Monaghan survive

by Colm Shalvey

Monaghan finished their Lidl NFL campaign by losing to a more clinical Mayo side in Castlebar on Sunday.

In blustery conditions at MacHale Park, Monaghan were unable to make the wind advantage count in their favour in a first half that ended with Mayo leading by three points. Enda Flanagan’s side struggled to get their hands on possession into the elements, with Mayo dominating the kick-outs battle, winning 12 in a row and converting two of those into goals by Aoife Staunton and Lisa Cafferky.

That duo combined for 2-6 of Mayo’s total, with Sinéad Walsh kicking six points as they concluded a league where their only defeat came by the narrowest of margins against Donegal, who pipped them to second in the table and a place in the Division 2 final against Cavan.

Éabha Sherry, Eimear Traynor, Jodie McQuillan and Aoife Burns remained among the absentees for Monaghan, whose two wins and one draw proved enough to retain Division 2 status for another season.

Mayo put together a slick move through the hands for the opening point from Aoife Staunton, but Monaghan replied through Aoibhín McCormack and Chloe McBride (free), while Muireann Atkinson had a strong penalty appeal denied early on.

Amy Garland added a point at the end of a patient Monaghan attack, but Mayo stayed in touch via Sinéad Cafferky and a brace of frees by Sinéad Walsh, the second of which was generously awarded. Lisa Cafferky opened her account after a shot from Walsh had hit the crossbar, before a foul on Rosemary Courtney allowed Leanne Maguire to tap over a free that ended 12 scoreless minutes for Monaghan.

Staunton and Lisa Cafferky moved Mayo three clear and while Suzanne Tuohy had a goal-attempt saved by Órna Kelly, the rebound fell for Staunton to fire over her third point. Atkinson halved Monaghan’s deficit with right and left-footed points, but they were punished for a ‘three-up’ breach that saw Walsh convert a 20-metre free that made it 0-9 to 0-6 in the hosts’ favour at half-time.

Another ‘three-up’ infringement saw Monaghan get a reprieve when Walsh dropped her subsequent free short, but Mayo’s stranglehold on the kick-outs eventually told when a point-attempt from Staunton dipped into the net on 36 minutes.

Tara Needham was denied a second within a minute by a block from Áine McQuaid, but Walsh added two points (one from a free) as Mayo increased their advantage. McBride ended an 18-minute wait for Monaghan’s first score of the half, but a well-worked move at the other end saw Staunton take her tally to 1-4 and she went on to intercept a kick-out to start another swift exchange of hand-passes that teed up Lisa Cafferky to palm the ball into an empty net.

Cora Courtney kicked a couple of points in the closing stages for Monaghan, but a one-two with sub Maria Reilly released Walsh for her sixth white flag as Mayo sealed the win. Donegal beating Wexford meant Diane O’Hora’s team missed out on a top-two finish.

Monaghan will now focus on the Intermediate Championship, with an Ulster clash with Down next up on the first weekend in May.

Mayo: Julia Gawalkiewicz; Lucy Wallace, Sherrin El Massry, Méabh Delaney; Eilis Ronayne, Danielle Caldwell, Hannah Reape (0-1); Aoife Geraghty, Fiona McHale; Suzanne Tuohy, Tara Needham, Aoife Staunton (1-4); Lisa Cafferky (1-2), Sinéad Walsh (Capt., 0-6, 4f), Sinéad Cafferky (0-1).

Subs: Lynda Hanley for Caldwell (inj., 10); Aoife Kennedy for Tuohy (34); Kate Brennan for Wallace (inj., 45); Maria Reilly for Hanley, Laura Moran for S Cafferky (both 49); Aisling Flanagan for L Cafferky (55).

Monaghan: Órna Kelly; Áine Loughman, Áine McQuaid, Maeve Monaghan; Amy Garland (0-1), Rosemary Courtney (Capt.), Katie McAdam; Jennifer Duffy, Niamh Flanagan; Aoibhín McCormack (0-1), Cora Courtney (0-2), Casey Treanor; Chloe McBride (0-2, 1f), Muireann Atkinson (0-2), Leanne Maguire (0-1f).

Subs: Alison Gilliland for Garland (inj., 34); Aimee Donnelly for Flanagan (38); Ellen Leonard for McCormack (47); Dervla Cawley for Duffy (inj., 57).

Referee: Aaron Clogher.