Karl O’Connell snatches draw with last kick in frantic finale

All-Ireland SFC Round 1

Derry 0-14 Monaghan 0-14

By Michael McMullan

KARL O’Connell was again the Monaghan hero with the kick to earn a draw at Celtic Park in a game they looked to have done enough to win.

Four points on the bounce saw Derry pull ahead with Shane McGuigan’s ninth point before O’Connell’s last gasp heroics.

It was Ciaran McFaul who opened the scoring in the second minute of a first half that saw the sides level six times before Conor McCarthy edged the Farney 0-7 to 0-6 ahead at the break.

Conor Boyle opened the scoring early in the second half that saw Ryan McAnespie take the game to Derry and O’Connell showing well for Rory Beggan’s kick-outs.

Monaghan led 0-9 to 0-7 before Gary Mohan was shown a block card for a foul on Gareth McKinless.

It was Monaghan who held all the aces and points from Shane Carey and Micheál Bannigan kicked points before a Beggan 45 had Monaghan into a 0-13 to 0-10 lead.

Lachlan Murray kicked a point with his first touch and when Ethan Doherty notched a score the sides were level at going into stoppage time.

Ryan O’Toole missed a chance to put Monaghan back in the lead before A Brendan Rogers run led to a tough free for McGuigan and he held his nerve to put Derry ahead.

There was still time and it was Karl O’Connell who cut though to score the last gap score.

Derry: O Lynch; C McKaigue, E McEvoy, C McCluskey; C Doherty, G McKinless, P McGrogan; C Glass, B Rogers; Paul Cassidy, E Doherty (0-1); N Loughlin. C McFaul (0-1); N Toner (0-2, 1f), S McGuigan (0-9, 6f, 1m)
Subs: B Heron for N Toner (56), L Murray (0-1) for N Loughlin (58), Padraig Cassidy for P McGrogan (59)

Monaghan: R Beggan (0-2, 1 45); R O’Toole, K Duffy, R Wylie; K O’Connell (0-1), C Boyle (0-1), C McCarthy (0-3, 1f); G Mohan (0-1), K Lavelle; S O’Hanlon, M Bannigan (0-3, 1f), D Ward (0-1); R McAnespie; S Carey (0-2), K Gallagher,
Subs: D Hughes for G Mohan (61), D McElearney for S Carey (65), J McCarron for K Lavelle (68), K Hughes for K Gallagher (68), C McManus for D Ward (74)

Referee: N Mooney (Cavan)