Kevin Egan reports from St. Tiernach’s Park, Clones
MONAGHAN SUFFOCATED THE life out of Roscommon with a second-half performance that had none of the madness or chaos that has been the theme of the Farney county’s recent roller coaster games, but instead was full of control and precision, built around Rory Beggan’s immaculate kickouts and Conor McCarthy’s quarter-backing of the winning side.
A two-pointer from Diarmuid Murtagh after two and a half minutes of the second half, 150 seconds in which no Monaghan player touched the ball, made it 1-10 to 0-10. At that point Roscommon had a decent breeze at their backs and the football they played in the first quarter hinted at their potential to cut loose and run up a score.
Instead, they tacked on just four points for the remainder of the game, three of those scores coming from substitutes, as Monaghan just methodically and surgically eked out a win that was fully-deserved, regardless of the lack of flair or mayhem that got baked into the cake.
One of the narratives coming into today’s game was Monaghan’s tendency to dig themselves into a daunting hole before finally unleashing their natural chaotic energy, and they did make a dreadful start here – they just didn’t go as deep before turning the corner.
MOOOONEYYYYY! 🔥What a finish from Stephen Mooney to find the back of the net Monaghan take the lead 💪 Clips Courtesy of @AIB_GAApic.twitter.com/TL2ONINeXF
The home side’s decision after winning the toss to take the breeze illustrated their refusal to lean into the trope, but some appalling shooting in the opening half meant that they still fell into an 0-6 to 0-2 deficit that looked formidable, given the ticking of the clock towards the turnaround.
In all, Monaghan hit nine first half wides – the majority in the opening 20 minutes – while also dropping three meek shots into the hands of Conor Carroll and crashing another Stephen O’Hanlon shot into the legs of the Roscommon goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, Daire Cregg and Diarmuid Murtagh kicked some outstanding scores into the breeze, and Roscommon used their relatively scant number of possessions well, while defending the arc with patience and discipline.
Then Jack McCarron landed a two-pointer off his left, and Monaghan gradually came out of their torpor.
McCarthy began to control the game, breaking tackles and kicking two points as well. But the real game changer was when Stephen O’Hanlon beat Caelim Keogh with an ankle-breaker step and his pass into Stephen Mooney invited a wonderful low finish from the in-form attacker, his second wonderful shot into that corner of that goal in about half an hour of football.
Mooney had another goal chance that was well-smothered by Carroll, but the 45 was cleverly chipped by Beggan into McCarron for another two-pointer to make it 1-10 to 0-8.
Murtagh’s score to start the second half, not to mention the manner in which it was created, seemed to bode well for the Rossies, but their structure and tactics became a pit of quicksand rather than a platform, while Beggan channelled the spirit of Luke Littler with his pinpoint darts on his kick-out, giving Monaghan control of the ball for long spells.
McCarthy continued to shine, Dessie Ward kicked two magnificent points and there were scores from David Garland and Ryan McAnespie off the bench in what was a surprisingly pedestrian finish to the game, and to the championship Summer for the Connacht champions.
Scorers for Monaghan: Jack McCarron 0-7 (2tp, 0-1f), Stephen Mooney 1-1, Dessie Ward 0-3, Conor McCarthy 0-3, Mícheál Bannigan 0-1, Mícheál McCarville 0-1, Oisín McGorman 0-1, Andrew Woods 0-1, David Garland 0-1, Ryan McAnespie 0-1.
Scorers for Roscommon: Diarmuid Murtagh 0-4 (1tp), Diare Cregg 0-3, Dylan Ruane 0-3, Darragh Heneghan 0-1, Jack Duggan 0-1, Cian McKoen 0-1, Conor Hand 0-1.
Monaghan:
1 Rory Beggan (Scotstown)
4 Dylan Byrne (Magheracloone), 2 Ryan Wylie (Ballybay), 6 Ryan O’Toole (Scotstown)
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Monaghan power away to keep All-Ireland quarter-final hopes alive as Roscommon bow out
Monaghan 1-20 (1-2-16)
Roscommon 0-14 (0-1-12)
Kevin Egan reports from St. Tiernach’s Park, Clones
MONAGHAN SUFFOCATED THE life out of Roscommon with a second-half performance that had none of the madness or chaos that has been the theme of the Farney county’s recent roller coaster games, but instead was full of control and precision, built around Rory Beggan’s immaculate kickouts and Conor McCarthy’s quarter-backing of the winning side.
A two-pointer from Diarmuid Murtagh after two and a half minutes of the second half, 150 seconds in which no Monaghan player touched the ball, made it 1-10 to 0-10. At that point Roscommon had a decent breeze at their backs and the football they played in the first quarter hinted at their potential to cut loose and run up a score.
Instead, they tacked on just four points for the remainder of the game, three of those scores coming from substitutes, as Monaghan just methodically and surgically eked out a win that was fully-deserved, regardless of the lack of flair or mayhem that got baked into the cake.
One of the narratives coming into today’s game was Monaghan’s tendency to dig themselves into a daunting hole before finally unleashing their natural chaotic energy, and they did make a dreadful start here – they just didn’t go as deep before turning the corner.
The home side’s decision after winning the toss to take the breeze illustrated their refusal to lean into the trope, but some appalling shooting in the opening half meant that they still fell into an 0-6 to 0-2 deficit that looked formidable, given the ticking of the clock towards the turnaround.
In all, Monaghan hit nine first half wides – the majority in the opening 20 minutes – while also dropping three meek shots into the hands of Conor Carroll and crashing another Stephen O’Hanlon shot into the legs of the Roscommon goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, Daire Cregg and Diarmuid Murtagh kicked some outstanding scores into the breeze, and Roscommon used their relatively scant number of possessions well, while defending the arc with patience and discipline.
Then Jack McCarron landed a two-pointer off his left, and Monaghan gradually came out of their torpor.
McCarthy began to control the game, breaking tackles and kicking two points as well. But the real game changer was when Stephen O’Hanlon beat Caelim Keogh with an ankle-breaker step and his pass into Stephen Mooney invited a wonderful low finish from the in-form attacker, his second wonderful shot into that corner of that goal in about half an hour of football.
Mooney had another goal chance that was well-smothered by Carroll, but the 45 was cleverly chipped by Beggan into McCarron for another two-pointer to make it 1-10 to 0-8.
Murtagh’s score to start the second half, not to mention the manner in which it was created, seemed to bode well for the Rossies, but their structure and tactics became a pit of quicksand rather than a platform, while Beggan channelled the spirit of Luke Littler with his pinpoint darts on his kick-out, giving Monaghan control of the ball for long spells.
McCarthy continued to shine, Dessie Ward kicked two magnificent points and there were scores from David Garland and Ryan McAnespie off the bench in what was a surprisingly pedestrian finish to the game, and to the championship Summer for the Connacht champions.
Scorers for Monaghan: Jack McCarron 0-7 (2tp, 0-1f), Stephen Mooney 1-1, Dessie Ward 0-3, Conor McCarthy 0-3, Mícheál Bannigan 0-1, Mícheál McCarville 0-1, Oisín McGorman 0-1, Andrew Woods 0-1, David Garland 0-1, Ryan McAnespie 0-1.
Scorers for Roscommon: Diarmuid Murtagh 0-4 (1tp), Diare Cregg 0-3, Dylan Ruane 0-3, Darragh Heneghan 0-1, Jack Duggan 0-1, Cian McKoen 0-1, Conor Hand 0-1.
Monaghan:
1 Rory Beggan (Scotstown)
4 Dylan Byrne (Magheracloone), 2 Ryan Wylie (Ballybay), 6 Ryan O’Toole (Scotstown)
3 Killian Lavelle (Clontibret), 5 Dessie Ward (Ballybay), 7 Conor McCarthy (Scotstown)
8 Mícheál McCarville (Scotstown), 9 Karl Gallagher (Emyvale)
20 Stephen O’Hanlon (Carrickmacross), 11 Mícheál Bannigan (Aughnamullen), 12 Oisín McGorman (Latton)
13 Jack McCarron (Scotstown), 14 Andrew Woods (Inniskeen), 24 Stephen Mooney (Cremartin)
Subs:
Roscommon:
1 Conor Carroll (St. Brigid’s)
4 Eoin McCormack (St. Dominic’s), 2 Brian Stack (St. Brigid’s), 3 Caelim Keogh (Pádraig Pearses)
5 Eoin Ward (Fuerty), 6 Ronan Daly (Pádraig Pearses), 7 Senan Lambe (Roscommon Gaels)
8 Keith Doyle (St. Dominic’s), 9 Conor Ryan (Pádraig Pearses)
10 Dylan Ruane (Michael Glaveys), 11 Daire Cregg (Boyle), 14 Darragh Heneghan (Michael Glaveys)
15 Robert Heneghan (Michael Glaveys), 13 Diarmuid Murtagh (St. Faithleach’s), 12 Colm Neary (Strokestown)
Subs:
Referee: Paul Faloon (Down)
****
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