GRM Minor Football League Division One

Clontibret 2-12 Monaghan Harps 2-8                                 26/6/12

Clontibret took a major step towards qualifying for the MFL Division One semi-finals with a four-point win at home to Monaghan Harps on Tuesday evening. Goals by Aodh Curran and Stephen Mohan had Clontibret firmly in the driving seat by the end of the opening quarter, but a Fearghal McMahon brace dragged the Harps back into it and it took a succession of frees by Curran, who hit an amazing 1-11, to keep his side on top.

Clontibret were first off the mark with a free by Aodh Curran and although Fearghal McMahon brought the Harps level, the hosts scored two goals in quick succession to take charge. Curran scored the first after taking a pass from Killian Lavelle, before setting up Stephen Mohan to slide home number two. McMahon punched a long ball from Benin Devlin to the net to bring the Harps back into it but even though Kevin Loughran and Michael Galligan added points before half-time, four points by Curran, including a superb free with the outside of his boot, sent Clontibret in with a 2-5 to 1-3 lead.

McMahon got on the end of a Galligan free to net his second goal three minutes into the second half and he quickly added a point to reduce the Harps’ deficit to the minimum, but another trio of frees by Curran kept Clontibret in charge. The second half developed into a shoot-out between Curran and McMahon, with the only other score being a point by Harps sub Conor Forde. The visitors tried desperately to get back into the game, but the closest they came was when another sub Darragh Connolly crashed a shot off the crossbar and the rebound fell to Brendan McQuaid, whose effort was blocked. Clontibret will now finish fourth in the table if they beat Scotstown next Tuesday, while the       Harps need to beat Carrickmacross and hope the O’Neills slip up if they are to advance.

Clontibret: D McDonald; C Carragher, L Savage, C Gorman; M P O’Dowd, R McNally; B Greenan (Capt.), G Brennan; F Hughes (0-1), D McKeown, A Curran (1-11, 0-10f); K Lavelle, C Lavelle, S Mohan (1-0).

Monaghan Harps: R Shields; P Murphy, N Treanor, T Clerkin; M Gamal, S Maguire, K Loughran (0-1); B Devlin, E Doherty; B McQuaid, M Galligan (Capt., 0-1), P Byrne; C Foentjies, F McMahon (2-5, 0-2f), F Lynch.

Subs: J McHugh for Foentjies (inj., H-T), C Forde (0-1) for Lynch (46 mins), D Connolly for Doherty (inj., 52), A Gamal for McMahon (inj., 60).

Temporary Sub: C Galligan for Foentjies (24-H-T).

Referee: J Malone (Doohamlet).