Ulster Minor Football League Group A

Monaghan 1-12 Armagh 2-6                                    30/3/13

Monaghan got their first points of this year’s Ulster MFL when they came storming back to get the better of Armagh in Clones on Saturday. It looked bleak for Monaghan when they went in trailing by nine points at half-time, but hit an impressive 1-10 in the second half while restricting Armagh to just one point to transform the game. The introduction of goal-scorer Ryan McAnespie was a boost to Monaghan, who also had good performances from Conor McCarthy, Fearghal McMahon, Dónal Meegan and Micheál McCarville. Conor Martin, Peter Campbell and Eoghan Burns were best for Armagh.

Armagh were first off the mark in the third minute with a point by Cathal McKenna and although Conor McCarthy brought Monaghan level after good work by Micheál McCarville and Adam Treanor, Paddy Morgan punched over from a Conor Martin cross to restore Armagh to the lead. A Gregory McCabe point doubled the visitors’ advantage, but McCarthy won and scored a 20-metre free to keep Monaghan in touch.

A mix-up by Monaghan with a free deep inside their own half allowed McKenna to tap into an empty net and they soon had a second goal when Trainor fired home at the end of a move involving Eoghan Burns and Aodhán Conlon Armagh’s purple patch continued through the remaining minutes of the half, with Martin converting a 30-metre free and adding a point from play to move them 2-5 to 0-2 clear by the interval.

Monaghan made a blistering start to the second half, however, as David McAlister linked up with Dónal Meegan to kick a point, before Micheál McCarville burst through and laid it off for substitute Ryan McAnespie to drill home a low shot and kick-start the comeback. McAnespie turned provider for McCarthy to kick his third point and McCarville closed the gap to three after being well-placed by Meegan, before Fearghal McMahon added his name to the scoresheet at the end of a move involving McAlister and McAnespie. McAlister then crashed a powerful shot off the crossbar, before sending in a ’45 which fell for Meegan to open his account.

Meegan again raced onto a McAlister pass to equalise with a well-taken score. McCarthy then edged Monaghan ahead with a nice outside-of-the-boot effort and although Martin brought Armagh back on level terms, Shane Treanor and McCarthy combined to create a point for McMahon. Aodh Curran doubled Monaghan’s lead when he converted a 45-metre free for a foul on sub Dessie Ward and McMahon added the insurance score with a fine finish. Next up for Monaghan is an away game against Cavan next Saturday.

Monaghan: S Grimes; S Treanor, K Loughran, C Martin; Adam Kieran, A Curran (0-1f), B McGinn; M Magee, M McCarville (0-1); C McCarthy (Capt., 0-4, 1f), F McMahon (0-3), M Geehan; D Meegan (0-2), A Treanor, D McAlister (0-1).

Subs: R McAnespie (1-0) for McGinn (26 mins), S Garland for Grimes (H-T), D Ward for McAlister (48), N Loughman for Magee (58).

Armagh: B Hughes; C Connolly, P Campbell, C Donnelly; R McGrath, J McElroy, G McCabe (0-1); B Boylan, D McKenna; E Burns, C Martin (0-3, 1f), P Morgan (0-1); A Trainor (1-0), C McKenna (1-1), A Conlon.

Subs: J Cosgrove for McGrath (38), J Freeman for Connolly (52), A Rushe for A Trainor, J Rafferty for P Morgan (both 58).

Referee: R Walshe (Donegal).