Result: Monaghan 1-11 Mayo 0-12
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Evening all and welcome to the start of another GAA season as the Allianz football league kicks into gear tonight.
Here’s what’s in store.
Division 1
Mayo v Monaghan, Elverys MacHale Park, Castlebar, 7pm
Division 2
Down v Fermanagh, Páirc Esler, Newry, 7pm
Division 3
Laois v Louth, O’Moore Park, Portlaoise, 7pm
We’re focusing on the clash of Mayo and Monaghan in Castlebar.
Here are the teams named to start.
Mayo
1. David Clarke (Ballina Stephenites)
2. Donie Newcombe (Castlebar Mitchels)
3. Keith Higgins (Ballyhaunis)
4. Paddy Durcan(Castlebar Mitchels)
5. Colm Boyle (Davitts)
6. Stephen Coen (Hollymount/Carramore)
7. David Drake (Ballaghaderreen)
8. Donal Vaughan (Ballinrobe)
9. Danny Kirby (Castlebar Mitchels)
10. Fergal Boland (Aghamore)
11. Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore)
12. Jason Doherty (Burrishoole)
13. Evan Regan (Ballina Stephenites)
14. Alan Freeman (Aghamore)
15. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber, Capt)
Monaghan
1. Rory Beggan (Scotstown)
2. Fintan Kelly (Clones)
3. Drew Wylie (Ballybay)
4. Ryan Wylie (Ballybay)
5. Colin Walshe (Doohamlet)
6. Neil McAdam (Monaghan Harps)
7. Kieran Duffy (Latton)
8. Darren Hughes (Scotstown)
9. Kieran Hughes (Scotstown)
10. Karl O’Connell (Tyholland)
11. Shane Carey (Scotstown)
12. Gavin Doogan (Magheracloone)
13. Conor McCarthy (Scotstown)
14. Thomas Kerr (Ballybay)
15. Conor McManus (Clontibret)
Game on in Castlebar, Cork’s Conor Lane is the referee.
Mayo 0-1 Monaghan 0-0
3 mins – Debutant and 2016 All-Ireland U21 winner Fergal Boland slices over a fine point for Mayo to open the scoring.
Mayo 0-1 Monaghan 0-1
5 mins – Conor McManus hit 1-8 when these counties met last year in the league. The Monaghan marksman pops over a free to open his scoring tonight.
Monaghan 0-2 Mayo 0-1
8 mins – Now Monaghan edge ahead, thanks to another converted free by McManus.
Monaghan 0-3 Mayo 0-1
9 mins – And that’s now three points for McManus. Again he knocks over a free, this time a great kick off the ground after Darren Hughes had been fouled.
Latest scores elsewhere:
Division 2: Fermanagh 0-2 Down 0-1
Division 3: Louth 0-1 Laois 0-0
Superb alertness from David Clarke to come off his line for Mayo and thwart an attempted goal effort from Monaghan’s Conor McCarthy.
Monaghan 0-4 Mayo 0-1
13 mins – Now it’s four from four for McManus from placed balls as he flights over a brilliant point from a ’45 on the right.
Monaghan 0-5 Mayo 0-1
20 mins – Now we’ve got a point from play for Monaghan, an assured kick from midfielder Darren Hughes. He’s been a dominant figure tonight so far.
Latest scores:
Division 2 – Fermanagh in front 0-4 to 0-3 against Down in Newry.
Division 3 – A Paraic Smith goal has helped Louth go in front 1-4 to 0-2 against Laois in O’Moore Park.
Monaghan 0-5 Mayo 0-2
24 mins – Mayo finally end a long scoring drought as Evan Regan pounces to swing over a point. That’ll please the home fans.
Monaghan may be dominating but they’re spurning chances to score. McManus swings a shot wide under pressure and then hits another that drops short into the arms of goalkeeper David Clarke.
Monaghan 0-5 Mayo 0-3
29 mins - And Mayo are now only two adrift. Jason Doherty is the player fouled and Cillian O’Connor makes no mistake from the free.
Mayo 0-5 Monaghan 0-5
33 mins – Mayo finishing the half extremely strongly. Kevin McLoughlin and Alan Freeman weigh in with points from play, bringing them level.
Mayo 0-6 Monaghan 0-5
35 mins – And now Mayo lead as Evan Regan bombs over a point from a free.
Half-Time: Mayo 0-6 Monaghan 0-5
Mayo have got to be happy with that. Five points on the spin without reply see them go ahead of Monaghan by one at the break.
Latest scores:
Half-Time
Division 2 – Fermanagh 0-6 Down 0-5
Division 3 – Louth 1-8 Laois 0-6
The second-half action is under way in Castlebar.
Sub: Monaghan have brought in Dermot Malone at the break for Conor McCarthy.
Goal for Monaghan from Darren Hughes!
Monaghan 1-5 Mayo 0-6
37 mins – The first goal of the game arrives and it’s an excellent move from Monaghan that produces it. They turned Danny Kirby over near to their own goal, won a free and started attacking quickly. Thomas Kerr got the ball around midfield and banged it in to Conor McManus who fielded and turned Keith Higgins. When McManus looked across for support, Darren Hughes was on hand to fetch the handpass and boot the ball past David Clarke.
Monaghan 1-6 Mayo 0-7
38 mins – Monaghan build on that goal to grab a fine point courtesy of Colin Walshe before Mayo hit back with a pointed free from Cillian O’Connor after Donal Vaughan was fouled.
Monaghan 1-7 Mayo 0-8
40 mins - Monaghan’s shooting has certainly improved in the second half after an array of wides in the first half. Thomas Kerr swings over a beauty and they go three in front briefly before Mayo respond with an O’Connor free after Jason Doherty was fouled.
Monaghan 1-8 Mayo 0-8
48 mins - Goalkeeper Rory Beggan ventures upfield to slot over a superb point from a free for Monaghan.
Sub: Mayo bring in one of their big guns as the reigning Young Footballer of the Year Diarmuid O’Connor replaces Evan Regan.
Sub: Monaghan bring in Ryan McAnespie for Shane Carey.
Latest scores:
Division 2 – Fermanagh 0-12 Down 0-7.
Division 3 – Louth 2-11 Laois 0-9.
Sub: Mayo bring in Tom Parsons for Danny Kirby.
Monaghan 1-9 Mayo 0-8
54 mins - Monaghan have a nice cushion on the scoreboard now to rely on as McManus sends them clear by four.
Sub: Andy Moran is now on for Mayo as Alan Freeman is withdrawn.
Monaghan 1-9 Mayo 0-10
59 mins - Mayo need something to get them going and Cillian O’Connor is trying his best to provide that. He clips over a point from play and then pops over a free after Tom Parsons was fouled when he charged through the Monaghan defence.
Monaghan down to 14 men after Karl O’Connell is sent-off.
Monaghan are up against it now as they cling to a two-point lead and they’ve lost O’Connell, booked for the second time after he fouled Parsons.
Monaghan 1-10 Mayo 0-10
62 mins – But the 14 men of Monaghan do go three clear thanks to what could be a vital score by Gavin Doogan.
Subs: James Mealiff on for Monaghan for his league debut as Neil McAdam makes way. While Mayo bring in Conor O’Shea for Jason Doherty.
Monaghan 1-10 Mayo 0-11
68 mins - Mayo are hanging in there. Cillian O’Connor again on target to register a point.
An uncharacteristic miss from a free by McManus when he had a chance to restore Monaghan’s three-point advantage.
Monaghan 1-10 Mayo 0-12
70 mins - Now it’s just a single point in it with O’Connor slotting over a free. There’ll be five minutes in total of injury-time.
Monaghan miss a glorious chance to possibly settle the issue. James Mealiff’s hand pass to Conor McManus is over hit when a goal looked to be potentially on and David Clarke rushed out to clear the danger, with the covering Mayo defence denying Monaghan from the rebound.
Diarmuid O’Connor almost gets in for a goal but his snapshot under pressure is blocked by Rory Beggan in goal for Monaghan.
Monaghan 1-11 Mayo 0-12
74 mins - A magnificent point by McManus from the wing could have sealed this for Monaghan.
Full-Time: Monaghan 1-11 Mayo 0-12
And Monaghan hold on for victory! That’s a big win for Malachy O’Rourke’s side away from home with Darren Hughes goal the crucial score.
Elsewhere tonight, it’s been a good start to the league for Fermanagh and Louth.
Results
Division 2 – Fermanagh 1-16 Down 0-10
Division 3 – Louth 2-16 Laois 0-10
So that’s all from us this evening, thanks for joining in.
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