Late surge sees Monaghan overcome Saffron challenge

Monaghan got off the mark at the third attempt in the Ulster U-20 Football Championship when they pulled away from Antrim in the closing stages at Dunsilly on Wednesday night. After losses to Donegal and Derry, Monaghan had to work hard to shrug off Antrim’s challenge in this one. A tense finish looked to be on the cards when Antrim hit 0-4 in a row to lead by a point midway through the second half, but Monaghan responded with an unanswered 1-7 to clinch their first win of the group stage. Substitute Max McGinnity found an empty net for the only goal on 57 minutes as Monaghan set up a crucial clash with Fermanagh. Dáire Higgins top-scored with 0-7 for Antrim, but Monaghan had a better spread, with Tom Doherty, Matthew Finn and Killian Kierans combining for 0-11.

With Tommy Mallen, Seán Óg McElwain, Max Maguire and Conor Meehan remaining out through injuries, Paul O’Connor made five changes to his Monaghan team, with Conor Jones, Seán O’Connell, Senan Carolan, Killian Kierans and John McCrystal coming in for Tomás Quinn, Canice Murphy, Matthew Carolan, Luke McKenna and McGinnity.

Monaghan won ten of the game’s first 12 kick-outs, but they couldn’t reflect that dominance on the scoreboard.

With Monaghan unable to convert any of their first seven shots, they took 14 minutes to open their account, by which stage Antrim had two points on the board through Dáire Higgins (one from a free), as well as having a Niall Hynds’ goal-attempt blocked.

Killian Kierans had a shot at goal charged down at the other end, before he got his side belatedly off the mark from a free for a foul on Matthew Finn, who then linked up with Seán O’Connell to add Monaghan’s first score from play. Higgins replied with a fine point after catching a high ball in from Ethan Walsh, but Kierans brought Monaghan back on level terms from a free, having pinched an Antrim kick-out.

The visitors hit on the counter-attack for a point from Finn, before a well-worked move involving Luke McKenna and John McCrystal released Tom Doherty for a left-footed score. Pádraig Murray brought Antrim back within one, but a one-two with McCrystal set up Finn for his third point of the half, before the unfortunate O’Connell was forced off with what looked like an arm injury. A free by Higgins cut Monaghan’s lead to the minimum at half-time (0-6 to 0-5), but sub Matthew Carolan found Kierans in space to double their lead after the restart. Shane O’Connor and Caoláin Clerkin added points, while McCrystal drilled a goal chance just wide, following a swift one-two with Donnchadh Connolly.

A Ryan McKeever free kept Antrim in touch and they kicked on towards the end of the third quarter, with Higgins firing over placed kicks from either side of the arc and Corey Walsh adding their only point from play of the second half. Monaghan regained the lead through Finn and Doherty, with the latter also tapping over a close-range free won by McKenna.

A mis-hit kick-out that was intercepted by Max McGinnity and allowed Clerkin to double his tally, while Antrim missed a chance to slow Monaghan’s momentum when Higgins hit the upright from a 20-metre free.

Another Doherty free moved Monaghan four clear, before the Drumhowan forward won a turnover deep inside the opposition half and with their keeper Jack Ireland having pushed on, it left McGinnity with the simple task of rolling the ball into an empty net. An added-time point by McKenna made it 1-6 in a row, while McGinnity had another goal-attempt tipped over by Ireland.

With Donegal already through to the Ulster semi-finals as Group A winners, Monaghan need to avoid defeat in Tempo tonight (Wednesday) to seal a place in the provincial quarter-finals. A Fermanagh win would see Paul O’Connor’s side miss out on the knock-out stages.

Antrim: Jack Ireland; James Óg McAuley, Segdae Mac Adhaimh, Christopher Hale; Ethan Walsh, Conor O’Connell, Sé Ferris; Niall Hynds, Isaac Robinson; Ryan McKeever (0-1f), Jack O’Neill, Aaron Mackle; Pádraig Murray (0-1), Dáire Higgins (0-7, 1 2-pt-f, 3f), Corey Walsh (0-1).

Subs: Fionn Jemfrey for McKeever (43); Cathair McKenna for Murray (46); Sean McCarthy for Ferris (55); Eoghan Sherry for Mackle (57); Sonny Doyle for O’Neill ( 58).

Monaghan: Jamie Mooney; Andrew Stewart, Caoláin Clerkin (0-2), Martin Quinn; Mark McCaffrey, Donnchadh Connolly, Luke McKenna (0-1); Conor Jones, Seán O’Connell; Senan Carolan, Tom Doherty (0-4, 2f), Shane O’Connor (0-1); Killian Kierans (0-3, 2f), Matthew Finn (0-4), John McCrystal.

Subs: Matthew Carolan for O’Connell (30 + 1); Shane McMahon for McCrystal (40); Canice Murphy for O’Connor, Max McGinnity (1-1) for Kierans (both 46); Tom Carey for Doherty (57).

Referee: Neil McGeown (Armagh).