EirGrid Ulster U20 Football Championship quarter-final
Cavan 0-13 Monaghan 1-11
MONAGHAN showed true grit as they advanced to the semi-finals of the Ulster U20 FC after a stirring display.
The Farney side did it the hard way, though, after the hosts had flown out of the starting blocks, a succession of points – including a gem from Shane Tynan – leaving the eventual winners trailing by 0-0 to 0-4 after eight minutes.
Cavan’s early form matched the bright and breezy weather but the visitors got a real leg-up in the 22nd minute when Stephen Mooney dusted himself off after being fouled before firing home from the penalty spot to level matters, 0-6 to 1-3.
Neither side looked comfortable on the front foot and Monaghan failed to press on just like Cavan did in the opening 10 minutes and, true to form, the Breffni boys regained the initiative to get their noses ahead at the interval.
The Monaghan defence found it difficult to cope with the speedy duo of Darragh Lovett and Shane Tynan and it was no surprise when the latter split the posts in added-on time to hoist Cavan into a 0-9 to 1-4 interval lead.
The second half was a more cagey affair but no less see-saw in nature with neither team managing to secure a grip on the exchanges for anything more than fleeting minutes.
In the soft going, both sides saw a raft of good approach work slaughtered on the altar of a spillage or a timely interception.
In what was a largely tame affair, the final quarter proved well worth waiting for with the scores coming, machine gun-like.
With the chequered flag in sight, the teams seemed to throw caution to the wind and the points were reeled off accordingly, with Stephen Mooney’s free and a second point (53) by rampaging defender Ryan Duffy leaving the sides level (0-12 to 1-9) for only the second time in the tie.
Monaghan finished with a flourish, though, with top scorer Mooney consolidating a fine Michael Hamill point (57) to edge the visitors into a two-point lead leaving Madden’s free (62) thereafter a poor consolation for the long-time leaders.
Cavan J Norris; C Brady, E Crowe, B McGahan; R Brady, C McCabe, C McKeogh (0-1); P Smyth, C O’Reilly; E Shehu, T Farrelly, F Shehu; S Tynan (0-2), D Madden (0-7, 5f), D Lovett (0-3)
Subs O Rehill for T Farrrelly (39); S Óg McGearty for C O’Reilly (44); M Smith for E Shehu (46); B Donnelly for S Tynan (49); K Lovett for R Brady (53)
Monaghan D Croarkin; R Duffy (0-2), L Kelly, N Meehan; C Reilly, D Byrne, B Walker; M McPhillips(0-1), D McCahey; C Hughes, M Hamill (0-1), C Eccles (0-1); C Conlon (0-2,’45), S Mooney (1-4, pen, 3f, mark,)
H McDonald
Subs T Hughes for D McCahey (h-t); J Slevin for B Walker (h-t); D Mee for H McDonald (58)
