Power NI DR. McKenna Cup Section A

Monaghan 1-13 St. Mary’s University, Belfast 2-6                        6/1/13

An impressive first-half performance set Monaghan up for a fairly comfortable win over St. Mary’s University in Clones on Sunday. Malachy O’Rourke’s tenure got off to a good start when Monaghan raced into a 12-point lead just after the half-hour mark but they kicked a total of 14 wides, opening the door for St. Mary’s, who had to line out without some of their contingent of county players, to make a game of it after the restart.

Fintan Kelly, Stephen Smyth, Paul McArdle and goal-scorer Pádraig Donaghy made their McKenna Cup debuts from the start and were later joined by Shane McQuillan and Donal Hahessy for the last 15 minutes. Conor McManus, Dermot Malone, Smyth, Martin McElroy, Darren Hughes and Dick Clerkin showed well for Monaghan. St. Mary’s, who didn’t score a point from play until second-half injury-time, were almost exclusively relying on the free-taking of Daniel McKinless and Benny Herron, although Niall Sludden and Conor O’Hara also had their moments.

Monaghan took barely ten seconds to open the scoring when Neil McAdam released Conor McManus for a good point from play and McManus doubled their lead on four minutes when he tapped over a 13-metre free won by Pádraig Donaghy. Owen Duffy added a well-taken point and although Daniel McKinless got St. Mary’s off the mark from a 30-metre free for a foul on Jerome Johnston, a good move involving Martin McElroy, Darren Hughes and McManus created a goal chance for Dick Clerkin, who opted to fist over the bar. Owen Duffy and Hughes combined well to create a debut point for Stephen Smyth, before Monaghan found the net when a high ball from McElroy was punched across the face of goal by Paul McArdle for Donaghy to slide in and score from close range.

An off-the-ball foul on Johnston allowed Benny Herron to tap over a 13-metre free for St. Mary’s, but Monaghan replied with good points from play by Clerkin and McManus and another from Dermot Malone, who had been well-placed by Hughes. Niall Sludden sent a goal-attempt wide on 31 minutes, before Smyth got on the end of an attack involving Owen Duffy and Clerkin to kick his second point of the half. Sludden didn’t have long to wait for another glimpse at goal when a strong run by Richard O’Callaghan put him through and this time, he made it count with a low shot which gave Rory Beggan no chance. That reduced Monaghan’s lead to seven points at half-time: 1-9 to 1-2.

In contrast to the first half, the first eight minutes of the second period were scoreless until McManus converted a 20-metre free for a foul on Clerkin. McKinless replied with a brace of close-range frees for St. Mary’s, but McAdam linked up with McManus to restore Monaghan’s seven-point cushion, before McManus produced a nice finish for his fifth point. The Belfast teacher-training college hit back with a 40-metre free by McKinless, who then won a penalty which Herron drilled home to close the gap to four. Martin McElroy took a pass from Shane McQuillan to become Monaghan’s eighth scorer and end their 12-minute wait for a point and although St. Mary’s got the last score through sub Oisín Mac Íomhair, the home side still had four points to spare in the end. Monaghan will travel to Ballybofey next Sunday to take on Donegal in the north-western county’s first competitive game since they won the All-Ireland.

Monaghan: R Beggan; D Mone, F Kelly, K Duffy; M McElroy (0-1), Darren Hughes (Capt.), K O’Connell; D Clerkin (0-2), N McAdam (0-1); O Duffy (0-1), P McArdle, S Smyth (0-2); P Donaghy (1-0), C McManus (0-5, 2f), D Malone (0-1).

Subs: C Galligan for K Duffy, R McNally for O’Connell (both 48 mins), O Lennon for McAdam (54), D Hahessy for Donaghy, S McQuillan for Smyth (both 57).

St. Mary’s: D McAnenly; S Mullan, A Maguire, M Murray; R Loughran, C O’Hara, B Doyle; R O’Callaghan, E McCaffrey; R Sexton, B Herron (1-1, 1-0 pen, 0-1f), N Sludden (1-0); D McKinless (0-4f), J Johnston, J Duffy.

Subs: S O’Neill for McCaffrey (26), R Johnston for Doyle (H-T), O Mac Íomhair (0-1) for Maguire (57).

Referee: E McHugh (Tyrone).