Football

Monaghan minors made to sweat against gutsy Antrim at Corrigan Park

Monaghan attacker Jason Irwin bagged two crucial scores against Antrim before getting sent off
Monaghan attacker Jason Irwin bagged two crucial scores against Antrim before getting sent off Monaghan attacker Jason Irwin bagged two crucial scores against Antrim before getting sent off

Ulster Minor (U17) Football Championship quarter-final: Antrim 1-2 Monaghan 0-6

WHEN Antrim met Monaghan in the Ulster Minor League earlier this year they lost by 22 points.

At a wind-swept Corrigan Park on Saturday evening they lost by a point to the same opponent in their Ulster Minor Football Championship clash.

You can safely call that progress from an Antrim perspective.

For a few brief moments, the Saffrons reduced the defending provincial champions’ lead to the narrowest of margins – but there wasn’t any time left to chase an equaliser after Joe McNally’s fisted stoppage-time goal for the home side.

Despite leading from start to finish, a couple of bouts of indiscipline could have cost Monaghan dearly on Saturday.

Captain Jason Irwin, one of the team’s key players in the Farneymen’s fantastic run to last year’s All-Ireland final, was sent off in the 43rd minute after a second bookable offence and in the final seconds Liam McDonald was red-carded after pole-axing an opponent in an off-the-ball incident.

“We’re glad to get out of here by the skin of our teeth,” said relieved Monaghan boss Mark Counihan, who took the reins from Seamus McEnaney.

“A goal in those conditions was always going to be massive but, thank God, it came late on for Antrim and not any earlier.”

Corrigan Park passed a 2pm pitch inspection on Saturday afternoon and while the surface was excellent by throw-in time, the gale-force wind made a mockery of the occasion.

The wind howled to such a ferocious extent that the couple of hundred brave souls who attended the game could hear only snatches of Amhrán na bhFiann via the ground’s PA system.

Throughout the 60 minutes, the O’Neill’s size five did a brilliant impersonation of a beach ball to the point where it was difficult to make a five-yard hand pass without it taking an erratic swerve away from its intended target.

The unplayable conditions were not only a nightmare for free-takers but also goalkeepers – Antrim’s Jonathan Rodgers and Monaghan’s Joe Kirk – who were sometimes forced to ditch their tees.

Balls ballooned up into the threatening skies above and nobody had a clue whether they were going to land out on the Whiterock Road or between the posts.

Most of the time, the ball flew out of play at an average speed of 80 miles per hour.

“If you weren’t one of the hearty souls out there you couldn’t appreciate how bad conditions were,” Counihan added.

Amid the 11 yellow cards, two red cards (both Monaghan) and two black card offences (both Antrim), there were a couple of memorable moments.

Three minutes before he was sent off for a second yellow card offence, Jason Irwin hit the best score of the evening. The 2017 Queen’s University Future Allstar collected Shane Slevin’s pass and from a seemingly impossible angle and outrageous distance his effort sailed between Antrim’s posts to put the visitors 0-5 to 0-2 ahead.

The impressive Liam McDonald got Monaghan off to a flyer after just four minutes of play and the champions managed to fashion an impressive 0-4 to 0-1 first-half lead against the wind.

Through sheer hard work and determination, Antrim won a stack of turnovers but they couldn’t translate these onto the scoreboard.

Rueben Carleton, captain Ruairi Hagan, Ethan Higgins, Joe McNally, Shay Madden and Ronan Boyle were among those who never gave up the fight despite Monaghan putting four points of daylight between them and Antrim with eight minutes remaining thanks to Darragh Dempsey’s second successful free of the night.

The home side couldn’t establish any attacking momentum due to the wicked conditions as well as some canny fouling from their opponents.

“Monaghan conceded a lot of fouls but that’s craft,” said Antrim boss Collie McAllister.

“They’ve been in the All-Ireland series – they know when to stop the game and they have a few marquee boys, but I thought our boys matched them. Yes, we were under the cosh at certain times but our boys showed desire and pride too.”

The St Gall’s man, also in his first year as U17 manager, added: “We were playing the Ulster champions and All-Ireland finalists and they were cheering going off the pitch. I think we put a wee bit of pride back in the jersey.”

Antrim enter the back door next weekend with a bit of a spring in their step, while Monaghan showed glimpses of their undoubted quality at Corrigan Park.

But, in fairness, Saturday wasn't a day to judge anyone too harshly in a game that bordered on farce due to a cursed wind.

Antrim: J Rodgers; R Carleton, E Irvine, M Ferris; R Hagan, E Higgins, S O’Callaghan; J McNally (1-0), D McNicholl (0-1); R McKillop, S Madden, C Higgins; P McLaughlin (0-1), R Lennon, R Boyle Subs: M Lynch for C Higgins (55)

Yellow cards: R Boyle (12), P McLaughlin (46), D McNicholl (50), E Higgins (58)

Black card: E Irvine replaced by C Killough (20-21), R Lennon replaced by L Russell (62-63)

Monaghan: J Kirk; S Slevin, R Boyle, S Hanratty; D Treanor, E Duffy, K Connolly; C McKernan, A Brennan; D Martin, K Gallagher, T Kierans; D Dempsey (0-2 frees), J Irwin (0-2), L McDonald (0-2, 0-1 free) Subs: D Courtney for T Kierans (42), D Kerley for C McKernan (54), C Maguire for A Brennan (59)

Yellow cards: S Hanratty (12), E Duffy (16), L McDonald (24), J Irwin (27 & 43), S Slevin (37), K Gallagher (60)

Red cards: J Irwin (27 & 43), L McDonald (63 straight red)

Referee: M Farrelly (Cavan)

Antrim star man: Joe McNally (Sarsfields)

THERE were a few contenders in saffron but Joe McNally gets the nod. The big Sarsfields midfielder got stuck in from the first minute and his physical presence seemed to unsettle Monaghan. He had a subdued middle part of the game but finished strongly and was there close to Monaghan's goal-line in the 63rd minute to punch a goal.

Monaghan star man: Eoin Duffy (Latton)

JASON Irwin and Liam McDonald were in with a shout before they were dismissed. Shane Slevin did well too but Eoin Duffy had two solid halves for Monaghan. Antrim couldn't navigate a way past the Latton centre-back and pushed high up the pitch in the second half which put Antrim under huge pressure.

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