Ulster Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final

Tyrone 1-16 Monaghan 1-18                                    20/5/18

Monaghan dethroned Ulster champions Tyrone with a fully merited win in Omagh on Sunday. Tyrone, chasing a third consecutive provincial title, fell to their first Ulster SFC defeat since 2015, after Monaghan led throughout the second half.

Having trailed by three points after a strong start by Tyrone, Monaghan finished the first half with a goal from veteran Vincent Corey to take a lead that they never let go of thereafter, with goalkeeper Rory Beggan impressing from placed kicks. Monaghan upped their game in the final ten minutes, with Conor McManus bursting into life to guide his side through. With the Monaghan subs making an impact, a string of points from McManus moved Monaghan five ahead three minutes into added time and even though Tyrone found the net very late on when McKernan got the final touch in a crowded area to divert a Frank Burns ’45 past Beggan, it wasn’t enough for the hosts. Tyrone played the dying minutes with 14 men after Peter Harte was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Ryan Wylie.

Monaghan will return to Healy Park to take on Fermanagh in the Ulster SFC semi-finals on June 3.

Tyrone: N Morgan; R McNamee, C McCarron, F Burns; T McCann, P Hampsey (0-1), P Harte (0-1); C Cavanagh, M Donnelly (Capt., 0-1); C McShane (0-1), N Sludden (0-2), C Meyler; L Brennan (0-3f), C McAliskey (0-6, 3f), M Bradley.

Subs: R O’Neill for Bradley (inj., 18 mins), D McClure for Cavanagh (inj., H-T), M McKernan (1-1) for McCarron (39), HP McGeary for McCann (52), K McGeary for Brennan (55), C McCann for O’Neill (61).

Monaghan: R Beggan (0-4, 2f, 2 ‘45s); R Wylie, D Wylie (Capt., 0-1), K Duffy; D Mone (0-1), V Corey (1-0), K O’Connell; N Kearns, D Hughes; F Kelly (0-1), K Hughes, D Ward; R McAnespie (0-1), Jack McCarron (0-2, 1f), C McManus (0-6, 4f).

Subs: C McCarthy (0-1) for Ward (40), O Duffy for McCarron (60), C Walshe (0-1) for Mone (63), D Malone for McManus (70 + 5).

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).