Allianz National Football League Division Two

Westmeath 1-19 Monaghan 2-11                 18/3/12

Monaghan failed to build on their high-scoring win over Louth in the Allianz NFL when they slipped to a five-point defeat against Westmeath in Mullingar on Sunday. Monaghan again ran up a healthy score, but their porous defence allowed Westmeath to hit 1-19 and run out deserving winners. After a slow start, Monaghan had looked set to push on when they hit a quick burst of 1-4 as half-time approached, but that was quickly wiped out and Westmeath led throughout the second half. Ger Egan, Denis and David Glennon were a thorn in Monaghan’s side, hitting 0-12 from play between them, while John Heslin and Kieran Gavin also played key roles for Westmeath. Only Paul Finlay, the returning Gary McQuaid, Dermot Malone and subs Ciarán Hanratty and David Hughes did themselves justice for Monaghan.

Monaghan were first off the mark courtesy of Owen Duffy, but points from Denis and David Glennon gave the lead to Westmeath, who then passed up a couple of half-chances for a goal. Paul Finlay landed a good point to bring Monaghan level, but John Heslin, David Glennon, Kieran Martin and Michael Ennis picked off four without reply for Westmeath. Stephen Gollogly got a point back for Monaghan after a great ball in from Gary McQuaid to Christopher McGuinness, who then equalised with his second goal in two games after a shot from substitute David Hughes came back off the upright. A well-taken score by James Turley, a ’45 by Finlay and an Owen Lennon made it 1-4 in the space of five minutes for Monaghan, but Ger Egan and Denis Glennon replied to keep Westmeath in touch. The hosts got a huge boost on 34 minutes when a point-attempt by Martin somehow dropped into the Monaghan net and Egan and David Glennon added quick-fire points to make it 1-10 to 1-6 in their favour at the end of a topsy-turvy first half.

Half-time sub Ciarán Hanratty made a quick impact after the restart for Monaghan, but Egan replied with his third point from play, before Finlay was denied a goal by Westmeath keeper Gary Connaughton. Hanratty got another point at the end of a patient move by the visitors, only for David and Denis Glennon and Egan to kick three-in-a-row for Westmeath. Monaghan, who had been forced to start without Tommy Freeman and Vincent Corey and later lost Dessie Mone and Gollogly to injury, then suffered another setback when Colin Walshe was shown a second yellow card 15 minutes from full-time. A Finlay free was cancelled out by Westmeath sub Callum McCormack, before Finlay took a pass from Hanratty and drilled home a low shot for Monaghan’s second goal, which should have inspired a comeback. Instead, it was Westmeath who hit three of the next four points through Egan, McCormack and Heslin (free), sandwiching another Finlay free. Finlay rounded off the scoring with a close-range free deep into injury-time, bringing his tally to 1-5, but Monaghan were a beaten side by then and they will need to lift their game hugely in their two remaining fixtures against Galway and Tyrone.

Westmeath: G Connaughton; M Curley, K Gavin, K Maguire; B Moran, P Sharry, D McDermott; J Heslin (0-2, 1f), P Bannon; K Martin (1-1), G Egan (0-5), R Foley; M Ennis (0-1), Denis Glennon (0-3), David Glennon (0-4).

Subs: P Sheridan (0-1) for Ennis (inj., H-T), C McCormack (0-2) for Martin (51 mins), D Quinn for Connaughton (59), D Gavin for Moran (61), A Giles for Foley (63).

Monaghan: M Keogh; C Walshe, D Mone, D Morgan; D Malone, Darren Hughes (Capt.), G McQuaid; D Clerkin, J Turley (0-1); O Lennon (0-1), P Finlay (1-5, 0-3f, 0-1 ’45), S Gollogly (0-1); O Duffy (0-1), K Hughes, C McGuinness (1-0).

Subs: David Hughes for Mone (inj., 23), C Hanratty (0-2) for Gollogly (inj., H-T), D Wylie for McQuaid (59).

Referee: M Condon (Waterford).