Electric Ireland Ulster Minor Football Championship Quarter-Final

Monaghan 3-8 Tyrone 0-16                          21/6/14

Monaghan held off a late charge from Tyrone to get their Ulster MFC defence off to a winning start in this topsy-turvy quarter-final at the Athletic Grounds on Saturday evening. Monaghan dominated the first half, with goals by Francis Maguire and David Garland (two) leaving Tyrone shell-shocked and although the pendulum swung dramatically in favour of the Red Hands after the restart, seven unanswered points in the final quarter couldn’t save them. Garland, David McAlister, Mustafa Gamal, Barry Kerr, Conor Duffy, Caolán McElwain and Mikey Murnaghan were to the fore for Monaghan, while Conor McKenna, Lee Brennan and Cormac O’Hagan led Tyrone’s comeback.

A long-range point by Macauley Quinn opened the scoring for Tyrone, but John Beattie got Monaghan off the mark after Micheál Bannigan had sent a shot at goal just wide, following a one-two with Barry McGinn. David McAlister and Francis Maguire kicked good points for Monaghan and McAlister then linked up with Mikey Murnaghan to add a well-taken score. Maguire raced onto an Aaron Jones pass to slide a low shot home for Monaghan’s first goal on 12 minutes, before Mustafa Gamal set up McGinn to kick a nice left-footed point.

Lee Brennan ended 13 scoreless minutes for Tyrone from a 30-metre free after a foul on substitute Pádraig McGirr, but David Garland flicked a high ball from McAlister to the net to move Monaghan nine clear. Tyrone replied with a good point by Fintan McClure and Conor McKenna blazed a goal chance over the bar, before Brennan converted a 30-metre free for a foul on McGirr. Garland won a 13-metre free for McGinn to tap over and Monaghan ended the half on a high when another dangerous centre from McAlister fell for Garland to finish from point-blank range and make it 3-6 to 0-5.

Cormac O’Hagan got the first point of the second half for Tyrone, but Jones got on the end of a Barry Kerr pass to keep Monaghan ten clear. A brace of points from play by Brennan, either side of a McKenna free, gave Tyrone some hope, before McGinn and McKenna swapped points from 30-metre frees, following fouls on Garland and Tyrone sub Conan McLernon. Enda McGarrity, McKenna and McLernon got points back for Tyrone and Brennan tapped over a close-range free for a foul on McKenna, who also had two attempts at goal saved by Shane Garland. A well-struck ’45 by O’Hagan closed the gap to two points and a McGirr effort left Monaghan hanging on, but they got over the line to set up a semi-final double-header against Armagh on Saturday, June 28.

Monaghan: S Garland; S Mohan, C Duffy, C McElwain; M Gamal, B Kerr, S Treanor; J Beattie (0-1), M Murnaghan; D McAlister (0-2), A Jones (0-1), F Maguire (1-1); D Garland (2-0), B McGinn (Capt., 0-3, 2f), M Bannigan.

Subs: T Lynch for Maguire (inj., 44 mins), S McCabe for Garland (48), F Hughes for Murnaghan, D Gleeson for McAlister (both 59).

Tyrone: P O’Neill; D Mullan, D Devlin, N Kelly; E McGarrity (0-1), R Quinn, R Samir; C McKenna (Capt., 0-4, 2f), M Quinn (0-1); J Darcy, R Nugent, P McAnenly; L Brennan (0-5, 3f), C O’Hagan (0-2, 1 ’45), F McClure (0-1).

Subs: P McGirr (0-1) for Nugent (inj., 16), R Coleman for McAnenly, C McLernon (0-1) for Darcy (both H-T), J Lafferty for McClure (42), E Murray for Devlin (48).

Referee: P Falloon (Down).