Monaghan were a revelation in the championship in 2003 and they also captured some silverware in the shape of the McKenna Cup. All in all, an excellent years work, as Gerry Robinson reports. Monaghans 2003 senior football championship form was the best produced by the Oriel County in many long years. Colm Coyles side recorded two notable successes in their own back yard of St Tiernachs Park - a shock win over defending provincial and All-Ireland champions Armagh in the preliminary round of Ulster and an historic first-ever Qualifier victory, at the expense of Westmeath. Indeed, it could have been even better for the most-improved side in Ulster: they were decidedly unlucky not to get something out of their provincial quarter-final clash with Down at Casement Park and also rattled mighty Meath in the second half of the second-round Qualifier back at Clones. While these defeats were obviously disappointing, it was nonetheless a very good summers work. Monaghan were a team transformed and have clearly come a long way under the new management triumvirate of Coyle, Declan Brennan and Noel Marron. Thomas Freemans involvement with the Irish International Rules team that travelled to Australia is further proof of this. At the start of the year, we were perceived as no-hopers. Our national profile was virtually non-existent and most neutrals probably rated us as the worst team in Ulster, if not one of the poorest in the whole country. In the Royal County, many questioned the sanity of their former star player and selector Colm Coyle when he agreed to take on the Monaghan post ... but Coyler is nobodys fool and obviously hadnt taken the job on a whim. Of course, he knew exactly what he was doing. Word was that Monaghan had the players; all they needed was a sense of direction and common purpose. Coyle threw himself into the job with tremendous enthusiasm and energy. Monaghan had been given the nightmare draw - pitted against awesome Armagh in the preliminary round of the 2003 Ulster SFC - but the manager insisted all along that this was the ideal opener and that Armagh would be there for the taking. Plans for an ambush were quickly put in place. When Declan Brennan and Noel Marron were appointed selectors, Monaghan suddenly had a genuine managerial Dream Team in place. Nobody knows more about Monaghan football than these two; nobody was hungrier for success. The perfect choice on both counts. Even though the new regime got off to a wonderful start by winning the Dr McKenna Cup (See Below), the honeymoon period didnt last long and it soon became apparent that a great deal of work had to be done before championship time came around. Monaghans league form was patchy at best, and the heavy bubble-bursting defeat suffered at the hands of Derry was particularly disconcerting. But there were flashes of brilliance too, and these provided the think tank with plenty to build upon. All in all, Monaghans league form was unspectacular but satisfactory. Promotion had eluded them, but there were no sleepless nights over that. The build-up to the Armagh game remained low-key, tucked away from the media glare, and this suited Coyle and his co-conspirators down to the ground. The big day finally arrived. In previewing the game, the most encouraging thing that any pundit could say about Monaghan was that they might not get hammered. They might put up a sturdy enough struggle, offer some dogged resistance before succumbing to inevitable defeat. The bookies made Monaghan 10/1 outsiders, a move which suggested that the optimistic amongst the Oriel County faithful might be better advised to hold their hard-earned cash until the next time there were two flies jaunting up a wall. Monaghan hadnt got a chance in Hell. Everybody said it. Lambs to the slaughter and all that. But Colm Coyles calm persona and benign smile almost gave the game away. He knew what the world was refusing to believe. Like Jack Nicholsons character in One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, he had his own theory as to who the real loonies were! And so it came to pass that Monaghan gave a vintage display at Clones on Sunday May 11th 2003 to power to a 0-13 to 0-9 victory over the much-lauded Orchard men. Armagh were bidding for their fourth Ulster championship in five years but Monaghan dumped them unceremoniously with an impassioned and high-tempo game. When push came to shove, it was the underdogs who had all the answers. Every bit as pleasing as the win was the manner in which it was achieved: Monaghan were coherent, they stuck to their game plan and each cog in their well-oiled machine assumed its responsibility manfully. Even though Paul Finlays scoring endeavours were astounding, this was not a day for individualism but was about grouping collectively for the greater cause. Even the sending-off of influential roving corner forward Damien Freeman could not deter the thoroughly-deserving winners from their chosen path. The win was no fluke. Armagh, who went on to reach the All-Ireland final via the back door route, were NOT caught on the hop - they knew exactly what to expect from their neighbours but had no answer to their greater resolve. Victory was carefully planned and ruthlessly executed. Monaghans verve tore the formbook to shreds and reminded us that this was a local derby first and foremost. The same will apply when the sides meet again in Armagh in the first round next summer. Some of Finlays eight points (which all came from frees) were nothing short of breathtaking and the fact that many of these were floated over the bar with the match hanging in the balance shows the measure of the youngster, who was making his championship debut. As indeed was centre back James Coyle, whose handling of John McEntee was superb. The four-point win was achieved in spite of Damien Freemans harsh dismissal 21 minutes from time. It was the Magheracloone player who set up Nicholas Corrigan for Monaghans second point in the seventh minute after his brother Thomas had opened the scoring when lobbing over at the end of a strong solo run. Armagh Even though Armagh went ahead through a Paddy McKeever point and a brace from Diarmuid Marsden, Monaghan levelled again with a 21-metre Finlay free. On the stroke of the half-hour, full forward Raymond Ronaghan gave Monaghan a lead that they would hold all the way to the final whistle. Another Finlay free and a Mickey Slowey point saw to it that the underdogs took a 0-6 to 0-4 advantage into the break. Monaghan didnt exactly rush out of the dressing-room for the re-start, but there was no shortage of urgency in their play as they proceeded to pull off the shock of the year. Finlay swapped points with McKeever; Ronaghan added Monaghans next score before Stephen McDonnell pulled two back for the under-pressure champions. Potential disaster struck in the 46th minute when Freeman picked up his second yellow for a robust challenge and Tony McEntee pointed from Armaghs next attack to reduce the leeway to the minimum. It was now that Monaghans true mettle came to the fore. Finlay curled over two wonderful frees to put Monaghan 0-10 to 0-7 to the good with only 15 minutes to play. Goalkeeper Glen Murphy was the next hero to get in on the act with a brave block at Tony McEntees feet. Ballybay youngster Finlay split the posts again before shellshocked Armagh landed their last two points of the 2003 Ulster SFC - a brace from substitute Philip Loughran. The majestic Finlay closed the scoring with two more stellar points and when the final whistle sounded every man, woman and child of Monaghan persuasion celebrated. Nobody had more cause for celebration than midfielder Jason Hughes, who carried the fight to Armagh from start to finish and was simply awesome throughout the 70 minutes. After the game, manager Coyle was quick to point out that Monaghan had only won a preliminary round tie and that the victory would count for little if they couldnt progress further by overcoming Down in the quarter-final. Unfortunately, a catalogue of missed chances cost the inexperienced Oriel County dearly against the Mourne men. Down Although they lost by two points (1-12 to 0-13) at Casement Park on Sunday June 8th, Monaghan emerged from the game with great credit, having contributed enormously to what was a magnificent spectacle. In defeat, Monaghan produced another performance from the top drawer. Colm Coyles side dominated the first half, both in terms of possession and scoring-wise. In the second half, they continued to play fluent and effective football all over the pitch but this time scores proved harder to come by and Down were much more economical. There was nothing wrong with Paul Finlays shooting, however. This time the Ballybay star contributed seven points, five frees and two from open play. He destroyed the Down rearguard in the first half and was also denied a blatant penalty when wrestled to the ground after acrobatically fielding Thomas Freemans high centre in the 27th minute. The baffling decision not to award a spot-kick was a major turning point as Monaghan led by four points at that stage and a goal then would almost certainly have put the game beyond Downs reach. It was Finlay who opened the scoring with a free after only 30 seconds and the same player added his sides second point, but scores from Colm McCrickard, Gregory McCartan and Liam Doyle had Down 0-3 to 0-2 to the good after 15 minutes. Finlay (2), Anthony Rooney, Mickey Slowey and Thomas Freeman put Monaghan four points clear after 20 minutes. Down were clearly rattled and John Laverys 22nd-minute point was answered by a Finlay free. Down had an amazing let-off when the Monaghan dangerman was blatantly dragged to the ground in the 27th minute. Longford referee Eugene Murtagh initially spread his arms to award a penalty but then changed his mind and waved play on. It was an outrageous injustice. A Liam Doyle free steadied Down but Finlay again extended Monaghans lead to four, finishing off a neat move involving Eoin Lennon, Nicholas Corrigan and Raymond Ronaghan. Having dominated exchanges before the interval, Monaghan failed to force their superiority home and when Down popped over the last two scores of a great first half it meant Monaghan only led by two, 0-9 to 0-7. Wastefulness crept into Monaghans play after the break and they only managed four points in the entire second half, landing some dreadful wides in the process. A Down blitz of 1-2 inside seven minutes at the start of the half knocked the stuffing out of Monaghan. Within a ten minute spell either side of the short whistle, their four point cushion had evaporated and in its place stood a three-point deficit. To their credit, Monaghan controlled the rest of the match. But they failed to convert their superiority into scores. Raymond Ronaghan popped over a point in the eighth minute but, unbelievably, despite owning the ball, Monaghan failed to score again until the 21st minute of the second half, when who else but Finlay re-opened their account with a free. Monaghan trailed by a point with 14 minutes remaining but, had their play in the final third been a bit better, they could easily have led by five or six. When Down grabbed the games next two scores, daylight appeared between the teams with only five minutes left. Jason Hughes took up the gauntlet and fisted a point at the end of a purposeful run in the 66th minute but McCartan landed a 45 for Down two minutes later. Monaghan knew they needed a goal and they gamely went forward in search of one, finishing as they had started (and continued for most of the 70 minutes) - on the offensive. But the elusive goal was not forthcoming (...Monaghan didnt manage a goal in any of their 2003 championship outings...) and the only answer the unlucky losers could muster was an injury-time consolation from substitute Rory Woods. And so Monaghan went tumbling into the Qualifiers... Westmeath The clash with Westmeath at Clones on Saturday June 14th was an historic one for two reasons: it was the first ever championship meeting of the counties and also produced Monaghans first success in a Qualifier (they had lost their previous two Back Door outings to neighbours Armagh and Louth). Luke Dempseys men had famously shot themselves in the foot against Meath at Croke Park before succumbing to the Royals in a replay at Portlaoise, and Monaghan compounded the watery midlanders summer of woe with a fully-deserved 0-14 to 1-9 victory. Monaghan made a blistering start and the Maroons didnt know what had hit them as the hosts raced into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead inside seven minutes, Tom Freeman sending over three of those early points while Paul Finlay and influential midfielder Eoin Lennon got the other two. Westmeath were held to a single point inside the opening quarter and the winners added two more scores (courtesy of Freeman and Nicolas Corrigan) to lead by 0-7 to 0-1. Scores proved much more difficult to come by in the second quarter but still Monaghan increased their tally thanks to two trademark frees from the reliable left boot of Finlay to take a commanding 0-9 to 0-2 advantage into the interval. Monaghan were unable to sustain the same level of intensity after the break. In contrast, their opponents upped their urgency. Gradually Westmeath came back into it and whittled the leeway down to five points, 0-12 to 0-7. It could have been worse had not the Lakesiders squandered two glorious goalscoring chances. The inevitable goal did arrive seven minutes from time, however, courtesy of substitute Gary Dolan. Suddenly there were just two points in it, with the Leinster side carrying all the momentum. But even though they twice cut the differential to the minimum, the visitors never managed to get back on level terms and Monaghan clung desperately to a slender one-point advantage until Finlay excellently slotted over the insurance point - his sixth of the match - from a sideline kick four minutes into added time. For the first time since 1988 (when last they won the Ulster SFC), Monaghan had extended their championship run to four games. They had also dispersed the question marks hanging over their character, bouncing back only six days after that heartbreaking and luckless defeat to Down at Casement. When Westmeath came at them late on, Monaghan showed remarkable resolve to hang on. Meath Pitted against the might of Meath, Monaghan could hardly have asked for a more difficult Round Two Qualifier. Colm Coyle named an unchanged side for the match, which was played in Clones a week later, on Saturday June 21st. This seemed like a good opportunity to beat the Royals, who were playing their fourth championship game in 21 days, but Monaghan received a major blow before throw-in when Damien Freeman was ruled out. The Maheracloone man was replaced in the starting line-up by the experienced Dermot McArdle. Despite a spirited second-half effort, Monaghan lost by four points, 2-10 to 0-12. The game was won and lost in the first half, when Monaghan afforded their more illustrious opponents far too much respect and the fired-up Royals took full advantage. From a Monaghan perspective, the first half was a nightmare. They didnt get going at all and, realistically, were fortunate to trail by only twelve points at the break! There was never going to be any escaping from the 2-8 to 0-2 deficit but, in fairness, the Monaghan lads gave it one hell of a shot. They outscored the Green & Golds by ten points to two in the second half and at times came agonisingly close to sneaking their first goal of the campaign. But the three-pointer the home side so desperately craved was not forthcoming. Second-half substitute Rory Woods was the pick of the Monaghan team on the day, helping himself to six excellent points as the Oriel men tried to undo the first-half damage. With that, the voyage ended. But everyone associated with Monaghan football, and with this new-look team in particular, could hold their heads up high. Two-thousand-and-three represented a giant, purposeful stride in the right direction and provides a sound platform upon which to build. And who will ever forget that spectacular dismantling of Armagh? The team that raided the Orchard at Clones on May 11th 2003: Glen Murphy; John Paul Mone, Damien McKenna, Paraic McKenna; Dermot Duffy, James Coyle, Vincent Corey; Eoin Lennon, Jason Hughes; Nicholas Corrigan (0-1), Thomas Freeman (0-1), Paul Finlay (0-8); Michael Slowey (0-1), Raymond Ronaghan (0-2), Damien Freeman. Subs: Anthony Rooney, Rory Woods. Monaghan win Dr McKenna Cup With the new management team in place, Monaghans seniors received a timely boost to morale in early 03 when capturing the Dr McKenna Cup for the first time since 1995. Although its not the most prestigious competition in the gaelic football world, victory nonetheless represented quite an achievement for the Oriel County, who saw off the might of Derry, All-Ireland champions Armagh and national league holders Tyrone to claim the provinces subsidiary senior competition. Indeed, it should also be noted that home advantage was conceded in both the Derry and Armagh games, while the final was played on neutral turf. Over 3,000 supporters flocked to Enniskillens Brewster Park on Sunday March 16th to see Monaghan defeat Tyrone by 1-11 to 0-12 in the 2003 McKenna Cup final. Victory came against the grain, as Monaghans league form up until then had been indifferent to say the least (while the ONeill men were in the process of retaining the Division One league title and, of course, went on to win the All-Ireland too). At half time, the teams had seven points apiece, the ONeill County staying in contention thanks to Mark Hartes precise free-taking. Thomas Freeman netted the only goal of the game in the 45th minute and any notions that Tyrone (who went into the final on the back of a stunning league win over Armagh) werent taking things seriously were dispelled when Peter Canavan was thrown into the fray. Monaghan held out, however, and were a point to the good before Paul Finlay sent over the insurance score from a late free. The game was played as part of a double bill, also featuring the national hurling league clash with Fermanagh (which Monaghan also won!). The Dr McKenna Cup competition usually finishes before the commencement of the NFL but in 03 it ran late due to a number of postponements. New manager Colm Coyle had yet to finalise his panel by the time of the first-round clash with Derry. The game was originally fixed for Ballinascreen on Sunday January 12th but fell victim to the weather. Monaghan were on their way to their Hillgrove Hotel meeting point when word of the cancellation broke, so they instead had a training session at St Macartans College. The Derry match finally took place at the above-mentioned venue seven days later and Monaghan cruised to a 2-13 to 0-12 victory over an experimental Derry side. Kieran Tavey scored 1-3, while Damien Freeman chipped in with 1-2. The main talking point from Monaghans semi-final defeat of what was essentially Armaghs second string at Crossmaglen on Sunday January 26th was a controversial helicopter incident. But even that couldnt stop Monaghan from recording the win they needed to book a place in the final. That was the first of two Monaghan victories over Armagh in 2003... Tweet

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