Monaghan Focus

Monaghan"s championship season is back on course following their victory over Derry in Clones on Saturday last for a win that has restored the team to the ratings and helped wipe away the bitter memories of that Sunday back in May when they were dumped out of the Ulster series by Fermanagh. This was a rejuvenated Monaghan, the Monaghan that people had become accustomed to over the last number of years playing with passion and style against a Derry side that were also looking to resurrect their season following their defeat in the Ulster semi-final. That is not to say it was all plain sailing for Monaghan on Saturday last as it wasn"t, but when they hit their true form they were more than a match for anything that Derry could throw at them and in truth it was a few momentary lapses in concentration that kept Derry in the hunt. However when the chips were down coming into the final minutes and the game there to be won it was Monaghan who had the greater resolve and the greater reserves of courage and confidence to strike for victory. The game as a contest was highlighted by some brilliant individual displays and none more so than that of captain Damien Freeman in defence who led by example all through. Eoin Lennon did some brilliant fetching around midfield while upfront Conor McManus and Ciaran Hanratty along with Stephen Gollogly always carried the fight to the Derry men. Tomas Freeman was back in scoring form finishing with five points the most crucial being the winner with the game going into injury time and the sides level. Rory Woods worked feverishly throughout while the switching of Vincent Corey from attack to defence was crucial in Monaghan"s strong finish. Having dominated the first half during which they hit two purple patches that between them yielded a goal and five points Monaghan had opened a six points lead a minute into stoppage time only to then concede a late goal and a point to bring Derry right back into the game. In the second half fortunes ebbed and flowed with Derry playing catch up until they themselves hit a good spell that saw them register three unanswered points to take a one point lead entering the final 15 minutes. In that final period however Monaghan re-jigged their forces and introduced some fresh legs to turn things around and when extra time looked a distinct possibility at one stage Monaghan poached a winning point and then held out as Derry tried to regroup to strike back. In truth Monaghan could have won this game by a wider margin but the fact that they had thrown off the shackles that had limited their performance to such an extent against Fermanagh back in May was encouraging and having got this championship victory under their belts there is no reason to not believe that Monaghan can have an impact from here on. Hurlers make it a double. The Monaghan hurlers made it a double in Clones on Saturday last when they recorded a fairly easy victory over Cavan in the Nicky Rackard cup quarter-final but unfortunately it was a game that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons with a couple of incidents towards the end that saw three players red carded and some tense moments following an injury to Cavan player Paul Sheridan. A purple patch midway through the first half that yielded a goal and four points to put Monaghan seven up at that stage but Cavan finished the half strongly to reduce the deficit to five by the break. The second half was a disappointing affair with play becoming scrappy and scores at a premium to the extent that both sides could only register three points apiece with Monaghan going through to the semi-final with five points to spare. The red cards though could have a costly effect on Monaghan in that they will be facing into this weekend"s semi final without the services of two of their best players Pat O"Connell and Bernard O"Brien. O"Connell had just recovered from injury and his introduction late on gave reason for confidence that he could have an impact in the latter stages of the competition while Bernard O"Brien"s loss is significant in that he is one of Monaghan"s finest hurlers and a vital cog in the current setup where he operates at midfield. Minor famine continues. Last Sunday saw Monaghan taking part in the minor football championship final but ultimately it was to be bitter disappointment again for the Farney county with their championship famine now extending to 64 years following their defeat by Tyrone in a somewhat disappointing game as a spectacle. Overall Tyrone were deserving winners in that they were the better team on the day and played the more purposeful football while Monaghan will be left to regret that they never really established a foothold in the game at any stage and failed to play to their true potential. Big match nerves definitely affected a number of players particularly some of the bigger name players that Monaghan were looking to for a top class performance. It was bitterly disappointing following their excellent victory over Derry but they failed to produce that same batting display that had disposed of the Oak Leaf county earlier this month. Monaghan now go through to play the defeated Connaught champions in the All Ireland quarter-final but they will have to improve seriously on last Sunday"s performance if they are to have any chance of advancing further.