Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship quarter-final: Monaghan 1-15 Mayo 1-8
MONAGHAN bounced back from their Ulster final heartbreak with a comprehensive win over Connacht champions Mayo on Saturday evening.
It was their triumvirate of Tommy Mallen, Max McGinnity and Matthew Finn that shot the Farney side into a semi-final meeting with Kerry.
Mayo were 1-3 to 0-3 ahead after 12 minutes before Conor Jones levelled matters with a fine finish to the net seconds later.
Monaghan were encamped in the Mayo half and rattled off six unanswered points before Darragh Beirne ended Mayo’s 19-minute scoreless spell on the cusp of half time.
It was a blitz that had Monaghan on their way to a 1-9 to 0-4 interval and they didn’t let up after the break with Mayo never looking like getting back into contention.
Mayo played the last 10 minutes with 14 men after James Lavelle received a straight red card for a strike on Max McGinnity.
Dermot Malone was impressed with how his side put their penalty shoot-out defeat to Derry behind them. It took them time to “eventually” suss out the “rogueness” Mayo brought to their style before the 1-6 burst effectively won the game.
“We didn’t know what they were going to throw at us,” Malone said. “They are a really good team, they have loads of experience and a lot of the boys playing here today have two Connacht titles.”
Seán Óg McElwain hit two fine points early on, either side of Mayo’s eighth minute goal. Yousif Cohill’s ball picked out Tommy Lydon who put Josh Carey in on goal and the power was too much for ‘keeper Mooney, putting Mayo 1-1 to 0-2 ahead.
“The timing of it was fairly good,” Malone said of the goal. “They did break through on us from a counter-attack goal which is something we are going to have to look at.
“We gave away a lot of ball which we are definitely not going to be impressed with but that is going to happen when you are playing at this level, in last eight teams of the country, teams are going to do that.”
McGinnity added two frees as Monaghan pressed up aggressively on Meaney’s kick-outs. Monaghan could’ve added a second goal when a Jones flick from McGinnity’s long ball came off the post.
Tommy Mallen (0-2) and blood sub Seán O’Connell added scores for a relentless Monaghan who were on their way to commanding half-time lead.
Mayo did win their first three kick-outs of the second half, but Monaghan hounded them down and it was Finn and McGinnity that added scores to turn the screw even further.
“Kick-outs are so important and especially in minor football when ‘keepers can’t kick it as far as the likes of Rory Beggan, Niall Morgan and these boys,” Malone added.
“We have our set structures set up. We weren’t executing it too well in the first half. In fairness, Mayo were really good on our kick-outs and their own.”
Monaghan’s spirit was summed up by their hunger in the tackle and three full length blocks – two from Andrew Stuart and one from McGinnity back foraging in defence - to break any chance of Mayo battling their way back into the game.
Monaghan: J Mooney; C Greenan, C Meehan; S McElwain (0-2); T Quinn; A Stuart, J Lynch; M Carolan, C Jones; C Jones (1-0); T Mallen (0-3); D Connolly, M McGinnity (0-5, 3f, 1m), C Murphy; M Finn (0-4, 1 45), L McKenna
Subs: S O’Connell (0-1) for M McGinnity (Blood sub 27, reversed H-T), S O’Connell for S McElwain (46), E McCaffery for C Meehan (53), J Wright for C Murphy (57), M Maguire for L McKenna (60), C Clerkin for A Stuart (61)
Yellow card: A Stuart (55)
Mayo: C Meaney; J Lavelle, E McGreal, Y Coghill; J Clarke, R Mortimer. F O’Reilly; T Egan, S Cunningham; C Lynch (0-2), T Lydon (0-2 frees), G Forry; D Beirne (0-3), J Carey (1-0), S Gilfoyle
Subs: T Duffy for S Guilfoyle (35), D Neary (0-1) for J Carey (39), S Walsh for F O’Reilly (42), F Burke for G Forry (47), C Ryder for C Lynch (55)
Yellow cards: T Egan (38), R Mortimer (48),
Red card: J Lavelle (54)
Referee: E McFeely (Donegal)
