Monaghan are ripped apart by voracious Down hitmen

Monaghan are ripped apart by voracious Down hitmen

28 June 2017

NEARLY 14,000 spectators sat enthralled in the Athletic Grounds in Armagh on Saturday night  when Down produced a vintage display to produce the shock of the championship.

With their 19-point defeat to the same opposition last year fresh in their minds, Eamon Burns’ charges were in no mood for a repeat dose.

The Down manager made two changes to the named line out before throw-in. Glenn’s Niall McParland came into the defence to replace Anthony Doherty with Peter Turley’s experience preferred to Joe Murphy at wing forward.

Hard hitters Conor McCarthy and Darren Hughes were drafted in by Monaghan manager Malachy O’Rourke from the off. Monaghan were pulsating from the start and they bombed forward at every opportunity.

However, their conversion rate left a lot to be desired as Conor McManus and Jack McCarron missed four chances between them before Ryan Wylie finally got his team off the mark on eight minutes.

Connaire Harrison was the man to get Down into their groove with his first of the evening, but McCarron soon had it 0-3 to 0-1 in the favourites’ favour.

Down’s intensity levels were of the highest order in the opening exchanges with Monaghan being forced into a number of errors.

The accurate Darragh O’Hanlon registered his first free with McManus responding to give Monaghan a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after a quarter of an hour.

Monaghan’s tackling was starting to become indisciplined and two more frees from O’Hanlon had edged the contest level by the 20th minute.

A rare mistake from Down ‘keeper Michael Cunningham allowed Conor McCarthy to ghost in to convert, but the Red and Blacks hit back with devastating purpose.

Six points arrived without any hint of a Monaghan retort. Harrison bagged two of these with Shay Millar and O’Hanlon also on the scoresheet.

Harrison’s sensational strike from out wide on the left was glorious while Millar’s hook kick may have travelled unnecessarily high into the Armagh sky, but, nevertheless, it made its way over the bar.

Further efforts from McKernan and Maginn roused the Mourne support. Both kicks were of the highest quality.

Half-time wasn’t far off the horizon and Monaghan somehow finished strongly with Duffy, McCarron and McManus on song. The latter’s point began with the most deft of chip lifts which once again outlined the quality of the star Farney attacker.

There was a buzz throughout the Athletic Grounds at half-time as those in attendance were starting to take on board the fact that Down could actually win the game.

Within minutes, the second half had exploded into life. Cunningham confidently glided over a ’45, Kevin 

McKernan astonished once again with another sensational strike and the ever-reliable O’Hanlon found the net with a 41st minute penalty after a foul on Niall Donnelly by Colin Walshe.

Down were looking in good shape and in total command of a 1-12 to 0-8 lead. Then came the Monaghan revival.

Monaghan outscored Down 0-3 to 0-1 in the next stages of play with McManus getting all of his side’s total. Between the 55th and 64th minute Darren Hughes, Jackdeliver McCarron and that man again McManus reduced the arrears to two, 1-13 to 0-14.

Down were under serious pressure at this stage, but showed absolutely no signs of buckling even with some dubious refereeing decisions not going their way.

In the 66th minute Kieran Hughes brought the minimum between the sides. Down were deep in retreat by this stage — battling bravely to repel the Monaghan threat.

With six minutes of injury time added on, the drama stakes rose massively.

Drew Wylie sliced his effort badly wide and McCarron made a mess of a scoreable free.

Down’s pressure on the ball was relentless and with seconds left Mark Poland came galloping out of the Mourne half. Five allies came sprinting with him.

A clever flick to Donal O’Hare and the Burren man made no mistake in putting the ball over the bar to send the Athletic Grounds into delirium and Down through to an unexpected provincial decider.

Man of the Match: Kevin McKernan (Down). McKernan is right at the heart of this Down team.

He instigated a lot of positive forays forward from deep, battled relentlessly for every ball and took two fantastic scores as well.

His ‘never say die’ attitude rubbed off on his team mates. Honourable mentions go to three-point hero Connaire Harrison and playmaker Conor Maginn.

Down: M Cunningham (0-1’45), N McParland, G McGovern, D O’Hagan, D O’Hanlon (1-5, 1-0pen, 0-5f), C McGovern, C Mooney, K McKernan (0-2), N Donnelly, P Turley, C Maginn (0-1), S Millar (0-1), J Johnston, C Harrison (0-3), R Johnston. Subs: D O’Hare (0-1) for Harrison, J Murphy for C McGovern, D McKibbin for Mooney, A Carr for P Turley, M Poland for R Johnston.

Monaghan: R Beggan, F Kelly, D Wylie, R Wylie (0-1), C Walshe, V Corey, N McAdam, K Hughes (0-1), D Hughes (0-2), K O’Connell, K Duffy, O Duffy (0-1), C McCarthy (0-1), J McCarron (0-3, 2f), C McManus (0-6, 3f). Subs: R McAnespie for McAdam, D Mone for K Duffy, D Ward for O Duffy, D Malone for McCarthy, C Forde for R Beggan.

Down 1-14

Monaghan 0-15

ULSTER SFC SEMI-FINAL