Monaghan bowed out of the 2005 Ulster U21 football championship at the first hurdle, when Cavan prevailed by 0-11 to 1-7 at Clones on Saturday March 20. Shorn of four key men for the crucial championship opener, Monaghan were also reduced to fourteen players in the third quarter. Thus, the closeness of the final scoreline left us all pondering what might have been… After the final whistle shrieked across the sparse expanse of St Tiernach's Park and Monaghan's U21 provincial prospects disappeared for another twelve months at least, manager Eamonn O'Hara admitted that he was bitterly disappointed by the outcome. The one-point defeat to neighbours Cavan was arguably less than the Oriel County players deserved for a dogged display against the odds but, alas, such are the narrow margins that make or break contenders in intercounty fare these days. The sun was shining at the county grounds on Saturday March 20 as Monaghan made their exit from the Ulster U21 competition, going under to the Breffni boys by a solitary point. They had been in the hunt right up to the final whistle. Ah, the pain of it all… Exchanges were tough and uncompromising throughout and there was never much to choose between the teams. However, Cavan did admittedly get on top during a dominant spell either side of the break and it was here that they established the platform for slender success. Sean Johnston was a real thorn in Monaghan's side over the hour, finishing the match with a personal tally of five points. Indeed, the outcome could have been much different had the home team been able to cut off the supply feeding the Cavan No.15. As it was, they fell marginally short. Cavan started senior centre forward Michael Lyng on the forty and the Cavan Gaels clubman was an influential figure up until his enforced departure after 20 minutes. When Lyng left the fray injured, one might have expected Monaghan to seize the initiative but, frustratingly, the opposite scenario seemed to materialise. Doubling their efforts upon the departure of their star man, Cavan upped the ante and threatened for a time to take the game by the scruff of the neck. But for two exceptional saves from Monaghan net minder Brian McCabe, there could have been clear daylight between the teams well before the end. The winners were first on the scoreboard with a point from Ciaran Galligan but Monaghan received a massive early boost when full forward Paul McGuigan's free ended up in the back of the net. The early goal was a huge boost but, despite some good controlled possession football, Monaghan were unable to capitalise where it mattered most - on the scoreboard. With midfield partnership Brendan McKenna and Jonathan McGuigan enjoying their best spell of the match, space was opening up for Monaghan and it looked decidedly promising when Dessie Mone gathered possession in the eighth minute to fire over and extend the lead to three points, 1-1 to 0-1. Still very much involved in the action at this stage, Lyng dispelled any notions that Monaghan might run amok with a superb long-ranger within sixty seconds of Mone's strike. Paul Meegan landed another Monaghan point but Cavan eventually got on top and registered four points on the bounce to regain a one-point advantage. Monaghan had the final say of the first half and the sides were level at the half-time hiatus: Monaghan 1-3, Cavan 0-6. It got worse for Monaghan on the resumption as the Breffni County outscored them by three points to one in the opening minutes of the second half. Johnston got all three of those points for the winners, while Mone's point between scores only served to contain the deficit. Meehan then reduced the leeway to a very manageable one-point and all things seemed possible again…….. ……..and disaster struck. Just when one sensed that Monaghan had the measure of their opponents, the dismissal of influential centre forward Mone for a second yellow took the wind from their sails. Trailing by a point and also afflicted by numerical inferiority (not to mention the host of absentees on the day!), under strength Monaghan faced a torrid last quarter. However, Cavan were guilty of some poor finishing in the closing stages, which almost handed the men in white a lifeline. The manager threw senior county dual player Bernard O'Brien into the mix with six minutes remaining and the switch almost paid dividends. O'Brien was determined to seize the opportunity with both hands and landed the equalising score within a minute of his arrival. Unfortunately, the next two scores went Cavan's way, courtesy of Peter Monaghan and Johnston. Again, Monaghan were given hope when supersub O'Brien hit the target again with two minutes remaining, but time ebbed agonisingly away and the hosts slipped to a luckless one-point defeat. It was a typical Monaghan/Cavan meeting, in keeping with the long tradition of close encounters between the neighbouring rivals. Monaghan had prepared meticulously, playing a number of challenge matches as part of a rigorous training regime under manager Eamonn O'Hara, who left no stone unturned in his quest to unleash the best team possible. The weekend prior to the championship, Monaghan played a creditable 1-13 apiece draw with Mayo, a result which suggested that they were shaping up well for a tilt at Ulster. However, the unavailability of some big players as well as the dismissal of Dessie Mone proved too great a handicap to overcome. That's not to take anything away from Cavan, though. The Breffni lads played some good football over the hour and, like Monaghan, had their injury worries going into the game. They too had a number of players with national football league experience, as well as a host of players who featured on the impressive Cavan minor team of 2003. After the game, the losing manager admitted that he was disappointed, noting: "The lads played well and gave it their best shot and the game was there for the winning. However, I have to say that we were operating at something of a handicap all through. Even before the season started, we knew we were going to be without a number of players. We were short two or three, one of whom was Francis Markey, who had to undergo an operation. His presence in midfield would have been a great advantage, but that's how it goes. "As well as that, we had to start without three regulars on the day because of injuries, so you could say that we were missing four first-team players on the day. Having said that, I think the match was still there for the taking. It was in the balance all the way." The Monaghan team that took part in the 2005 Ulster U21 football championship: Brian McCabe; Donal Morgan, James Conlon, John McMahon; Bernard Kelly, James O'Hara, James Ward; Brendan McKenna, Jonathan McGuigan; Shane Mulligan, Dessie Mone (0-2), Stephen Gollogly; Sean Downey, Paul McGuigan (1-0), Paul Meegan (0-3). Subs: Niall Feely, Bernard O'Brien (0-2) Tweet

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