ALLIANZ  HURLING LEAGUE  DIVISION 3A.

Monaghan 0-17, Roscommon 1-10.

A resilient Monaghan staged an increasingly effective second-half performance to come from being four points behind at half-time to winning this well contested if never spectacular division 3A clash in St Mary’s Park Castleblayney yesterday. The first half was a close enough affair given the difficult conditions with a strong wind and intermittent rain, with the sides level on five occasions before Roscommon finished strongly to register the only goal of the game a minute into stoppage time, Jerry Fallon getting the vital touch, to leave the half-time score Roscommon 1-8, Monaghan 0-7. Monaghan started the second-half with renewed purpose and by the 12th minute they had wiped out that halftime deficit with points by Ronan Meegan, free, Declan Crowe, Nigel Garland and Tony Forde, going on then to take the lead with an excellent strike from Eanna Mac Suibhne. Roscommon equalised through Jerry Fallon and an exchange of points between Ronan Meegan and Fallon, both from frees, left the sides level again going into the final quarter. In that final quarter though it was Monaghan who dictated matters increasingly with excellent defensive work and then punishing Roscommon on breaks for four unanswered points in the final 14 minutes, two from frees by top scorer Ronan Meegan and one apiece from Niall Garland, free, and Fergal Rafter to leave them winners by four points and moving into the top of the league table with three points out of a possible four.

Teams and Scorers: Monaghan: Hugh Byrne, Kevin Crawley, Patrick Finnegan, Conor McKenna, Aaron Kenny, Peter Treanor, Deaglan Crowe 0-1, Eanna MacSuibhne 0-1, Mark Treanor, Niall Garland 0-2 (1f), Ronan Meegan 0-9 (9f), Tony Forde 0-2, Fergal Rafter 0-2, Brian Flanagan, Martin Murphy. Subs: Conor Boyle for K Crawley (45), Pauric Dowdall for M Murphy (53).

Roscommon: Noel Fallon, Ian Delaney, Peter Kellehan, Ciaran Shaw, Alan Moore, Declan Leonard, Jason Kilkenny, Cathal Kelly, John Moran, Tomas Seale, Gary Fallon 0-3, David Dolan, Cillian Egan, Naos Connaughton 0-2, Jerry Fallon 1-5 (0-3f, 0-1 s/c). Subs:  Ronan O’Meara for J Kilkenny (16), Adam Finnerty for C Egan (43), Adrian Murphy for D Dolan (53), Chris Duignan for J Moran (58). Referee: James Clarke (Cavan).