NICKY RACKARD CUP RELEGATION PLAY OFF. Sligo 3-14 Monaghan 2-9 Monaghan will compete in the Lory Meagher Cup in 2010 following this Nicky Rackard Cup relegation defeat by Sligo in Ballinamore on Saturday last. The result saw Sligo complete the double over Monaghan for 2009 in that the Yeatsmen also pipped Monaghan to the National Hurling league division 4 title earlier in the season and just as they did on that occasion they came with a late flourish to complete the double on Saturday last. Just one point separated the sides entering the final five minutes of normal time but from there to the finish Sligo increased the tempo to hit a goal and five points without reply to clinch victory. An eight points victory probably flatters Sligo a little as this was a game that Monaghan were in for long periods but ultimately Sligo possessed a greater degree of penetration and better finishing as Monaghan struggled at times to convert possession into scores. In assessing their performance and result though Sligo will also have to look at the fact that they hit fourteen wides in all, 10 in the second-half and that level of poor finishing always left the door open for Monaghan who were forced to field at less than full strength due to injuries, suspension and absenteeism, the latter for a variety of reasons. The sides were level at the end of a close first half, although as a game the fare of offer never rose to any great heights with scrappy play by both sides and an element of stop start due to the proliferation of frees. Monaghan took the lead early in the second-half but Sligo were soon back in front with a goal by Damien Burke restoring them to the lead and it was their third goal a minute from the end of normal time that set them on their way to victory. Liam Reidy finished top scorer with six points, all from frees and it was one of those frees him that saw him open the scoring in the third minute. Stephen Lambe equalised in the fifth minute minute with Joe Bannerton who caused Monaghan numerous problems throughout restoring Sligo to the lead in the seventh minute. Monaghan now enjoyed a modicum of good fortune when a centre by Brian McGuigan broke in the Sligo area and I Michael McHugh who this time gave up his goalkeeping duties to operate at full forward got a touch to steer the ball past Mark Kearney to put Monaghan in the lead for the first time in the 8th minute By the 18th minute though Sligo were level with points by Damien Burke in the ninth minute and Walter Gill in the 18th, with a good effort from out on the wing, although in between those strikes Monaghan did have two reasonable chances but were wide of the target from both. Noel Morgan restored Monaghan to the lead with a good point in the 20th minute and an effort from distant by Willie O'Toole was just off target in the 22nd minute before Liam Reidy again punished a defensive indiscretion to bring Sligo level. Eanna MacSuibhne picked off an excellent point for Monaghan in the 20th minute to restore them to the lead but two minutes later Sligo were back in front when Walter Gill and Joe Bannerton contrived to create the opening for Sean Lynch who crashed past Hugh Byrne to put the Yeats men two points in front. Liam Reidyy converted a free in the 31st minute for a three points lead with Michael McHugh reducing the deficit to two from a long-range free in the 32nd minute. Another converted free by Liam Reidy after he himself had again been fouled, an indiscretion that saw Paul Murphy pick up a yellow card, put Sligo three in front, but on 35 minutes Michael McHugh was on target again for Monaghan to reduce the deficit to two yet again. Another pointed free by Liam Reidy in the 39th minute put Sligo three in front but just before the half-time whistle Willie O'Toole brought Monaghan level with a huge free from all and 95 metres that went all the way to the back of the Sligo net to leave the sides level at the break, Monaghan 2-5, Sligo 1-8. Monaghan started the second-half with renewed purpose but three early attempts were all off target before John McAnespie restored them to the lead in the seventh minute. Play was now held up for a considerable time following an injury to Brian Phelan after a dangerous frontal challenge by Sligo substitute Fergus Hayes who was fortunate to only pick up a yellow card. Further chances accrued to Monaghan and Sligo also saw thjier wides tally mount saw before they opened their second half account with a point from a free by Walter Gill in the 19th minute. Damien Burke added another point almost immediately to restore them to the lead and it was no Sligo's turn to enjoy some good fortune in front of goal when a high centre was touched down by Michael Gilmartin and Damien Burke was lurking to deflect to the net for a four points lead. Michael McHugh pulled back a point following good work by Stephen Lambe and as Monaghan dug in Brian Phelan, who had now re-entered the fray, reduced the margin to two in the 26th minute with Sligo continuing to fire blanks to leave the issue wide-open. When Michael McHugh reduced the deficit to the minimum in the 31st minute the game was in the balance but from there to finish Sligo picked up the pace with a goal and a point by Niall Cadden within the space of a minute putting them five points in front, Ciaran Brennan sending in the centre that Cadden finished to the net to send Sligo on their way. They had two further chances to extend their lead but were off target from both before Ciaran Brennan put them six in front two minutes into stoppage time and in the remaining three minutes of stoppage time that were played Liam Reidy converted a free in the 38th minute and Fiachra Coyne converted another free in the 39th to leave eight points between the sides at the finish and Sligo assured of Rackard Cup hurling next season. Teams and Scorers: Sligo: Mark Kearney, Fiachra Coyne 0-1 (f), Mark Burke, Jamie Kenny, Cian Hackett, Ciaran Brennan 0-1, Ronan Cox, Niall Cadden 1-2, John Mullins, Michael Gilmartin, Damien Burke 1-2, Joe Bannerton 0-1, Liam Reidy 0-6 (6f), Walter Gill 0-2 (1f), Sean Lynch 1-0. Subs: Fergus Hayes for J Mullins, Darragh Cox for N Cadden. Monaghan: Hugh Byrne, Gavin Baxter, Paul Murphy, Barney Connor, Stephen Lynch, Willie O'Toole 1-0, Eanna MacSuibhne 0-1, John McAnespie 0-1, Brian Phelan 0-1, Stephen Lambe 0-1 (f), Arthur Hughes, Raymond Lee, Noel Morgan 0-1, Michael McHugh 1-3 (0-1f), Brian McGuigan. Subs: Jason O'Rourke for B Morgan, John Greene for B Phelan, Brian Phelan for S Lynch, Frankie McKenna for E MacSuibhne. Referee: Alan Kelly (Galway). REACTION. It was a bitterly disappointed Frank Brady who spoke to the waiting media after his side's defeat in Ballinamore on Saturday last with some of his thoughts on the lack of commitment on the part of some players bordering on anger. It was easy to understand his reaction following a game that in some ways encapsulated Monaghan's position at the moment and particularly in the two vital matches where Sligo were the opposition. He was disappointed that he was minus the services of a number of players and he spoke passionately of what is needed to move hurling back up the agenda in the county. The game almost mirrored Monaghan's meeting with Sligo in the National hurling league division 4 final with Monaghan well in the game right up to the final minutes but unable to finish it off. "That about sums it up because we just couldn't finish it off again today although we were very unlucky for a goal nearing the end which could have changed the complexion of things but instead of a goal the ball went out for a '65 and these are the breaks that we just simply haven't got all year. But at the end of the day we have to take a serious look at hurling in Monaghan and we have to realise that either it is going to be moved forward or not and fellows have to give a commitment instead of worrying about going to concerts and playing football the night before a match. One of our players was asked to play in a senior football league game last night but I believe that game should have been called off instead of asking a player to play a match on the Friday night and then turn out for the county in this relegation play-off the following day". Asked how he would assess the situation now that the season was over Frank Brady's reaction was brief and to the point. "Yes the season is over and quite honestly it would be easy for me to say that I think my day is over as well and call for somebody younger to come in, but it needn't come to that if we get the commitment from those who walked away this year. We have given it two years and to be honest we have been gradually going backwards in the last three or four months so I think we need to give hurling a new impetus. I don't know to be honest because it's very hard. I loved the involvement but Kevin (Maloney) has just indicated to the dressing room that could be stepping down but maybe he could be prevailed upon and persuaded to stay on. One thing I can say though is that we cannot keep going the way we are, fellows being haphazard and doing what they want, coming and going as they please. Either they want to come and play hurling for Monaghan or they don't and if they don't want to play hurling for Monaghan then that's grand. Be what we are then, maybe they just want to be a social hurling team, that might be the best thing, maybe that's what they want because they are not keen on giving the effort that is required. They gave it earlier in the year but then fellows just walked away for whatever reason. There is no reason to walk away from your county and it cannot be justified. Everything is being done by the county board to facilitate the hurlers although maybe games do clash now and again but we can work on that. I think the players just have to take a long hard look at themselves and decide what they want; do they want to go to concerts or what other things they want and make that decision. If they want to stay as they are then we will stay in the Lory Meagher and we will just field a team in the various matches with limited or minimum preparations because with the attitude there is there at the moment they just don't want to get promotion". Asked about his thoughts on where hurling is at this particular time and that someone new coming in would be a remedy in itself or was there more that needed to be done and examined. "It really is hard to say and maybe today is not the day for talking about things like this because we are down in the dumps now. We felt we could have won that game but what is most annoying is that we probably have a better team at home today than we had here in Ballinamore and that is no insult to the boys who played today. If we had all the boys together that are available to us and that could be there what kind of a team would we have. I can tell you we would have no problem winning the Lory Meagher Cup next year because I believe if everybody was doing what they could do to the best of their ability we are more than capable of winning the Nicky Rackard Cup. We showed that last Saturday when we put it up to Fingal in Clones and everybody was motivated and everybody made themselves available but then a week later look what happened today. The talent is there, and there is talent coming through but we have a lot of work to do to motivate these fellows and give them more belief in themselves but first of all they all have to decide what they want to do, it really does come down to that now. There are people who are willing to work with them and develop Monaghan hurling but the hunger to succeed must be there as the base for us to work on". Tweet

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