SIX points from Conor McManus – five of them in the thrilling second half – weren’t enough to keep Monaghan afloat on Saturday night.
Tyrone, with the brilliant Darragh Canavan pulling their strings, won a superb game at Healy Park and defeat meant the Farneymen sank into Division Two after 10 seasons in the top flight.
McManus stopped for selfies and a few words with supporters from both counties before he left the field.
A Red Hand veteran shook his hand and told him sincerely: “You’re up there with the best I’ve ever seen.”
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McManus is a generational talent. Now in his 18th season in inter-county football, the 36-year-old looked as good as ever on Saturday night. There were flashes in the first half and then everything seemed to click into gear early in the second when he left his marker in his wake and sprinted to take a pass.
It was poetry in motion from then on: A drop of the shoulder, feinting one way and turning the other, soloing as he glided into space and then the brilliant finish off his left foot.
Vintage ‘Mansy’ and Monaghan will always have a chance as long as they can keep him on the field. Injury meant they were without him – and other key players - for the first four games of this campaign and, despite beating Dublin in their Division One opener, they were relegated with a game still to play.
“We left it too late in the game and in the League to bring that performance,” said Clontibret clubman McManus.
“We started well against Dublin but we’ve struggled ever since and, as I say we left it too late to bring that sort of performance. If we had brought that performance level throughout the League I don’t think we’d be in the position we’re in but it is what it is. Hopefully we’ll get a few men back on the pitch over the next few weeks and look forward to the Championship.”
McManus, Ryan McAnespie and Conor McCarthy were back on the field on Saturday night but Monaghan were still without Shane Carey, Stephen O’Hanlon and Conor Boyle. All teams have to cope with injuries and McManus doesn’t accept the long list of absences as an excuse for below-par performances.
“You can make all the excuses you want,” says McManus.
“The bottom line is we didn’t perform well enough throughout the League. If we had brought that second half performance earlier in this game and earlier in the League we’d probably be ok but we know where we’re at now and we’ve plenty to work on so we’ll dust ourselves down and get going again.”
Monaghan lost but – with their Ulster preliminary round clash against Cavan looming - there were encouraging signs in their performance. If the injury list clears up the Farneymen can certainly be a force in the Championship.
“Coming here we wanted to get a performance,” said McManus.
“We weren’t happy with the first half and we’re reasonably happy with the second because we showed a bit of fight and a bit of character there and we have to take whatever positives there are with us and try and learn.”
McManus had missed the first five rounds of the League apart from a substitute appearance against Galway, so Monaghan fans will have been delighted to see their talisman back on the field and in brilliant form.
The three-time Allstar has 80 minutes of competitive football under his belt and is always expecting more from himself.
“I could have had a couple more scores there and it might have been enough to make the difference,” he said.
“But it’s gone and we’ll just look forward now.”
