Football

Jack attack downs Dubs on day of drama

Jack McCarron celebrates his brilliant lobbed finish over Michael Shiel for Monaghan's third goal in a dramatic win over Dublin. Picture by Philip Walsh
Jack McCarron celebrates his brilliant lobbed finish over Michael Shiel for Monaghan's third goal in a dramatic win over Dublin. Picture by Philip Walsh Jack McCarron celebrates his brilliant lobbed finish over Michael Shiel for Monaghan's third goal in a dramatic win over Dublin. Picture by Philip Walsh

Allianz Football League Division One: Monaghan 3-13 Dublin 1-18

ALL that’s left here in this green sea beneath us are cawing crows, gleaming empty bottles and nothing that tells us of the incredible drama that unfolded two hours earlier.

You’d nearly feel weird coming to Clones these days if there wasn’t a pitch invasion after it.

Two Ulster titles should have been added to in this generation, and the last of them is now seven years ago, but while their Division One odyssey won’t fill the treasure chest, it will fill the memory box plenty.

To keep their own status was one thing, but to send Dublin off into Division Two next year in the most enthralling circumstances imaginable is why this day will be remembered as vividly as any.

Seán Jones’ slaloming run, Darren Hughes waiting in the dark alleys that Dublin willingly walked into, the grit of centre-back Conor McCarthy that marked a new departure in his career, the clambering innocence of Gary Mohan, they were all central, but really this was about Jack McCarron. Again.

He was only able to come on early against Galway last year and proceeded to shoot the lights out and save their Division One status.

Here, he was parachuted late into a team that was shorn of no less than chief scoregetter Conor McManus and their best bit of barbed wire Kieran Duffy.

McCarron is a joyous operator to watch when he gets space. Poor Michael Fitzsimons has arguably nothing in his career on the level of yesterday.

He was taken for 2-6, of which 1-3 was from play, but it was as much the heartless cruelty of the endless dummies, the impudence of the lob over Michael Shiel for the third goal. PlayStation stuff.

And yet the 2-5 he had on 73 minutes so nearly counted for nothing. Seven points up twice in the second half, Monaghan were going down with 30 seconds remaining. Dublin were too. A draw was no good to anyone.

Rory Beggan looked up from his tee and had nowhere to go. The only option was the one he’d chosen all day, 80 yards on top of a half-forward line where Gary Mohan and Andrew Woods were the sizeable targets.

Dublin had three bodies against the two, but they contrived to get beaten to the break. Woods was fouled. 44 yards, dead centre, this was Rory Beggan country. But as the goalkeeper ambled forward, McCarron already had the ball in his hands.

So high it sails that nobody knows for those long nanoseconds before the umpire dramatically points down at his white flag, as if he couldn’t even bear the tension of his own walk.

There’s no more left in it than the kickout, and a place that had walked on air for 70 minutes, then found itself slumped back in its chair is now hopping fences and rushing past unconcerned stewards.

In the long history of Gaelic football, it will go down as one of the most remarkably dramatic afternoons.

The nature of proceedings in all four games left it a rollercoaster.

Yet there didn’t seem to be many radios stuck in ears at St Tiernach’s Park. To have concerned themselves with what everyone else was at would have been to have missed their own drama.

The McManus and Duffy absences were notable and when Dublin went 0-4 to 0-1 up with Costello starting brightly, things looked ominous.

Seán Jones changed the mood by barging through and sliding home a fine first goal for Monaghan, which was largely responsible for their 1-7 to 0-8 interval lead, but it wasn’t that the home side were excelling.

They were living on scraps in attack and were grateful that beyond the first 10 minutes, Dublin were so poor themselves.

Dessie Farrell’s team gave as much ball away than in the whole of Jim Gavin’s reign. Across seven games, they have contributed massively to their own downfall.

But Monaghan had to take advantage too. Kieran Hughes’ delicious ball put Gary Mohan in behind and when he was bundled over by Cian Murphy, McCarron did the needful from the spot.

2-9 to 0-8 ahead, there was almost a sense of relaxation for the next 30 seconds. And then Dean Rock scored a free, Costello kicked a point blind, Sean Bugler drove over. The goal had disappeared, the gap was four and the fingernails were back between teeth.

Ryan Wylie was booked twice in a minute but then James McCarthy undid the advantage earning a second booking that Dublin felt was harsh.

In between, McCarron scored what will henceforth be referred to as The Lob. Michael Fitzsimons went looking a free and that bought the Currin man the time to judge Shiel’s position and drop it over his head and beneath the bar. It was sublime.

Yet Dublin, led by Davy Byrne, the odd surge from Bugler and with Rock taking advantage of some soft frees that in fairness there were a few of at the other end too, came back to within three and then got their penalty.

The parity satisfied nobody. Drew Wylie dropped a shot short. Lee Gannon kicked a rash wide. It was all left to that last kickout.

Jack McCarron enriched the lives of Monaghan people once more with his kick, from almost exactly the same spot he kicked the winner against Galway last year.

They’ll talk about him different now. No longer unfulfilled. Just brilliant.

MATCH STATS


Monaghan: R Beggan; C Boyle (0-1), D Wylie, R Wylie; D Hughes (0-1); R McAnespie, C McCarthy (0-1), D Ward; N Kearns, K Hughes (0-2); F Kelly, J McCarron (2-6, 1-0pen, 0-3 frees), S Carey (0-1 free); S Jones (1-0), G Mohan (0-1 free)


Subs: C Walshe for Carey (HT), A Woods for Jones (HT), K O’Connell for Kelly (46), K Lavelle for D Hughes (64), K Duffy for K Hughes (69), C McManus for Walshe (73)


Yellow cards: S Carey (35), R Wylie (49, 51), C Walshe (55)


Red card: R Wylie (51, second yellow)

Dublin: M Shiel; J Cooper, D Byrne; E Murchan; R McDaid, M Fitzsimons, T Lahiff; J McCarthy, B Fenton; B Howard (0-1), S Bugler (0-2, 0-1 mark), N Scully; C Costello (0-4, 0-1 mark), C Kilkenny, D Rock (1-9, 1-0pen, 0-8 frees)


Subs: L Gannon (0-2) for Lahiff (22), C Murphy for McDaid (30), B O’Leary for Scully (57), L O’Dell for Costello (65), A Wright for O’Leary (69)


Yellow cards: J McCarthy (13, 55)


Red card: J McCarthy (55, second yellow)

Referee: N Mooney (Cavan)