Monaghan came agonisingly close to annexing the 2003 Ulster under 21 football championship only to see their dreams evaporate in a shroud of controversy on provincial final day. How frustrating can football be? Sometimes it appears as though results have been pre-ordained ... almost as if teams don't actually carry their fate in their own hands. When justice goes AWOL, what remains? Dejection? Hurt? Confusion? Outrage? Those associated with the Monaghan U21s in 2003 felt all these emotions - and many more besides - on a cruel April's day in Enniskillen. The setting was the 2003 Ulster U21 football championship final. Monaghan faced Tyrone, who were gunning for a fourth successive title at this level. They matched the O'Neill County all the way, did absolutely nothing wrong - yet still lost! Monaghan led all the way, right up until the 56th minute when Tyrone were awarded an extremely dubious penalty. It was a contentious decision to say the least, but was the key to victory for the defending champions who prevailed by 2-8 to 0-11. Monaghan had deserved much better. Throughout their campaign they did everything that was asked of them, accounting for Down, Fermanagh and Donegal in three close-fought and difficult matches and outscoring Tyrone in the decider. The term 'rough justice' springs to mind... Down The year began in earnest for the county's under 21s when they took on Down in Newry in the preliminary round on March 15th. They went into the campaign determined to improve upon the '02 performance (when Monaghan defeated Antrim before losing to Tyrone in the semi-final) and the general consensus was that the Oriel County had an excellent chance of reaching an Ulster final - at the very least. Of course, it wasn't going to be easy. But they had the stuff to work with; the team was meticulously prepared; and confidence was high. This optimism was justified on account of the work that had been put in at minor level over previous years coupled with the fact that a number of the players had experienced U21 football in 2002 and were now one year older, wiser and stronger. In the preceding three years, Monaghan contested an Ulster minor football league final, two Ulster minor football championship semi-finals and one Ulster minor championship final. All those players were now available for under 21 action. The U21s were strengthened no end by the arrival of the '02 midfield pairing of James Conlon and Francis Markey, the first-mentioned having received the county's Young Footballer of the Year award for 2002. Paul Finlay was always going to be a major threat to any team, while senior panelists Paul Meegan, Vincent Corey and Dessie Mone would add strength in key areas, as would Damien Larkin and Paudie Finnegan. The fact that the U21s were training in tandem with the county seniors was another positive factor, with Meath legend Colm Coyle taking charge of both teams. Although Down had been quiet enough at underage level in recent years, there was every reason for Monaghan to afford the Mourne County the utmost respect. After all, they had home advantage for the opener ... and everyone was mindful of the fact that they had won the All-Ireland MFC in 1999. Down hadn't won a first round game in two years and Monaghan saw to it that this poor run continued by inflicting a 1-8 to 0-10 defeat. In the end, Monaghan's greater hunger and determination were the telling factors as they snatched the spoils with a dramatic late surge. Extra time beckoned when Down's Damien McGrady slotted over an equalising point in the final minute, but Monaghan held their heads and Vincent Corey broke through from midfield to hit the winner after a neat exchange with Paul Finlay. Even though the game went right down to the wire, Monaghan were full value for this win as they withstood everything the hosts could throw at them and posed quite a threat themselves at times. Down took the lead early on but Monaghan quickly levelled through Damien Larkin. There was no more scoring until the midway point in the second quarter, at which stage Finlay struck to give Monaghan the lead for the first time. The Mourne County equalised again when Danny Hughes scored the first of his four points, but Finlay restored Monaghan's advantage in the 29th minute with a superb solo effort A brace of late points gave Down the slenderest of interval leads, 0-4 to 0-3. Two converted frees from Dessie Mone saw Monaghan move quickly back in front upon the resumption. Finlay added another point for the winners and Monaghan had a lucky escape when Ronan Murtagh's fisted effort ended up in the back of the net, only to be ruled out for an infringement. By the 47th minute Down had again drawn level. A minute later, they crept ahead. However, Monaghan then registered the crucial score of the match. Corey did the spadework before setting up substitute Peter Dooley who made no mistake with his shot past the despairing dive of Down's netminder. Down edged back to within a point before Finlay's 56th minute minor had Colm Coyle's side two to the good again. But once more the hosts fought back, to level right on the stroke of the hour. Monaghan dug deep though and booked their place in the next round when Corey registered the decisive point. Fermanagh Having successfully negotiated the preliminary round, Monaghan had home venue for their quarter-final, entertaining Fermanagh at Clones a fortnight later (Saturday March 29th). In the meantime, Colm Coyle availed of the opportunity of bringing his U21 squad to Milltown Malby to take on Clare in a challenge on March 23rd (the counties also met in a national league game that afternoon). It was a worthwhile exercise for the visitors, who prevailed by the minimum margin, 0-8 to 0-7, against a resolute Banner County outfit. The performance of full forward Dessie Mone, who contributed six points, was instrumental in Monaghan's win. Although it had been close, Monaghan had retained their winning momentum ahead of the Fermanagh fixture, which was important for morale. As it turned out, the home side enjoyed victory on the double at Clones on the last Saturday of March 2003, the minors beating Donegal by six points while the U21s repelled a strong Fermanagh fightback to take the honours with a dramatic late point. This one truly was a game of two halves. Monaghan dominated the first period and took full advantage of the cracks that appeared in Fermanagh's porous defence by slamming home three goals. This gave them what seemed an insurmountable half-time lead ... but Fermanagh roared back into it on the resumption, setting alarm bells ringing on the Monaghan bench. When the Erne County moved a point ahead, Monaghan somehow rediscovered their composure to pull a result out of the fire. It had appeared at that stage as though Fermanagh had the momentum needed to go on and secure victory but for the second successive match, Monaghan (who led by NINE points at the break) prevailed through an injury time point. In the final analysis, those three first half goals were critical factors in Monaghan's success, giving them an apparently comfortable 3-3 to 0-3 lead at the short whistle. In the face of Fermanagh's fierce rally, Monaghan only managed three points in the second half. Fermanagh's second goal edged them a point ahead, providing a real test of Monaghan's character. The response was as positive as it had been in Newry: late points from Derek McMahon and Damien Larkin ensured a 3-6 to 2-8 win. Corner forward Mone fired home a brace of goals in the first half. Dessie Mone scored the other major. Donegal In the Ulster semi-final Monaghan took on dogged Donegal, who had surprisingly accounted for Derry in the previous round. The game took place in Clones on April 5th and Monaghan recorded yet another narrow victory, this time by two points, 1-10 to 1-8. This was a tremendous workmanlike performance, against a highly fancied Donegal side managed by Brian McEniff's son Sean. Monaghan, who were missing a couple of regulars on the day, made a slow enough start but produced some impressive football once they got into their stride. Donegal took an early two-point lead but Monaghan went ahead when centre forward and Man of the Match Paul Finlay calmly converted a ninth-minute penalty. It was a lead Monaghan refused to relinquish and they advanced deservedly to a final meeting with old rivals Tyrone at Brewster Park. Tyrone Throw-in at the Fermanagh county grounds was at 3.30 on Saturday April 12th. Monaghan were happy with the choice of venue - their seniors had scalped none other than Tyrone there in the McKenna Cup final a few weeks earlier! But the O'Neill men had proven Monaghan's bogey team at underage level in recent years, thwarting their attempts to win provincial gold on numerous occasions. Tyrone had effortlessly accounted for Antrim in their semi-final, with all six forwards getting on the scoresheet. Monaghan, on the other hand, were in the final due to their great work ethic, will to win and never-say-die spirit. As it transpired, the decider was lost in extremely unfortunate circumstances, THAT dubious 56th-minute penalty effectively burying Monaghan's dream. It was a cruel blow. The fortuitous penalty goal put the defending champions ahead for the first time in the match. The fascinating provincial final was evenly balanced throughout, but for long spells it seemed likely that the individual brilliance of Paul Finlay would be the difference between the teams. The centre forward/midfielder was outstanding, fielding superbly and running at the Tyrone defence time and time again. He struck eight points, including two monstrous long-rangers and one stunner from a sideline kick 20 metres out. It was all-square at six points apiece at the interval and Monaghan forced Tyrone to play catch-up throughout the second half, right up to the referee's controversial decision four minutes from time. The sides were level towards the end of the first quarter, Monaghan having registered through Finlay (2) and Damien Larkin, before Finlay's third point in the 14th minute made it 0-4 to 0-3. Tyrone levelled but Larkin fisted another Monaghan point in the 23rd minute. Dessie Mone got Monaghan's next point and Tyrone drew level in first-half injury time. Monaghan surged three points clear inside the first ten minutes of the second half thanks to a scoring spurt from Finlay, who landed two frees and a sideline ball. However, much to the Oriel County's obvious dismay, Tyrone levelled with a fine opportunist goal from county senior Kevin Hughes at the three-quarters stage. Two more Finlay points were enough to give the challengers the narrowest of leads as the game crept into its final five minutes. Then came the contentious decision that ruined Monaghan's big day: a high ball into the danger area bounded over the bar but much to everybody's surprise the referee awarded a penalty, ruling that Rory Treanor had fouled Sean Cavanagh off the ball. When Aidan McCarron slotted home from the spot, it was suddenly a case of So Near And Yet So Far for Monaghan. Monaghan, 2003 Ulster U21 championship finalists: Shane Duffy; Padraig Keenan, Rory Treanor, Niall Flanagan; Noel Coyle, Ashley White, Shane Mulligan; Francis Markey, Vincent Corey (0-1); Stephen Fitzpatrick, Paul Finlay (0-8), Peter Dooley; Damien Larkin (0-1), Dessie Mone (0-1), James Conlon. Subs used: Gary McBride, Stephen Gollogly, Derek McMahon Tweet

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