Ulster Minor Hurling League Division Two

Monaghan 0-15 Tyrone 1-7              24/3/12

Monaghan are through to the final of the Ulster MHL Division Two for the second year in a row after they saw off Tyrone in an entertaining game in Clones on Saturday. After getting off to a bright start, Monaghan trailed by a point at half-time, but they played some fine hurling in the second half to secure a well-merited five-point win. The second-half heroics of Niall Garland, who hit seven points after the restart, inspired Monaghan, who also had good performances from Cormac McNally, Liam Savage, Jamie Guinan, Brendan McQuaid and Donal Meegan. Duibhir Marshall, Kieran McCrudden and Kevin Gormley were best for Tyrone.

Monaghan started brightly with a point from play by Michael O’Dowd and a 50-metre free by Jamie Guinan after a foul on Liam Savage. Duibhir Marshall converted a 30-metre free for a foul on Matthew Mulgrew to get Tyrone off the mark, but Guinan responded in kind after a foul on Brendan McQuaid. Donal Meegan added a fine point for Monaghan following good work by Guinan and Niall Garland, before Guinan tapped over a 20-metre free after Kevin Duffy had a shot blocked on the line.

Monaghan then won two penalties in the space of three minutes for fouls on Duffy and Guinan, but twice in a row, Guinan was denied by Tyrone defenders. A 20-metre free by Kieran McCrudden, after a foul on Marshall, and a point from play by Caolán Devlin brought Tyrone back into it and they got a lucky break when a point-attempt from Maxwell deceived Monaghan keeper Niall Butler and landed in the net. That, coupled with a save from Conor Gilmore to deny O’Dowd, left Tyrone leading by 1-4 to 0-6 at half-time.

Well-taken points by McQuaid and Garland got Monaghan off to a good start in the second half, which continued when Guinan sent over a 40-metre free for a foul on Tony Forde. Marshall replied from a 20-metre free after a foul on Johnny Ryan, before McCrudden had a crack at his second goal of the game, following a Marshall free, only to be blocked down by Cathal McAnespie. Garland converted a 50-metre free for a foul on Gareth Keenan, before linking up with McQuaid to add a point from play.

Marshall pointed a 40-metre free after a foul on Ryan and he followed it up with a good point from play, but Garland found his range from a ’65 to keep Monaghan two points clear. Mulgrew had a shot taken off the line by Butler after Marshall got on the end of a good pass from McCrudden, before Monaghan went close at the other end when McQuaid got a flick on a Garland free, only for Gilmore to divert it around the post for a ’65, which Garland coolly struck over the bar. Garland soon hit his sixth point and his third from open play, before rounding off the scoring with a 50-metre free after Kevin Gormley had been penalised for a technical foul. Monaghan will again play Tyrone in the final after Fermanagh’s win over Cavan allowed Frank Brady’s side to edge their way into second place in the group.

Monaghan: N Butler; N Flood, C McNally, C McAnespie; R McNally, J Guinan (0-4f), C Boyle; L Savage, N Garland (0-7, 2f, 2 ‘65s); D Meegan (0-1), G Keenan, T Forde (0-1); K Duffy, M P O’Dowd (0-1), B McQuaid (0-1).

Sub: C McDonald for Duffy (59 mins).

Tyrone: C Gilmore; J Fox, K Gormley, K Hughes; T Hughes, E Duffin, P O’Neill; M Monnelly, K McCrudden (1-1, 0-1f); J Maxwell, R McKernan (0-1), C Devlin (0-1); J Ryan, M Mulgrew, D Marshall (0-4, 3f).

Subs: G McNamee for Fox (27)

Referee: B Sweeney (Cavan).