Allianz National Football League Division Two

Armagh 0-10 Monaghan 1-17                                  15/3/14

 Monaghan gave their NFL Division Two promotion hopes another boost with a double-scores win away to Armagh on Saturday evening. The final score doesn’t tell half the tale of an action-packed game which saw Monaghan start brilliantly, only to allow Armagh come from nine points down to within one, before the visitors pulled away again by scoring an unanswered 1-6 in the last 22 minutes. Darren Hughes made a dream return from injury with a late goal, as Monaghan made it back-to-back wins for the first time in this year’s league, while at the other end of the pitch; Rory Beggan made two outstanding saves, including one from a Jamie Clarke penalty. Conor McManus and Jack McCarron scored 0-13 between them for Monaghan, who also had good performances from Fintan Kelly and Dessie Mone, while Clarke and Ethan and Caolán Rafferty led Armagh’s comeback.

Pádraig Donaghy opened the scoring for Monaghan at the end of a length-of-the-field counter-attack involving Kieran Duffy, Dermot Malone and Conor McManus, while Jack McCarron then converted a 20-metre free for an off-the-ball foul on McManus. A foul on Kieran Hughes allowed McCarron to point a 30-metre free, before McManus missed a scoreable free, having been dragged down by Andy Mallon. Dessie Mone made a great interception after a high ball from Tony Kernan looked set to fall for Stephan Campbell, while at the other end; McManus won a 30-metre free for McCarron to convert and followed it up with a fine point from play after taking a pass from Owen Lennon. A poor kick-out by Philip McEvoy gave Malone and Fintan Kelly the chance to set up a point for Kieran Hughes, before Mone landed a fine score to move Monaghan seven clear.

Armagh were handed an opportunity to get back into it when Campbell went down under close attention from Rory Beggan and Drew Wylie, but Jamie Clarke’s penalty was brilliantly tipped onto the post by Beggan. McManus won and scored a 25-metre free, before Lennon linked up with Donaghy and finished in style to make it nine without reply for Monaghan, but Brian Mallon finally got Armagh off the mark on 23 minutes after exchanging passes with Caolán Rafferty.

Clarke curled over from a difficult angle and Stephen Harold linked up with Caolán Rafferty to add a point and although McManus curled over a free from the left wing after a foul on Hughes, Clarke responded in kind after he had been fouled. Caolán Rafferty sent over a point after a one-two with Harold and Kernan tapped over a close-range free for a foul on Brian Mallon to bring Armagh within four at half-time: 0-10 to 0-6.

Armagh also started the second half strongly, with substitute Eugene McVerry linking up with Andy Mallon to make it a three-point game. McCarron replied from a close-range free after a foul on Kieran Hughes, but Clarke booted over a 50-metre free for a foul on Kernan, before McVerry and Caolán Rafferty tagged on good points from play to leave just the minimum between the teams.

McManus and McCarron settled Monaghan with points from 30-metre frees, after fouls on the free-scoring duo, before Hughes and Kelly combined to create a point for McManus. Armagh were reduced to 14 men when Andy Mallon got a second booking for a high tackle on Vincent Corey, before McManus converted another brace of frees, following fouls on Donaghy and McManus himself. McCarron curled over a superb score at the end of a move involving Gavin Doogan and sub Christopher McGuinness and Beggan made another terrific save to keep out a quickly-taken free by Clarke, which took a wicked deflection, to keep Monaghan in control.

Malachy O’Rourke’s side put the icing on the cake in added time when Darren Hughes – making his first appearance of 2014 – crashed the ball to the net after a great break by Kelly, whose initial shot was blocked by Philip McEvoy. This win sends Monaghan joint-top with Donegal, who play their game in hand tomorrow. Monaghan’s last two games of their promotion hunt are at home to Laois and Galway on March 30 and April 6.

Armagh: P McEvoy; A Mallon, A Findon, P Hughes; M Shields, M Murray, P O’Neill; S Harold (0-1), E Rafferty; C Rafferty (0-2), T Kernan (0-1f), R Grugan; J Clarke (Capt., 0-3, 2f), S Campbell, S Forker.

Subs: B Mallon (0-1) for O’Neill (18 mins), E McVerry (0-2) for Grugan (26), R Tasker for Forker (40), K O’Rourke for Shields (inj., 50).

Monaghan: R Beggan; F Kelly, D Wylie, C Walshe; K O’Connell, D Mone (0-1), V Corey; O Lennon (0-1), G Doogan; K Duffy, J McCarron (0-6, 5f), P Donaghy (0-1); D Malone, K Hughes (0-1), C McManus (Capt., 0-7, 5f).

Subs: P O’Hanlon for Malone (50), C McGuinness for Donaghy (58), D Hughes (1-0) for Lennon (63).

Temporary sub: S Gollogly for Malone (26-31).

Referee: D Gough (Meath).

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