Faced with Division One fare in the league and a mouth-watering Ulster opener against holders Armagh, Monaghan's senior footballers went into the 2006 season full of optimism. However, both campaigns ended on disappointing notes - an instant return to the lower divisions and a replay defeat to the Orchard County. The thoroughly disconcerting 0-8 to 0-6 Round Two qualifier defeat to Wexford in atrocious conditions at Clones on Saturday July 8 pretty much summed Monaghan's year up. After the highs of '05, when our senior footballers captured a national title with that dramatic win over Meath and then got back to Croke Park to play Tyrone in the championship (and within touching distance of the All-Ireland series), 2006 was a bitterly disappointing year for Monaghan, with no joy in the national league, Ulster championship or qualifying series. Relegation in the league was the worst possible prelude to the championship and must have affected the team's belief. Despite some encouraging performances - in particular the resounding victory over Dublin in Parnell Park - Seamus McEneaney's side finished bottom of the Division 1A table with just three points (they also drew with Offaly) and slipped back down to the second tier. Worryingly, Monaghan lost all four of their homes games - against Fermanagh, Kerry, Mayo and Cork - and they also let a healthy lead slip in Tyrone. There were definite signs of promise but, all in all, it was an unsatisfactory campaign. The players really lifted it for the championship and almost consigned Armagh to a shock defeat in Clones on May 14 (0-10 apiece) but lost the replay at the same venue six days later (1-13 to 0-10) after passing up a couple of glorious goalscoring opportunities before the break. A thumping 2-19 to 3-6 defeat of troubled Wicklow in the first round of the qualifiers was almost too easy and Monaghan were favourites for their Round Two qualifier against Wexford - their fourth championship match of the year to be played in St Tiernach's Park. Exactly a year earlier, the Oriel County had powered past the Slaneysiders at the same venue and the same stage of the back door. But, this time, in inclement conditions, they completely failed to ignite and scored just six times. Some people said that Mattie Forde shouldn't have been playing. Well, it wouldn't have made any difference if Monaghan had played. When you amass only six points at home in the championship, you will invariably lose… Armagh Pt I Monaghan and Armagh had already clashed in the first round of the championships of 2003 and 2004, with a win apiece. Including the two games in 2006, they have now met four times in as many seasons (and five times in six). The counties have collided 42 times in the championship, with 21 wins going to Monaghan, 17 to Armagh and four draws. Both sides went into the May 14 clash on the back of indifferent league form, but at least Armagh had managed to retain their top-flight status courtesy of a last-day win over Wexford. Monaghan had no such joy, losing at home to Cork in the last round and making the dreaded drop. Armagh were bidding to become the first side since Down in 1961 to win three Ulsters in a row and Monaghan wanted to shock their neighbours for the second time in four years. They came very, very close… Seamus McEneaney's team was quick out of the blocks at rainy Clones and also finished strongly (four early points; five late ones; not a lot in between) as the underdogs held champions Armagh to a 0-10 apiece draw. Armagh seemed to have stolen a trademark win when they took control in the third quarter, but Monaghan demonstrated tremendous resolve to battle back for a deserved draw. Monaghan started best and led by 0-4 to 0-1 after 20 minutes. Malachy Mackin opened the scoring for the Orchard County in the first minute but the Oriel County had the next four scores, three of them from open play. Rory Woods (2) and the Freeman brothers Damien and Tom were on the mark for the rampant hosts, who started with Dick Clerkin at midfield and Paul Finlay on the forty. Woods, who had sent over an excellent free earlier, was guilty of a poor wide from an easier effort. Against a team like Armagh, you have to take your chances and, true to form, the defending Ulster champions soon got themselves back into contention. Oisin McConville (2) and Ronan Clarke drew Joe Kernan's men level and the Crossmaglen clubman was on target with a decidedly dubious injury-time free as the Orchard took a 0-5 to 0-4 interval advantage. 'Banty' must have been a disappointed man at the break as his team had missed at least four presentable opportunities in the first half and failed to register since the 18th minute. Finlay (free) had Monaghan level on the resumption but Steven McDonnell popped up with two customary points to make it 0-7 to 0-5, while Monaghan were left to rue more wides from Eoin Lennon and Woods. McConville clipped over a free as the Orchard County ominously moved three clear with only 20 minutes left. Finlay was then sent clear by Damien Freeman but his goal effort was excellently smothered by the Armagh goalkeeper. Still without a point from play since the 18th minute, Monaghan were suffering a dramatic collapse and energetic midfielder Kieran McGeeney kicked a point from play to symbolise the Orchard County's rising superiority. The home side lost their shape for long periods in the second half and were unable to test stand-in full back Tony McEntee. Tommy Freeman was afforded little protection whatsoever from the officials. Then came the unexpected Lazarus revival that almost sent Monaghan through to a semi-final meeting with Fermanagh. Carrickmacross Emmets clubman Stephen Gollogly raised Monaghan's flagging spirit with an excellent right-footed strike from play eight minutes from the end. Clerkin followed up with an exceptional score a minute later as the challengers closed within two, 0-9 to 0-7. Armagh refused to panic, however, and McConville provided a steadying point from play off his left boot. The 29th-minute score was McConville's fifth of the day. Some of the 23,000-strong crowd began to leave. Fools. You should always stay to the end. Sprung from the bench, a determined Hugh McElroy and Gollogly brought Monaghan within a point and, incredibly, Finlay levelled from an impossible-looking injury-time free as Armagh were seriously rattled. Gary McQuaid was sent off right at the death but Monaghan went for the jugular, piling forward in search of a sensational victory. But time ran out and the full-time whistle sounded with the teams level, 0-10 apiece. With three points in the last five minutes, Monaghan had salvaged a deserved draw. Unfortunately, this would prove the highlight of their 2006 championship as they failed to repeat the excellent qualifier run of '05, bowing out this time at the second hurdle (as opposed to the fourth). Monaghan: S Duffy; G McQuaid, J Coyle, C Flanagan; D Freeman (0-1), V Corey, D McArdle; E Lennon, P Finlay (0-2), D Clerkin (0-1), S Gollogly (0-2), J McElroy; T Freeman (0-1), R Ronaghan, R Woods (0-2). Subs: H McElroy (0-1), P McGuigan Armagh Pt II Armagh knocked Monaghan out of the 2006 Ulster SFC at the second attempt at Clones on Saturday May 20th, claiming a 1-13 to 0-10 victory en route to a remarkable sixth Anglo-Celt Cup success in eight year. Monaghan had matched Joe Kernan's team in the first half, but conceded a goal and missed two three-pointers themselves. In the end, this was the difference. The Orchard County were more ruthless and clinical - a case in point being Brian Mallon's promptly-dispatched goal at the end of the first quarter after a brilliant long-range Kieran McGeeney pass. In contrast, Tommy Freeman uncharacteristically spurned two good opportunities of finding the net. Substitute Paul McGuigan also found himself in a good position in front of goal in the second half but lost his footing at the vital moment. Monaghan had seven wides in the opening period and their composure and belief finally deserted them completely entering the fourth quarter. Paul McGrane had an outstanding year in 2006 and he was central to this Armagh victory, with a dominant showing in the centre of the field. Monaghan had got off to a dream start with the first three points but the winners then bagged 1-2 in reply and Mallon's 17th-minute goal proved the difference between the sides at the interval, 1-5 to 0-6. Monaghan kept at it on the restart but Armagh eventually found their rhythm for a comfortable victory in the end. It could have been a different story if Monaghan had taken more of their chances, though. Monaghan: S Duffy; D McArdle, J Coyle, C Flanagan; D Freeman, G McQuaid, V Corey; E Lennon, D Clerkin (0-1); P Finlay (0-4), S Gollogly, H McElroy; T Freeman (0-2), R Ronaghan, R Woods (0-3). Subs: P McGuigan, K Tavey, C Hanratty Wicklow For the first-round qualifier, Monaghan made three changes from that team that was defeated by Armagh in the Ulster Championship replay. With Vincent Corey, Hugh McElroy and Raymond Ronaghan sidelined by injury, championship debuts were handed to Scotstown's Donal Morgan (who started all seven league games) at left half back and 2005 minor captain Eoin Duffy at left corner forward, while James Mc Elroy returned at right half forward. The match was played in front of just 3,000 Clones spectators on Saturday June 17 and Monaghan breezed to a 2-19 to 3-6 victory. The winners learned very little from the exercise, though, as the managerless visitors, who raised neither a gallop nor a flag in the first half, were a gross disappointment on the day. This was too easy for Monaghan and they could have done with a more telling exercise with the championship about to heat up. They never had to get out of second gear, even with Eoin Lennon crying off due to a bug just before the game and Paul Finlay missing a penalty. Frankly, the match was a walkover. Tommy Freeman opened the scoring in the second minute and was joined on the scoresheet by Rory Woods and Eoin Duffy as they homes side sailed 0-6 to no score in front inside the first quarter. Freeman and Woods were ravenous and both rattled the net as Monaghan led by 2-9 to 0-0 at the short whistle. Wicklow scored two minutes after the restart and also got 2-2 without reply in the third quarter. Finlay saw his spotkick saved and Wicklow were reduced to 14 men. It was a worthless, self-damaging training-ground romp for Monaghan and the players never subsequently got re-tuned into championship mode. Monaghan: S Duffy; D McArdle, J Coyle, C Flanagan; D Freeman (0-2), G McQuaid, D Morgan; B McKenna, D Clerkin (0-2), J McElroy, P Finlay (0-2), S Gollogly (0-1); T Freeman (1-8), R Woods (1-2), E Duffy (0-2). Subs: C Hanratty, K Sheerin, E Lennon, K McManus Wexford Things appeared to be going well in the build-up to the Wexford game, with positive news on the injury front. The team showed two changes from that which saw off Wicklow in the previous round. Vincent Corey returned at wing back in place of Donal Morgan, while Eoin Lennon resumed his midfield partnership with Dick Clerkin after recovering from a stomach virus, replacing Benny McKenna. Eoin Duffy held onto his place in the full forward line, however, despite the availability of Hugh McElroy and Raymond Ronaghan, who had also recovered from injury It all pointed to a Monaghan win, especially after the result against the Garden County. However, Monaghan had to wait a week longer than everybody else to play their second qualifier (due to the fallout from the Offaly-Kildare blood substitution row) and the delay didn't help their cause. Shaking off his own controversy, bad boy Mattie Forde (who was clearly seen stamping on Offaly full back Shane Sullivan in the Leinster semi-final defeat at Croke Park the previous weekend) was the scorer-in-chief as Wexford beat Monaghan by 0-8 to 0-6 in a low quality second-round football qualifier at the wintry north county venue. The sharpshooter - bizarrely granted a stay of execution for this match by the GAC - answered all his critics with six points to cap a solid display, while Monaghan never got going at all and were out of the championship without so much as a whimper. Dogged by the wind and rain, the sides were level on 0-4 apiece at the end of a poor first period, with all four Wexford points coming from Forde, who was their only real threat. Stephen Gollogly opened the scoring from play and Wexford talisman Forde had a poor wide from a free before Thomas Freeman extended the hosts' advantage from a close-range free in the 14th minute. Paul Finlay, operating in the full forward line, fired a free wide and there was a lengthy delay at the end of the first quarter as Forde received treatment following a collision with Monaghan goalkeeper Shane Duffy. Tempers began to fray as both sets of players struggled to come to terms with the greasy conditions, which ensured that the game was never going to be of a high quality. Spurred to life by the knock, Forde had the Model County level with ten minutes left in a scrappy first half, contributing a pair of points - one from a free and one from play. Freeman bagged his second point but Wexford led thanks to another Forde brace. A Finlay free drew Monaghan level on the stroke of the short whistle. Freeman fisted Monaghan back in front on the resumption but Wexford were soon level through Eric Bradley. Forde kicked a wide before wing back Padraig Curtis fired a great drive goalwards only to be denied by an outstanding save from Duffy between the Monaghan posts. Forde fired the resultant 45 wide. Paul Bealin's team had the better of the second half and made it four points in succession with scores from Forde (2) and Diarmuid Kinsella to lead by 0-8 to 0-5, leaving Monaghan's championship aspirations tottering on the brink with only 15 minutes remaining. There would be only one more score in the game. Bradley was sent off for a second yellow in the first minute of injury time and substitute Hugh McElroy closed the gap to two points from the resultant free to guarantee an exciting finale. But damp and subdued Monaghan were unable to muster a match-salvaging score and the final whistle sounded with Wexford deservedly two points to the good. Monaghan had scored only twice in the second half and could have no complaints. Monaghan: S Duffy; D McArdle, J Coyle, C Flanagan; D Freeman, G McQuaid, V Corey; E Lennon, D Clerkin; J McElroy, P Finlay (0-1), S Gollogly (0-1); T Freeman (0-3), R Woods, E Duffy. Subs: H McElroy (0-1), R Ronaghan, N Corrigan, B McKenna, K Tavey Tweet

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