Allianz National Football League Division Two

Monaghan 2-14 Louth 0-12                          9/3/14

Monaghan returned to winning ways in the NFL with a straightforward defeat of Louth in Clones on Sunday. First-half goals by Gavin Doogan and Dermot Malone had Monaghan eight points clear and they were never going to be caught from there, particularly after Louth were reduced to 14 men within a few minutes of the restart. Doogan, Dessie Mone, Conor McManus, Colin Walshe, Kieran Hughes and Ryan Wylie gave good performances for Monaghan in a game which saw Owen Lennon make his first start to 2014. Only accurate free-taker Brian White, Derek Crilly and Colm Judge made any impact for Louth.

Monaghan took an early lead through a fine point from the left wing by Conor McManus after good work by Jack McCarron, but Louth hit back when Brian White converted a 40-metre free for a foul on Andy McDonnell. Having failed to score a goal in the first three league games, Monaghan amended that statistic in the sixth minute when Gavin Doogan applied a perfect finish to a flowing move involving Kieran Hughes, Ryan Wylie and Conor McManus. A brace of well-struck 40-metre frees by Brian White, both after fouls on Derek Maguire, kept Louth in touch, but Doogan turned provider for McManus to clip over a point at the other end.

Jack McCarron tapped over a close-range free after he had been fouled off the ball and Dessie Mone added a great score from distance, before another off-the-ball indiscretion, this time on Malone, allowed McManus to convert a 30-metre free. Rory Beggan booted over a long-range free following a foul on Pádraig Donaghy and although White replied with a good point, McCarron and McManus curled over frees from right and left wing respectively, after fouls on McManus and Malone. Colm Judge tapped over a 13-metre free for Louth after Maguire had been fouled in the process of kicking a point, but Monaghan struck a crucial blow on 33 minutes when a quickly-taken free by Kieran Hughes found Colin Walshe, who laid it off for Malone to slide a low shot into the net and make the half-time score 2-8 to 0-6.

Louth’s already slim chances took another setback two minutes into the second half when Dessie Finnegan, who had earlier been shown a yellow card, received a black card for a body-check on Pádraic Keenan, meaning he was sent off with no replacement. Donaghy then won a close-in free for McManus to send over and Doogan added a fine score, before Beggan did well to turn an effort from Louth substitute Stephen Campbell around the post for a ’45 which White converted. Judge added a point from play, but McManus won and scored a 30-metre free and only a fine save by Louth keeper Neil Gallagher denied the All-Star forward a goal after Donaghy and Vincent Corey had combined to create the chance.

Campbell won a 13-metre free which Judge pointed and Derek Crilly added a score after a one-two with White, but a Fintan Kelly run released Monaghan sub Christopher McGuinness for a goal-chance, which he sent just over the bar. McCarron then clipped over a nice score after good approach play by Kieran Duffy and although Paddy Keenan got a point back for Louth, Monaghan kept clear daylight between the teams, with McManus finishing a move involving Walshe, Doogan and Hughes. Kevin Rogers rounded off the scoring with a close-range free, but Louth had long been consigned to a third straight defeat, while Monaghan are back in the chase for promotion ahead of this Saturday’s local derby away to Armagh.

Monaghan: R Beggan (0-1f); R Wylie, D Wylie, F Kelly; D Mone (0-1), V Corey, C Walshe; G Doogan (1-1), O Lennon; K Hughes, P Donaghy, P Keenan; D Malone (1-0), J McCarron (0-3, 2f), C McManus (Capt., 0-7, 4f).

Subs: S Carey for D Wylie (42 mins), D Clerkin for Lennon (49), C McGuinness (0-1) for Donaghy (55), K Duffy for Keenan (57), S Gollogly for Malone (63).

Louth: N Gallagher; P Rath, D Finnegan, K McLaughlin; J O’Brien, D Crilly (0-1), G O’Hare; P Keenan (Capt., 0-1), B Duffy; A Reid, B White (0-5, 3f, 1 ’45), E O’Connor, A McDonnell, C Judge (0-4, 2f), D Maguire.

Subs: P Reilly for Duffy, S Campbell for McDonnell (both H-T), G Hoey for McLaughlin (43), D Byrne for O’Brien (49), K Rogers (0-1f) for Judge (60), B Donnelly for O’Connor (64).

Temporary sub: P Reilly for Crilly (25-29).

Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone).