Football

Monaghan delighted to remain in Division One - O'Rourke

Monaghan manager Malachy O'Rourke celebrates victory last Sunday with Fintan Kelly <br />Picture by Philip Walsh
Monaghan manager Malachy O'Rourke celebrates victory last Sunday with Fintan Kelly
Picture by Philip Walsh
Monaghan manager Malachy O'Rourke celebrates victory last Sunday with Fintan Kelly
Picture by Philip Walsh

MONAGHAN will be joined by neighbours to the north and south in the top flight next year, but all they were concerned about was making Division One their home for a third consecutive season.

Manager Malachy O'Rourke commented: "Yeah, the local rivals are there as well, but that was expected, that Cavan would win and Tyrone were promoted already.

"It doesn't really matter to us who's in Division One as long as we're there."

The Fermanagh native came as close as he's likely to do, in his mild-mannered way, to hitting back at critics after Monaghan had slumped dangerously close to relegation before scoring an injury-time victory over another set of Ulster rivals, Donegal, last Sunday.

"I'm just delighted for the boys because we've put in so much work. We got off to a great start, but when you have a few defeats in-a-row there will always be plenty of people who'll question you and so on - that's par for the course in football," he said.

"I'm just delighted for the boys that the work they've been doing paid off and they've preserved their status in Division One."

Substitute Thomas Kerr played his part in the comeback win, coming on for the final third of the game at a stage when Monaghan trailed by two points.

The Ballybay man acknowledged Monaghan enjoyed some fortune to edge the win thanks to an injury-time score from corner-back Colin Walshe: "It was lucky enough in the end that Walshey got up there at the other end of the field, very lucky, but we'll take it."

Although the Doohamlet defender doesn't score too often, when he does, they tend to be important, as Kerr recalled: "He got one last year in the Championship against Cavan, so I'd say he fancied his chances when he got up that far."

Monaghan knew that, with Mayo beating Down, their fate depended on themselves defeating Donegal and then hoping Cork would lose in Kerry and they were kept informed of the situation: "At half-time, we were aware, but it wasn't really part of what we were thinking - we just wanted to get a performance, that was all we were looking for.

"We were slow out of the blocks but, look it, it's not easy in this division. Donegal came flying out of the blocks, but we just had to take the game as it came - and we were lucky enough to pull it back in the end."

Having cited luck several times, he did say fortune hadn't always favoured Monaghan in this campaign: "We got off to a good start in the league and we felt we could have got something out of the Dublin match and even the Mayo match.

"We were lucky enough in the end to stay up, but we felt unlucky throughout the year - look, we're here for another year and that's it. It's a massive thing, Division One is where everyone wants to be. Another year for us younger boys coming through, even the 21s there, we're happy to be in Division One."

Next for Monaghan will be the defence of their Ulster Championship crown, with Down - relegated from Division One - the visitors to Clones in two months' time on June 5. 

"I don't know what way we'll be going into the Championship, but we've a few weeks now to knuckle down, get a bit of training under our belts and that's what we'll look forward to."