LAST UPDATE | 31 Jul 2021
It’s Ulster final day, with a twist, on this Super Saturday of Sport.
Croke Park hosts the decider, as Monaghan and Tyrone do battle for the Anglo Celt Cup in the different venue of Croke Park.
The Ulster championship has been a real treat again this year, and today is sure to be no different, with up on 18,000 fans watching on at GAA HQ.
Throw-in is 4pm and the game is live on RTÉ Two.
Team news time. Some late changes to the Tyrone side, but I think we have them all accounted for below.
Monaghan
1. Rory Beggan
2. Kieran Duffy, 3. Conor Boyle, 4. Ryan Wylie
5. Karl O’Connell, 6. Dessie Ward, 7. Ryan McAnespie
8. Darren Hughes, 9. Killian Lavelle
10. Stephen O’Hanlon, 11. Aaron Mulligan, 12. Micheál Bannigan
13. Conor McCarthy, 14. Jack McCarron, 15. Conor McManus
Tyrone
1. Niall Morgan
2. Michael McKernan, 3. Ronan McNamee, 4. Padraig Hampsey
5. Niall Sludden, 6. Jonathan Munroe, 7. Peter Harte
8. Brian Kennedy, 9. Conn Kilpatrick
10. Kieran McGeary, 11. Michael O’Neill, 12. Conor Meyler
13. Darren McCurry, 14. Matthew Donnelly, 15. Conor McKenna
Quote of the championship from Pat Spillane:
If Tinder did provincial championships, I’d swipe right to the Ulster championship.”
Some turnaround from his ‘puke football’ comments.
A preview to whet the appetite from The42′s GAA Weekly podcast this week:
Right so, call it…
Poll Results:
A minute’s silence has just come to a close in memory of late Gaels, one of those Monaghan U20 captain Brendan Óg Ó Dufaigh. Another emotional day for the Farney contingent.
Amhrán na bhFiann has been sung, referee David Gough is ready to get matters underway.
THROW-IN: Tyrone 0-0 Monaghan 0-0
And we’re off.
2 mins – Tyrone 0-1 Monaghan 0-0
Mark Bradley bags the first score of the day after a fairly cagey start as both sides settle in. It’s a sweet one, squeezing inside the post.
4 mins – Tyrone 0-1 Monaghan 0-1
Killian Lavelle hits Monaghan’s first point, a well-taken effort on the run.
6 mins – Tyrone 0-2 Monaghan 0-1
Mattie Donnelly sends a free over from the left-hand side into the Canal End. Monaghan are forcing Tyrone to work hard in the build-up, the Red Hand staying patient. This is quite defensive so far.
7 mins – Tyrone 0-2 Monaghan 0-2
Conor McManus opens his account. What a score, though you expect nothing less from the Clontibret man at this stage.
9 mins – Tyrone 0-3 Monaghan 0-2
Donnelly with his first from play, the full-forward making use of the first long, direct ball to come his way.
12 mins – Tyrone 0-3 Monaghan 0-2
The Red Hand with a goal chance there; the long ball is sent in towards the square and palmed down towards Donnelly, who tries to volley it, but Ryan Wylie has him covered.
It goes out for a ’45, and Niall Morgan misses his first effort. All in all, Tyrone looking a little more dangerous so far.
14 mins – Tyrone 0-3 Monaghan 0-3
Jack McCarron levels matters after some nice link-up play with Michéal Bannigan. Scores certainly aren’t coming easy at either end here.
16 mins – Tyrone 0-5 Monaghan 0-3
Tyrone captain Padraig Hampsey with a beautiful point, before Niall Sludden follows up with another after excellent work from Conor McKenna.
17 mins – Tyrone 0-5 Monaghan 0-4
McCarron pulls one back for the Farney.
Tyrone change: Niall Kelly replaces Michael O’Neill.
18 mins – Tyrone 0-6 Monaghan 0-4
Another excellent long-range point off the boot of Kieran McGeary, as the teams make way for the first water break.
20 mins – Tyrone 0-6 Tyrone 0-4
Monaghan come out all guns blazing for the second quarter, with the noise of the crowd at their backs. Aaron Mulligan sees yellow for a challenge, looks to be harsh enough, just before McManus hits their first wide of the game.
21 mins – Tyrone 0-6 Monaghan 0-5
Conor McKenna goes in the book, too, seeing yellow for a high tackle on Lavelle. Rory Beggan expertly strikes the resultant free from the ground.
24 mins – Tyrone 0-8 Monaghan 0-5
Michael McKernan gets in on the scoring act as there are several mistakes made by both sides in other areas of the pitch. Darren McCurry makes no such errors, introducing himself to the big stage with an absolute peach of a point.
25 mins – Tyrone 0-8 Monaghan 0-6
Conor McCarthy injects some pace into the Monaghan attack with a lovely point on the run.
27 mins – Tyrone 0-9 Monaghan 0-6
Mattie Donnelly with a stunning point, sending Conor Boyle packing with a dummy before steadying himself and putting it over the black spot.
29 mins – Tyrone 0-11 Monaghan 0-6
Bradley and McCurry tag on two more scores. Tyrone’s inside line are causing Monaghan serious problems, on fire before the posts.
30 mins – Tyrone 0-11 Monaghan 0-6
Monaghan are struggling with their own kickout here, and also failing to fire on all cylinders before the posts. Five wides so far, by my count.
Monaghan change: Shane Carey for Aaron Mulligan.
34 mins – Tyrone 0-11 Monaghan 0-6
Michael McKernan sends a long ball in towards the square, McKenna dribbles it on the ground before trying to slot home while falling but that’s easy for Beggan. McGeary with an excellent hand in to strip Karl O’Connell and turn possession over.
Shane Carey sees yellow for a high challenge, while there are three minutes added on.
37 mins – Tyrone 0-11 Monaghan 0-6
Bit of a lull as half time nears, Niall Morgan missing another ’45.
HALF TIME: Tyrone 0-11 Monaghan 0-6
A deserved lead for Tyrone at the the half-way point. Their shooting has been excellent, much more clinical and dominant throughout. Monaghan will be disappointed with their first-half showing, “a five-point hammering” as Spillane puts it.
One of the scores of the first half, without a doubt:
Excellent dummy finished in a super score from Matthew Donnelly for @TyroneGAALive v @monaghangaa in the Ulster Senior Football Championship Final #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/i49tGS9RVt
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 31, 2021
SECOND HALF: Tyrone 0-11 Monaghan 0-6
36 mins – Tyrone 0-11 Monaghan 0-7
Conor McCarthy gets Monaghan off to a good start, much better. They’ve made a few changes, we’ll bring them to you next.
37 mins – Tyrone 0-11 Monaghan 0-8
Beggan slots a long-range free over from the ground.
39 mins – Tyrone 0-12 Monaghan 0-8
McCurry scores a straightforward free. Monaghan have certainly lifted it, making for a big change to the lull at the end of the first half.
41 mins – Tyrone 0-12 Monaghan 0-9
McManus with a free to bring the gap back to three. Crazy stuff beforehand, the ball coming off the same post twice — first from Beggan’s ’45, second from McCarron’s rebound shot. The Farney look like they’re starting to believe, that’s for sure.
43 mins – Tyrone 0-12 Monaghan 0-10
Colin Walshe point from a mark.
Only in Tyrone v Monaghan would you see one keeper kick it to the other in open play.
— Kevin O'Brien (@Kevobrien) July 31, 2021
This came just before the ’45 which came off the post.
46 mins – Tyrone 0-12 Monaghan 0-11
McManus gets his third point of the match from a free, putting the minimum between the sides. The tables have certainly turned here, Monaghan coming out for the second half like a different team and Tyrone playing really poorly.
Tyrone change: Cathal McShane in for Kennedy.
49 mins – Tyrone 0-12 Monaghan 0-11
HawkEye rules Rory Beggan’s effort from play wide. What a way that would have been to level matters!
50 mins – Tyrone 0-12 Monaghan 0-12
McCarron lands a mark to level matters after an outstanding 15-minute display from the Red Hand.
51 mins – Tyrone 0-13 Monaghan 0-12
Cathal McShane puts Tyrone back in front. Just their second score of the second half.
55 mins – Tyrone 0-13 Monaghan 0-12
Water break time.
56 mins – Tyrone 0-13 Monaghan 0-12
Mattie Donnelly’s close-range free ricochets off the post. Still a point in it.
Kieran Hughes is in for Stephen O’Hanlon, Dara Canavan is on too for Conn Kilpatrick.
57 mins – Tyrone 0-13 Monaghan 0-12
Tyrone’s defence is starting to get on top a bit more, winning big turnovers. Things aren’t going quite as well at the other end, however, McShane hitting the latest of a few bad misses.
60 mins – Tyrone 0-14 Monaghan 0-12
If you’re watching on RTÉ, there’s a seagull attack on Croke Park… Peter Harte shakes off the newfound obstacles to calmly slot a point and put daylight between the sides.
63 mins – Tyrone 0-15 Monaghan 0-12
Darren McCurry scores a free.
Monaghan change: Andrew Woods for Conor McCarthy.
64 mins – Tyrone 0-15 Monaghan 0-13
Conor Boyle pulls one back for Monaghan, they needed that.
Banty is on form on the sideline…
67 mins – Tyrone 0-16 Monaghan 0-14
McCurry plucks a ball from the sky, puts the hand up for the mark, and slots over.
A nervy moment for Monaghan up to that point, with Beggan well out the field.
69 mins – Tyrone 0-16 Monaghan 0-15
McManus free. Comes off the back of a scramble as McCarron’s pointed effort hits the woodwork.
Phenomenal from Rory Beggan. Somehow, someway, he makes it back from out the field to strip Mattie Donnelly, who was heading towards an open goal.
Three minutes added on.
71 mins – Tyrone 0-16 Monaghan 0-15
A few misses for Monaghan there as they go in search of the leveller. Tyrone waste an attack at the other end.
Tyrone playing keep ball with less than a minute to go.
FULL-TIME: Tyrone 0-16 Monaghan 0-15
That could have went either way in the end, but the one-point win will be as sweet as any for Tyrone. A first piece of silverware under the watchful eyes of Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan, and they face Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final.
That’s all from me. Kevin O’Brien is in Croke Park for us, so you can read his full match report in the coming minutes – and the reaction, colour and analysis which always follows. Thanks for reading, enjoy the rest of your weekend!
