row, Monaghan's luck deserted them at key moments in their biggest game and Kerry - masters of the big occasion - proved to be the rock upon which their All-Ireland aspirations perished. When the game hung in the balance, one break was going to make all the difference. It was Kerry - not Monaghan - who enjoyed that break. Moments after Ciaran Hanratty's goal effort zipped inches outside the post at the Canal end, Kieran Donaghy hit the Hill 16 net and the contest was effectively over. Thus, it was to be another year without silverware for a county that is fast moving up the national rankings. In 2007 Monaghan got to an Ulster final and an All-Ireland quarter-final, losing by two points and one respectively. In 2008, they again came within one kick of a ball of Kerry at the end of a qualifier programme that few teams could have coped with. Of course, it must also be pointed out that a great deal of Monaghan's misfortune was their own doing. If they had beaten Fermanagh in their opening knockout assignment, then their fate would have remained very much in their own hands. By losing to the Lakesiders and relinquishing control of their own destiny, they slipped up rather badly. The objective for the year was to win the Anglo-Celt Cup for the first time since 1988. In order to do that, they had to get beyond the first round! But Monaghan, who started their NFL Division Two campaign in a blaze of brilliance, misplaced their form at a crucial stage and lost their last two league outings to Cork and Westmeath. Having topped the table throughout, they missed out on promotion. That was a double blow as it also meant they carried poor form into the Ulster championship. Fermanagh had just got to a Division Three final and they seized their opportunity at the newly-refurbished Brewster Park to inflict a damaging third successive defeat in all competition upon the visitors. It was in this game that Monaghan really messed up. Granted, they recovered magnificently and the victories over Donegal and Derry were full of merit and served to restore pride in the white jersey, but the nightmare draw against Kerry was a direct consequence of the inadequate display in Enniskillen. The players themselves know that. Hopefully, they can learn from it. A devil's advocate could point out that Armagh got nowhere after winning Ulster, while Tyrone - like Monaghan - lost their provincial opener (to Down) before embarking on a glorious run through the backdoor to the All-Ireland final, but there's no doubt that Monaghan left it behind them at Brewster Park and could have had an easier run to the business end of the premier competition had they beaten Fermanagh. But, of course, they didn't. That's where their difficulties began. The salvation that ensued was only partial The 2008 date with Kerry was kept in front of 38,000 spectators at GAA HQ on Bank Holiday Sunday, August 3. After the agonising nature of Monaghan's luckless defeat to the Kingdom in '07, no motivation was required but it was the Kerrymen who came out on the right end of a 1-13 to 0-13 scoreline. The match was the most exciting in the entire qualifier series and produced football of an exceptionally high quality. Monaghan showed that they almost have the measure of Kerry and proved that the 2007 display was no one-off but, having pushed the Munster finalists to the limit, were ultimately forced to concede defeat. Kieran Donaghy - ably assisted by new foil Tommy Walsh - wreaked havoc in the Monaghan defence in the second half and his goal was a real sucker punch. The defining moment in Monaghan's season, it arrived only moments after Ciaran Hanratty had shaved a post at the other end. This was the fifth year that Kerry and Monaghan have met in the championship and Kerry added to their previous successes in 1930, '79, '85 (after a replay) and '07 to reach an eighth successive All-Ireland quarter-final. Monaghan started brightly and were still level after 27 minutes. But Kerry rattled off three scores without reply before the short whistle. Rory Woods roused the underdogs with an exceptional point 14 seconds after the restart and the Donaghmoyne man caused Kerry major headaches throughout. Monaghan twice closed within the minimum before Paul Finlay's 51st-minute free got them deservedly back on terms. The match was in the melting pot but it was the wily Kerry men who seized control in the decisive fourth quarter. Donaghy bagged the goal, leaving Monaghan supporters to wonder what might have been had Hanratty's courageous shot found the net instead of the open space just to the side of it. On the day, Monaghan were guilty of some mistakes but they were generally strong all over the field. Gary McQuaid, Woods and the ever-dependable Tommy Freeman were especially impressive. Monaghan, 2008 SFC Round Three qualifier V Kerry: Padraig McBennett; Dessie Mone, John Paul Mone, Dermot McArdle; Damien Freeman, Gary McQuaid (0-2), Conor McManus; Eoin Lennon (0-1), Dick Clerkin; Stephen Gollogly, Paul Finlay (0-2), Vincent Corey (0-1); Ciaran Hanratty, Rory Woods (0-2), Tomas Freeman (0-5). Subs: Darren Hughes for Clerkin, Raymond Ronaghan for McManus, Paul McGuigan for Hughes, Shane Smyth for Gollogly. Monaghan secured their place in the last twelve with a spirited 0-16 to 0-15 victory over Donegal in a keenly-contested Round Two qualifier at Ballybofey's McCumhaill Park on Saturday July 26. This one was a repeat of the Round Three qualifier Monaghan had won convincingly at Omagh in 2007, but Donegal fancied their chances of revenge as they had home advantage and had shown some good form in their win over Roscommon. For their part, Monaghan welcomed back Gary McQuaid and Paul Finlay, who had sat out the Derry game through suspension, having received four-week punishments for separate indiscretions during/after the Fermanagh defeat. The sides were level on five occasions in the first half as both refused to bend the knee. Donegal notched the last three points of the first half to take parity at the short whistle, 0-8 apiece. Monaghan were out of luck when Conor McManus hit a post at the end of a flowing first-minute move. Ciaran Hanratty opened the scoring but Donegal moved in front through Colm McFadden and Brian Roper before Finlay swapped points with Roper. Finlay tapped over another free and Monaghan were relieved when Kevin Cassidy rattled their crossbar. Tommy Freeman, Rory Woods, Finlay and McManus completed the winners' first-half haul. Goalkeeper Padraig McBennett justified his selection with a good save from Roper after the restart. The hosts edged ahead before Monaghan pulled away again with scores from Woods (2), Eoin Lennon and Freeman. When Donegal replied, Finlay converted a free after a foul on Freeman. Stephen Gollogly cancelled out the next Donegal point, 0-14 to 0-11. When the home side rallied with two more points, Finlay sent over a free following a foul on Corey. The losers managed two more scores either side of a booming Finlay point from play, which meant a narrow but fully-deserved win for the men of Monaghan. Monaghan - 2008 SFC Round Two qualifier V Donegal: P McBennett; D Mone, JP Mone, D McArdle; D Freeman, V Corey, G McQuaid; E Lennon (0-1), P Finlay (0-7); D Clerkin, S Gollogly (0-1), C McManus (0-1); C Hanratty (0-1), R Woods (0-3), T Freeman (0-2). Subs: D Hughes for McQuaid, P McGuigan for Gollogly, S Smith for Woods. Seven days earlier, Monaghan had recorded an equally thrilling victory over Derry as Tommy Freeman's last-gasp free ensured a 1-13 to 1-12 success at Clones. As with Donegal and Kerry, it was the second consecutive year that Monaghan had met the Oak Leaf County in the championship. Paul Finlay missed the match due to a rather harsh suspension, while Gary McQuaid could have no complaints about the ban that ruled him out. In goal, Shane Duffy, who returned for the defeat to Fermanagh and conceded two goals, was replaced by Padraig McBennett, who had featured between the posts throughout the league. After a good first-half showing, the winners relinquished control in the second half but they demonstrated tremendous character to chisel out the decisive scores in the last four minutes. Derry got on top for most of the second period but some impressive Monaghan grittiness ultimately decided the issue. Monaghan were very much the better team in the opening period but a lapse of concentration in injury time meant their short-whistle lead was a mere two points, 1-7 to 1-5. Dick Clerkin's goal on the half hour placed the hosts in the driving seat and they led by six points at the end of normal time in the first half. But a point from Enda Muldoon followed by an Eoin Bradley major - three minutes into added time - presented the national league winners with a lifeline their general play up until then scarcely deserved. Derry got the first two points but the Oriel County moved ahead with three scores in as many minutes. A foul on full back JP Mone as he was delivering the ball resulted in a Monaghan free from where the ball landed and Tommy Freeman made no mistake in closing the gap. Seconds later, Monaghan were level when Derry goalkeeper John Deighan gifted possession to Vincent Corey and the Monaghan full forward picked out Ciaran Hanratty, who found the target. Hanratty's second point in a minute - another excellent strike - had Monaghan 0-3 to 0-2 ahead after 16. Derry edged back ahead but Stephen Gollogly had the home county on terms with a superb score on 24 minutes, set up by great fielding from Eoin Lennon and an interchange involving Corey. Gollogly's second successive point - another beautiful strike after good play by Freeman and Hanratty - saw the lead change hands again as Monaghan went back ahead, 0-5 to 0-4 with 27 minutes played. In the 30th minute, Monaghan struck for the game's first goal. A long free into the Derry goalmouth was broken down in front of Clerkin and the industrious centre forward doubled first time on the ball to give Banty's team a double scores advantage, 1-5 to 0-4. Excellent left-foot scores from Freeman and Conor McManus in the last minute of first-half normal time propelled rampant Monaghan into a six-point lead but Derry grabbed 1-1 in injury time to come right back into contention, just two adrift at the interval. Monaghan worked the ball brilliantly from the full back line to open the second-half scoring with a curling point from Woods. Freeman also got out in front of his man to kick an exquisite point as Derry twice closed within the minimum margin. Fifteen minutes into the second half, Tommy Freeman burst through the Derry rearguard to claim his third point from play. That fine score from the 2007 Ulster Footballer of the Year made it 1-10 to 1-8. Derry had levelled by the 55th minute and were suddenly looking likely winners. When they trailed by 1-11 to 1-10 with 13 minutes remaining, Monaghan's fanbase could have been forgiven for losing their faith. However, Hanratty split the posts with a sensational finish, before Derry went back in front through Paddy Bradley. Monaghan now had their backs to the wall but they responded with the game's last two scores. Within a minute of Bradley's point, substitute Shane Smyth responded after a purposeful, patient Monaghan surge. A dangerous high tackle on Gollogly handed Monaghan a free in front of the posts on the stroke of full time and Freeman took responsibility for a pressure kick of enormous proportions. The Magheracloone man hit the target in the first of two added minutes and Lennon - who produced a wonderful performance at centrefield - won the kick-out to ease some of the pressure that grew on Monaghan as injury time ticked away so, so slowly. In the end, it was a brilliant win. Most observers thought these two counties would meet in an Ulster semi-final, but they were both caught on the hop in the first round and it was Derry who exited the bigger picture first. Monaghan - 2008 SFC Round One qualifier V Derry: P McBennett; D Mone, JP Mone, D McArdle; D Freeman, D Hughes, P McGuigan; E Lennon, C Hanratty (0-3); C McManus (0-1), D Clerkin (1-0), S Gollogly (0-2); R Woods (0-1), V Corey, T Freeman (0-5). Subs: S Smith (0-1) for Hughes, N McAdams for McManus. Liam McBarron's early goal had set the tone as Fermanagh carved out a 2-8 to 0-10 derby victory over Monaghan in the first round of the Ulster SFC at refurbished Brewster Park. Having reached the final the previous year, Monaghan were intent on ending their 20-year provincial famine, but they were outplayed for most of the 70 minutes by a more focused outfit. Apart from a brief spell after the restart, Monaghan never really did themselves justice in this game. Fermanagh found the Monaghan net as early as the second minute and they led from there to the final whistle as the pre-match favourites struggled to cope with the occasion. Monaghan mounted a revival after the resumption and momentarily looked likely winners up until the concession of a second major to Ciaran McElroy. Conor McManus, Tommy Freeman (2), Paul Finlay and Vincent Corey were Monaghan's only scorers in the first half and they turned around trailing by double scores, 1-5 to 0-4. Freeman, Eoin Lennon and Finlay had the gap down to the minimum with 13 minutes played in the second half and all the momentum appeared to be with the visitors, but Fermanagh got two of the next three points and a second goal at the start of the final quarter effectively ended the game as a contest, 2-7 to 0-8. Gary McQuaid saw red as the frustration mounted and late points from Finlay and Freeman were of no significance. Ten scores apiece, but it was the two Fermanagh goals that mattered most. Monaghan, 2008 Ulster SFC V Fermanagh: S Duffy; D Mone, JP Mone, D McArdle; D Freeman, G McQuaid, D Morgan; E Lennon (0-1), D Clerkin; P Finlay (0-3), S Gollogly, C McManus (0-1); R Woods, V Corey (0-1), T Freeman (0-3). Subs: C Hanratty (0-1) for Woods, D Hughes for Morgan, R Woods for Gollogly At one stage, Monaghan had looked certainties to win Division Two of the national football league. Wins over Roscommon (1-18 to 1-8), Cavan (2-10 to 0-12) and Armagh (1-11 to 1-10) saw them sit proudly at the top of the table in late March and a draw with Dublin in Parnell Park kept the dream very much alive. When Meath were beaten by 1-12 to 0-10 it meant Monaghan now boasted a twelve-game unbeaten run in the league. But they would glean no more points from their final two matches as both Cork (whose belated participation messed the division up and arguably cost Monaghan promotion) and Westmeath recorded two-point victories at our expense. Unbelievably, Monaghan - who had led all the way - ended up in third place on 9 points, behind Westmeath (10 points) and Dublin (11 points). It was one of those years. Plenty of good football but no cigar. When Banty McEneaney indicated his intention to stay on for another year, Monaghan football received a massive early-autumn boost. Tweet

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