Allianz National Football League Division One: Monaghan 2-13 Dublin 1-13
THE introduction of the master, Conor McManus, and his young apprentice, Stephen O’Hanlon, turned this game Monaghan’s way and got the Farneymen off to a spectacular start in Division One yesterday.
With 43 minutes gone and Dublin 1-9 to 0-9 ahead, peerless McManus and debutant O’Hanlon were sprung from the bench in an attacking double substitution that conjured up 1-4 and created a second goal to see Monaghan home by three points at the finish.
In front of a smaller than expected crowd, the Dubs started brightly and led by six points (1-6 to 0-3) before the black cards shown to John Small and then blood substitute Robert McDaid saw the momentum swing in the home side’s favour.
Jim Gavin’s men led by two at the break but Monaghan were level after O’Hanlon’s classy finish and four points from McManus and a second goal from Shane Carey gave Monaghan a lead they never looked like surrendering, although there were some nervy moments in the closing stages.
Dublin were without Cluxton, McCarthy, Kilkenny, Brogan and others but Monaghan were minus Kieran Hughes and Niall Kearns and manager O’Rourke was delighted to have a potent new forward in his squad.
“We have had Stephen on the radar for the last couple of years,” he explained.
“He wasn’t able to commit, he’s heavily involved in basketball as well.
“So it was great when he was able to commit this year and someone who can do that is very valuable to you. We just hope to build on it, keep building with him and keep building with all the boys throughout the year. That’s the plan, just to keep improving.”
Meanwhile, Jim Gavin felt the sin-binning of John Small for a foul on McCarron, was a questionable decision that had a considerable bearing on the game.
“Maybe it’s the first game of the season?” he pondered.
“Their six (Barry Kerr) took down Con O’Callaghan in the first half and that was probably more of a textbook black card but listen you just have to roll with the punches and they went against us today.
“Hopefully, they’ll go for us the next day.”
Gavin’s Dubs flooded the centre of the pitch, leaving space up the flanks and, after a scrappy opening; Dean Rock opened the scoring from Paul Mannion’s pass.
Karl O’Connell blasted a wide into sheets of rain that swept in from town end as the Dubs, with the wind at their backs, surged further ahead.
Rock found Niall Scully who gave O’Connell the slip and poked the ball past Rory Beggan from close range before Rock’s mark left the visitors 1-2 to no score ahead after 11 minutes.
Micheal Bannigan’s free opened Monaghan’s account and he added a mark but two Rock frees and points from Paul Flynn and Con O’Callaghan either side of Jack McCarron’s free for Monaghan had the Dubs 1-6 to 0-3 in front.
Then Small was black-carded for dragging down McCarron and as he made his way off, the Curran forward stuck the free over the bar.
Monaghan, six down, pushed up as the 14-man Dubs tried to play keep-ball until Small was back on the field. Boos rang out as ball was worked back and across and then back to goalkeeper Evan Comerford.
The sequence ended, after three minutes, with Brian Fenton blasting a point from just inside the Monaghan ‘45’ and it was 1-7 to 0-4 with 23 minutes gone.
Monaghan replied with another McCarron free and then Darren Hughes and Barry Kerr combined for Fintan Kelly to split the Dublin uprights.
Small returned from his sin bin spell and quickly resumed his battle with McCarron but the Monaghan crowd roared their approval after Hughes dispossessed him and sent David Garland scampering clear.
The speedy forward was dragged down by blood sub McDaid who was also black-carded but McAuley (whom he had replaced) jogged on as he came off and he was still on the field when McCarron converted the free. Protests from the home support and the Monaghan management alerted referee David Coldrick and McAuley was told to go back to the bench he watched from there as Dermot Malone stroked over another Monaghan point that left his side just two points behind, 1-7 to 0-8, at the break.
Coldrick – who had a busy first half – was injured so replacement referee Padraig Hughes threw the ball in for the start of an action-packed second half.
It wasn’t a minute old when Rock scored from Mannion’s pass and O’Callaghan’s fisted effort left the Dubs ahead 1-9 to 0-8.
McCarron replied with a superb point before O’Rourke released McManus and Carrickmacross speedster O’Hanlon who had an immediate impact.
Colin Walshe played the ball up to him and he caught it and turned Johnny Cooper in one motion before racing forward, soloing twice on his right foot and slipping ball into the net with his left to level it.
A McManus free sent Monaghan ahead for the first time and they never looked back. In their next attack, McCarron’s accurate pass found McManus who switched the ball to O’Hanlon and his handpass across goal left Carey with a tap-in that sent the home side four points ahead.
McManus frees cancelled out points from Ryan Basquel and Costello and Beggan saved well from O’Callaghan’s toe poke as the Dubs went on the hunt for the goal they needed to get themselves back in the game.
It never looked like coming though and full-back Michael Fitzsimons – worried by O’Hanlon’s pace – conceded another free which McManus swung over the bar before Basquel left three in it again (2-12 to 1-12) with five minutes to go.
There were nerves in the stands as the seconds ticked away but the Monaghan players – who look to have stuck to their weight programmes over the off-season – were more than a physical match for an inexperienced-looking Dublin side.
Small had a momentary sight of goal but he was quickly closed down by a posse of defenders in white shirts.
O’Callaghan’s free left a goal in it but McManus had the final say and his typically unerring finish sealed back-to-back League wins over Dublin for this admirable Monaghan side.
Who could begrudge them the national honour they deserve? They’re off to a terrific start in their latest hunt for it.
Monaghan: R Beggan; K Duffy, C Boyle, R Wylie; K O’Connell, B Kerr, C Walshe; D Hughes, F Kelly; R McAnespie, D Malone (0-1), S Carey (1-0); D Garland, J McCarron (0-5, 0-4 frees), M Bannigan (0-2, 0-1 mark)
Subs: C McManus (0-4, 0-2 frees, 0-2 marks) for Bannigan (43), S O’Hanlon (1-0) for Garland (43), D Ward for O’Connell (60), C McCarthy for Malone (68), N McAdam for McAnespie (70)
Yellow cards: McCarron (33), O’Connell (59), McManus (68)
Black cards: J Small (20), McDaid (35)
Dublin: E Comerford; E Lowndes, M Fitzsimons, C Mulally; P Flynn (0-1), J Cooper, J Small; B Fenton (0-1), MD McCauley; B Howard, C Costello (0-1 free), N Scully (1-0); P Mannion, D Rock (0-4, 0-1 free, 0-1 mark), C O’Callaghan (0-4, 0-1 free)
Blood sub: R McDaid for McAuley (30), McAuley for McDaid (41)
Subs: D Daly for Mulally (48), R Basquel (0-2) for Flynn (48), C McHugh for Rock (52), C O’Connor for McAuley (55), P Andrews for Mannion (60)
Yellow: Fenton (33), Cooper (68), Scully (70)
Referee: David Coldrick (injured), Padraig Hughes (second half)
