Ulster Minor Hurling Shield Semi-Final

Monaghan 3-7 Cavan 2-8                                          19/4/13

Monaghan are through to the Ulster Minor Hurling Shield Final after a dramatic win over Cavan in Inniskeen on Friday evening, which keeps their ‘double double’ bid on track. The teams were never separated by more than four points in an entertaining match, with a late goal by Dónal Meegan seeing Monaghan through. Noel Flood, Conor Boyle, Meegan, Tony Forde and Ronan Curran played key roles for Monaghan, while Neasán Neary, Joshua Crowe, Ryan Rogers and Dermot Connolly led Cavan’s challenge.

Monaghan made a great start when Tony Forde got on the end of a ball in from Aodh Curran to score his first goal in the third minute, but Caoimhín Carney replied with a point for Cavan, who went close to finding the net when Luke O’Dea had a shot blocked before sending the rebound wide. Dermot Connolly got another point for Cavan after a long free by Neasán Neary, but Forde popped up to score his second major on six minutes after good work by Neasán Mac Suibhne and Aodh Curran. Cavan hit back, however, as Ryan Rogers won a 30-metre free for Seán Keating to convert, before cutting through to fire home Cavan’s first goal. Conor Boyle thumped over a ’65 to restore Monaghan’s two-point lead, but a 30-metre free by Keating found the net to edge Cavan ahead. A 70-metre free by Boyle was cancelled out by an O’Dea point for Cavan. Dónal Meegan and Keating swapped points from 30-metre frees after fouls on Cillian Lavelle and Connolly, who then added a point after taking a pass from Enda Shalvey. Ronan Curran linked up with Meegan to hit the last point of the half, but Monaghan still trailed by 2-6 to 2-4 at the interval.

Monaghan dominated the first ten minutes of the second half, but a point from Ronan Curran was all they had to show for it, with their missed chances including a Meegan free. Michael Paul O’Dowd made a good save at the other end to deny Connolly, but Keating won and scored a 40-metre free and Neary landed a point from a ’65. Meegan got a point back for Monaghan after he latched onto a Ronan Curran pass, but he then sent a goal-attempt just wide following a long ball in from Jason Walshe. Meegan had a brace of frees blocked in the last ten minutes, with Walshe sending the rebound wide from the second, before Curran hit a good score to close the gap to two. With two minutes left, Monaghan struck for the winning goal when Meegan raced through to net the crucial score, booking his team’s place in the final against Donegal.

Monaghan: M P O’Dowd; R O’Neill, N Flood, N Mac Suibhne; A Kerr, C Boyle (0-2, 1f, 1 ’65), T Bramley; A Curran, C McAnespie; C Lavelle, J Walshe, R Curran (0-3); T Forde (Capt., 2-0), C McQuaid, D Meegan (1-2, 0-1f).

Subs: M Mac Suibhne for N Mac Suibhne (20 mins), C Treanor for Walshe (54).

Cavan: A Hamilton; F Hughes, C Kelly, A Cosgrove; E Gormley, N Neary (Capt., 0-1, ’65), J McKitterick; E Shalvey, J Crowe; D Connolly (0-2), S Keating (1-3f), L O’Dea (0-1); C Carney (0-1), R Rogers (1-0), B Deering.

Subs: P Donohoe for Carney (inj., H-T), A Loughman for Rogers (inj., 42).

Referee: J Devlin (Tyrone).