Shamrock Cup Round Three

Monaghan 0-9 Tyrone 1-8                                        15/2/14

Monaghan’s defence of the Shamrock Cup ended with a narrow defeat against Tyrone in Cloghan on Saturday. In a low-scoring game in windy conditions, a second defeat in a week saw Monaghan miss out on the final of the Cremartin-run tournament since its inaugural year in 2006. Monaghan battled well against the wind in the first half and would have been content to be within a point of Tyrone at the change of ends, but a slow start to the second half saw the hosts concede a quick burst of 1-1 and they were unable to make sufficient use of the breeze to make up their deficit. Mark Bradley, Michael and Conan McCann and Ryan McElroy showed well for Tyrone, who were able to bring rising stars Darren McCurry and Conor McKenna off the bench. Monaghan had no less than six county seniors on from the start, but they managed just two points from play, despite the best efforts of Thomas Kerr, Paudie McKenna, Ryan Wylie and Johnny McGuigan.

Monaghan were first off the mark through a Thomas Kerr, but a brace of fine points by Mark Bradley gave Tyrone the lead, before Brian Greenan linked up with Mark McGuirk to equalise. A third Bradley point was quickly cancelled out by a well-taken free from the left wing by Kerr, but long-range frees by Bradley and Ryan Mayse opened up a two-point gap for the first time. A foul on Christopher McKenna allowed Kerr to convert another free before the interval to leave Monaghan trailing by 0-5 to 0-4.

Tyrone made a flying start to the second half, with substitute Darren McCurry pointing a free and Bradley scoring the only goal of the game, while Conan McCann was also almost through, only to over-carry. McGuirk got on the end of a move involving Paudie McKenna and David Freeman to get a point back for Monaghan, who closed back to within two points thanks to a brace of frees by Kerr. Tyrone had Gavin Sludden shown a black card, but Monaghan sub Dessie Ward was unfortunate to suffer the same fate early in the final quarter and McCurry then converted a free for a foul on Kieran McGeary to end 19 scoreless minutes for the visitors. Kerr managed another couple of frees for Monaghan, following fouls on Paudie McKenna, but a McGeary point secured a third straight win for Tyrone, who will now play Antrim in the Shamrock Cup Final at a date and venue to be decided. Monaghan play Down in the quarter-finals of the Ulster Under-21 championship on March 19.

Monaghan: D Kirk; R Wylie, D Courtney, F Malone; P McKenna, C Boyle, C Cromwell; J McGuigan, B Greenan (0-1); P Keenan, M McGuirk (0-1), S Conlon; C McKenna, T Kerr (0-7f), D Freeman.

Subs: D Ward for C McKenna (inj., 43 mins), S Buckley for Ward (black card, 48), M Boyce for Freeman (54).

Tyrone: R McShane; B Burns, R McElroy, G Sludden; M McCann, C McAleer, M Cassidy; C McCann, R Brennan; R Sludden, M Bradley (1-4, 0-2f), J Munroe; R Mayse (0-1f), D Kavanagh, K McGeary (0-1).

Subs: F Burns for R Sludden (22), C McKenna for Mayse (26), D McCurry (0-2f) for Brennan (H-T), C McLoughlin for G Sludden (black card, 40), T McCarron for Kavanagh (51), C Meyler for Cassidy (57).

Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh).

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