MONAGHAN REVIEW – Five key points from the year

1: Bragging rights disappear in a heartbeat

MONAGHAN against Cavan in the Ulster Championship is always a big deal. Monaghan against Cavan in knock-out football is a whole different level. Even without supporters, there was plenty of fanfare when they met at Clones, and it looked like Seamus McEnaney’s side were on their way to a fine derby win. Despite missing a number of goal chances, Conor McManus’s major helped them into a 1-11 to 1-4 half-time lead. But then in the second half Cavan started to show their worth and forced extra-time. It was anyone’s game from there, and after Rory Beggan landed a super free to send the game seemingly to penalties, Breffni ’keeper Raymond Galligan came forward to land a long-range winner. A bad day for a Monaghan side that had ambitions of giving Ulster a real rattle – and there was no backdoor to get back on track. It puts a bit of pressure on the side in 2021, but they have the talent there to bounce back.

2: Minor run continues

ORIEL scribe Colm Shalvey pointed out on Sunday night that Monaghan’s Ulster Minor win over Antrim was their 12th straight victory in the competition, something that really is incredible for an unpredictable age-group. Seamus McEnaney, manager in 2018, and his successor and current boss Mark Counihan have done a superb job of bringing a consistency to an ever-evolving panel. The side will have another Ulster semi-final against Fermanagh to look forward to early in 2021 as their quest for an Ulster three in-a-row continues. They are miles and miles away from that yet, of course, but it’s worth keeping in mind that the last time that feat was achieved was between 1971 and ’73 when Tyrone won three provincial tournaments in-a-row. Given what Fermanagh did against a heavily-fancied Down side last weekend, Counihan will be looking no further than win 13.

3: A semi-final for the ages

THE crowd was sparse due to restrictions but there was some ding around St Tiernach’s Park during the Monaghan Senior semi-final between Ballybay and Inniskeen. The Oriel championship is one of the best about, just look at the number of replays and extra-time affairs in recent seasons, and in the year of Covid, these two teams provided a match that would live long in the memory. Five goals, 45 points, both sides taking the lead and losing it and a real coming-of-age performance by Inniskeen powerhouse Andrew Woods. The versatile player was named Monaghan Young Footballer of the Year and it was no surprise given his performances under Oisin McConville. He’ll have to wait though for a final appearance as an experienced Ballybay just about got the job done after 80 minutes. They hit the net after 35 seconds through Paddy O’Neill and he grabbed another major soon after to give his side a 2-6 to 0-5 interval lead. A brilliant individual goal from Woods put the Grattan’s ahead for the first time in the game before Christopher McGuinness turned sharply at the other end to grab Ballybay’s third goal. Inniskeen battled back to force extra-time but the key moment came when Shane McGuinness brilliantly flicked the ball up and fired low to the net to fire his side through to the final. Scotstown, though, would catch them once again in the decider, so it wasn’t the perfect end for the Pearse Brothers.

4: Ladies comeback falls short

MONAGHAN ladies have been in transition in recent seasons, but post lockdown there are definitely signs that they were getting back to their best – but ultimately their season was ended when a stirring comeback just came up short against Galway. It was a group match but it also played out as an All-Ireland quarter-final really as the winner would progress to the last four. Despite Galway losing a player at the end of the first half, things were not going well for Monaghan. Heading into the final quarter they trailed 1-12 to 0-7 and they also had lost Ciara McAnespie to injury with the player having to leave the field moments after coming on. But then the Oriel county, led by Ellen McCarron, came to life. They rattled the net three times, McCarron grabbing two of them and Therese McNally-Scott the other. A famous comeback looked on but Lynsey Noone’s late goal kept Galway out of reach. Monaghan did also show very well in their Ulster final loss to Armagh, so they are certainly back on the right path and they will hope to build on that.

5: Hairy times for Monaghan seniors

WE saw a lot of innovation during lockdown as teams did their bit to stay active and, more importantly, raise money for charity. From 5k challenges to other fitness events, a lot was raised and a lot of fun was had. Still though, for impact alone, it’s hard to look past the Monaghan footballers and their ‘shave or dye’ challenge. Cancer Services in Monaghan and The Holy Family Special School in Cootehill were the beneficiaries as the players could dye or shave their hair, with the public deciding, and they didn’t hold back. From Conor McManus’s green and gold bonce to Darren Hughes’s silver fox routine, they truly outdid themselves. There is a reason why it’s a well-liked group of players and an incredible €33,414 was raised.