Allianz NFL Division Two Round Two
Monaghan 2-29 2-21 Westmeath
There’ve been football matches before where there’s been a lot going on, but not like this.
You’re reluctant to say never in this business, but you’d wonder if the scoreboard operators in St Tiernach’s Park ever totted up a total more than a combined four goals and fifty points.
Conor McCarthy was subbed off to a hair-raising ovation from a crowd that were entertained like they couldn’t believe.
Gabriel Bannigan was delighted and irritated and satisified. Post match he gave breakthrough Monaghan star Bobby McCaul a warm embrace.
His concern was soon evident too for young Michael Hamill, whose serious looking injury brought about the only pause in a game god damn close to Jim Gavin’s pipe dream of the greatest amateur game in the world.
It wasn’t perfect, but here was a sport that provided high emotion and drama that in the past it has craved.
A passing thought occurs. How on earth will a defender ever get a man of the match award again?
Good thing Conor McCarthy is technically a wing-back. Each of his seven white flags came from play. Each was glorious and effortless as he launched a campaign to be deemed Ireland’s finest attacking defender.
In Clones, attack was the best means of defence, exemplified by the 2022 Allstar and many others.
“Conor McCarthy was unplayable today”, his manager said.
“So were Mick Hamill and Ryan McAnespie, two key half-forwards, and they both got injured. Michael’s looks a particularly serious injury. That’s a massive blow to him and a massive blow to the group.
“It’s tough to see anyone going off with any injury, but particularly nasty ones.”
Indeed team captain Micheál Bannigan also missed out with a stomach bug, with Monaghan potentially down their entire starting half-forward line for the trip to Roscommon in a fortnight.
Bannigan, the manager, backed calls for six subs at the very least, as Monaghan finished the game with 14 men after Hamill was forced off:
“I’m a huge fan of the vast majority of the rules. I’m a huge fan of more pace and quicker football, but let’s give the players and management involved the opportunity to replace players when they need replacing.
“Nobody wants to see people coming off the pitch badly injured.”
Injury aside, Monaghan are exactly where they want to be.
The sides worked each other out early doors. After 11 minutes, the home side led 0-3 0-2, with Luke Loughlin and Brían Cooney having handed Westmeath an early advantage.
Andy Moran’s voice then echoed and Monaghan upped the ante. McAnespie demanded it, laid it off and finished a score that forced his teammates to match his intensity.
A Rory Beggan kickpass was a work of art. It met Davy Garland like the most loyal spaniel on the loosest leash, providing a glimpse of the new mark advantage. Garland’s effort on goal was repelled before he tapped over the free.
Luke Loughlin’s 0-12 last week was the talk of Clones town. It said a lot about today that he scored 0-10 without playing overly well.
When Stephen Mooney swivelled and scored it was 0-9 0-5, though a skewed Loughlin goal chance was Westmeath’s first wide on 21 minutes.
The Lake County came roaring back with flags orange and green, the first Sam McCartan, the latter Ronan Wallace.
A few groans of frustration followed, quickly wiped away as Ciarán McNulty delightfully delayed a pass for a driving Ryan O’Toole. His near-post finish powered past Dermot McCabe’s experimental netminder Conor McCormack, though he could do little.
The half-time whistle came seconds after. Breaths collected. 1-15 to 1-9.
Upon the restart was a Westmeath goal, again by Ronan Wallace or maybe Robbie Forde... The ball possibly went over the line on the first occasion. The follow-up strike from Forde nearly ripped Rory Beggan’s net.
The Scotstown man was Monaghan’s stand-in captain, and he was forced to stand under a series of Westmeath fisted points, sub Brandon Kelly among the scorers in what was supposed to be Ray Connellan’s jersey, the latter yet another injury.
A Robbie Forde two-pointer was touched over to halve its significance, coming shortly after Kelly slid a goal chance wide when the entire Gerry Arthur Stand thought it was in. Big moments.
Sublime kick passes from Ryan Wylie and Micháel McCarville - who grew dominant around the middle - both found their targets as McCarthy shot the lights out.
Rory Beggan’s second two-point free of the day soared over as smug Monaghan looks were exchanged over the ridiculousness of his ability and some sarcastically called for a three-pointer.
Monaghan wrestled unlikely control in a match possessing no manners, as a trademark score from Jack McCarron distracted temporarily from the luckless and hamstrung McAnespie.
That made it a seven-point game, before Mooney got his first orange flag in county colours. Then McCarthy’s rousing reception as he departed.
Loughlin brought it back to seven with a two-point free a minute from time, but a lengthy delay for Hamill’s apparent knee injury meant a lengthy stoppage.
An inch-perfect handpass from Mooney put a goal on a plate for McCarron when play did resume, as the Scotstown man skipped inside and finished with aplomb in what was the 48th minute of the latter period.
The final whistle sounded from the lips of young Tyrone official Kieran Eannetta, who had managed proceedings wonderfully and contributed to the spectacle.
Tweaks are to come, but recency bias and hyperbole say that it was among the finest spectacles St Tiernach’s Park has ever seen.
The most skeptical cynic would say it was thoroughly enjoyable.
Are you not entertained?
Scorers
Monaghan: Conor McCarthy 0-7, Stephen Mooney 0-7 (1tp, 4f) Davy Garland 0-5 (1tp, 1 mark, 1f), Jack McCarron 1-1, Rory Beggan 0-4 (2 tpf) Ryan O’Toole 1-0, Ryan McAnespie 0-2, Michael Hamill, Ciaran McNulty, Killian Lavelle 0-1 each
Westmeath: Luke Loughlin 0-10 (3tpf, 2f) Robbie Forde 1-2 (1f), Ronan Wallace 1-0, Sam McCartan 0-3 (1tp), Matthew Whittaker 0-2, Brían Cooney, Conor Dillon, Eoghan McCabe, Brandon Kelly 0-1 each.
MONAGHAN
Rory Beggan; Ryan Wylie, Killian Lavelle, Dylan Byrne; Ryan O’Toole, Ryan McAnespie, Conor McCarthy; Gavin McPhillips, Micheál McCarville; Barry McBennett, Michael Hamill, Ciaran McNulty; Davy Garland, Stephen Mooney, Sean Jones.
Subs used: Bobby McCaul (48 mins), Jason Irwin (54 mins), Jack McCarron (54 mins), Kevin Loughran (62 mins), Dean McDonnell (68 mins).
WESTMEATH
Conor McCormack; Jamie Gonoud, Charlie Drumm, David Giles; Kevin O’Sullivan, Ronan Wallace, Sam McCartan; Eoghan McCabe, Brían Cooney; Matthew Whittaker, Danny McCartan, Conor Dillon; Stephen Smith, Luke Loughlin, Robbie Forde.
Subs used: Brandon Kelly (HT), Enda Gaffney (48 mins), Jack Geoghegan (69 mins)
Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)