Hastings Cup Group C

Monaghan 0-15 Westmeath 1-9                                   17/1/15

Monaghan finished second in their Hastings Cup group after a dramatic turnaround to this final-round game against Westmeath in Inniskeen on Saturday. Monaghan trailed by seven points at the end of another disappointing first-half performance, but the game turned on its head after the restart, with the breeze-assisted hosts reeling off ten unanswered points to return to winning ways. Dónal Meegan and the returning Conor McCarthy were in prolific form for Monaghan, who now advance to a shield semi-final next weekend.

Monaghan were first off the mark with a point from play by Conor McCarthy and although a 30-metre free by Sam Moran brought Westmeath level, McCarthy soon clipped over his second of the opening exchanges. Aaron O’Brien replied for Westmeath, who took the lead for the first time when some hesitant play by the Monaghan defence allowed Kieran Shanley to send a soccer-style effort just over the bar. O’Brien doubled the visitors’ advantage, before Lorcan Dolan linked up with Killian Daly to score the only goal of the game on 18 minutes. Shanley added his second point, before Monaghan ended a 16-minute barren spell when McCarthy sent one over after good approach play by Dónal Meegan, who then tapped over a close-range free for a foul on his fellow corner-forward. Another defensive error by Monaghan allowed Dolan to kick a point and he managed another before half-time, as Westmeath stepped it up, while Shane Corcoran and Theo Watts added fine scores. Monaghan did have a goal chance at the other end, but Donnacha Dolan’s punched effort from a Shaun Buckley pass went wide, leaving the hosts trailing by 1-9 to 0-5 at half-time.

A fisted point by Meegan got Monaghan up and running after the restart and David McAlister added another, before Dolan punched over to make it a four-point game. Meegan converted a brace of 25-metre frees for fouls on Fergal McGeough and Darren McElroy, before Monaghan won a penalty when McCarthy released Dolan, who was taken down. McCarthy stepped up, only to see his effort well saved by Westmeath keeper Michael McMahon. That didn’t dent Monaghan’s comeback, as substitute Ryan McAnespie linked up with Meegan to split the uprights, before another couple of 30-metre frees by Meegan, following fouls on McGeough and McAnespie, tipped the scales in favour of the hosts. Micheál McCarville landed a good score from distance and McCarthy moved Monaghan three clear at the end of a well-worked move involving Meegan, McAnespie and Kevin Loughran, while at the other end, a goal-line clearance by Brian Greenan and Fergal Malone thwarted Watts’ attempt to end Westmeath’s barren run and possibly equalise. Monaghan now play Kerry in the shield semi-finals at Keenan Park, Ardagh, Co Longford this Saturday.

Monaghan: C Forde; K Loughran, B Greenan, F Malone; P Keenan, S Conlon, C Meegan; M McCarville (0-1), C Lavelle; D McAlister (0-1), F McGeough, S Buckley; C McCarthy (0-4), D Dolan (0-1), D Meegan (0-7, 5f).

Subs: A Kieran for C Meegan (inj., 13 mins), R Wylie for Kieran, D McElroy (Latton) for Buckley (both H-T), R McAnespie (0-1) for McAlister (44).

Westmeath: M McMahon; B Sayeh, D King, J Pettit; D Conway, K Daly, P Fagan; T Watts (0-1), G Delaney; A O’Brien (0-1), S Moran (0-1f), S Corcoran (0-1); L Dolan (1-2), R Connellan, K Shanley (0-2).

Subs: D McDermott (0-1) for Connellan (inj., 16), B O’Donoghue for King (24), S Raleigh for O’Donoghue (36), B Maxwell for Fagan (40), D Lyons for Moran (inj., 43), M Monaghan for Sayeh (50).

Referee: N Hand (Louth).