Ulster Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final

Monaghan 0-11 Antrim 0-6                                9/6/13

 

Monaghan overcame having to play the last half-hour with 14 men to see off Antrim in this Ulster SFC quarter-final at Casement Park on Sunday. In a scrappy game, Monaghan struggled to break down a defence-minded Antrim side but despite kicking 17 wides, they managed to get enough scores to get over the line with five points to spare. Monaghan had good performances from Dessie Mone, Colin Walshe, Christopher McGuinness, Owen Lennon and substitutes Drew Wylie and Stephen Gollogly, while Seán McVeigh, Kevin O’Boyle and Justin Crozier led Antrim’s challenge.

Monaghan missed a couple of early chances, but they found their range on five minutes when Conor McManus converted a 25-metre free after he had been fouled off the ball. Antrim had a goal chance two minutes later when Paddy Cunningham put Kevin Niblock through, but the St. Gall’s man blazed over the bar. McManus then had a dangerous ball in booted clear by Antrim keeper Chris Kerr, while Paul Finlay was off-target from a scoreable free, before an Owen Lennon catch started a Monaghan attack which ended with Darren Hughes kicking a good point.

Finlay added a point from a 25-metre free after a foul on Vincent Corey, before good approach play by McManus set up Owen Duffy to move Monaghan three clear. McManus clipped over a point after Darren and Kieran Hughes had linked up well, but a brace of well-taken scores from Seán McVeigh kept Antrim in touch. Niblock then tapped over a 20-metre free for a foul on Cunningham to reduce Monaghan’s lead to just a point at half-time: 0-5 to 0-4.

A 25-metre free by Cunningham, after a foul on Martin Johnston, but Dessie Mone regained Monaghan’s lead with a nice point after a one-two with Finlay. Monaghan were then reduced to 14 men when Neil McAdam was shown a second yellow card, but they doubled their advantage with a fine point from Christopher McGuinness at the end of a counter-attack started by a Stephen Gollogly tackle. McManus then tapped over a 13-metre free for a foul on Vincent Corey and he also converted a 45-metre free, following a foul on McGuinness.

Substitute Tommy Freeman added his name to the scoresheet after Kieran Hughes had made a fine catch from a high ball by McGuinness and the last 15 minutes was all about seeing the game out. Antrim missed a great chance to double their second-half account when sub Ryan Murray dropped a free into Rory Beggan’s hands, before Drew Wylie started a counter-attack which created a second McGuinness point. Antrim did finally end their 35-minute wait for a score when Michael Pollock tapped over a close-range free, but it was little consolation as Monaghan cruised through to an Ulster semi-final against either Fermanagh or Cavan.

 

 

Monaghan: R Beggan; D Mone (0-1), F Kelly, C Walshe; V Corey, N McAdam, K Duffy; O Lennon (Capt.), D Hughes (0-1); P Finlay (0-1f), D Clerkin, O Duffy (0-1); C McGuinness (0-2), K Hughes, C McManus (0-4, 3f).

Subs: S Gollogly for Clerkin (41 mins), D Wylie for Kelly (44), T Freeman (0-1) for O Duffy (48), J McCarron for Finlay (63), P Donaghy for K Hughes (71).

 

Antrim: C Kerr; K O’Boyle (Capt.), R Johnston, J Crozier; P McBride S Kelly, A McClean; S McVeigh (0-2), M Johnston; A Healey, K Niblock (0-2, 1f), M Sweeney; P Cunningham (0-1f), M Pollock (0-1f), B Herron.

Subs: C Murray for Herron (29), M Herron for Niblock (inj., H-T), R Murray for Cunningham (52), J Carron for McClean (56), P Doherty for M Johnston (64).

 

Referee: D Gough (Meath).

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