Monaghan 1-18 Roscommon 1-8: Monaghan got their National League campaign off to a winning start when they had 10 points to spare over Roscommon at the end of this fairly one-sided encounter in Clones yesterday.
Monaghan's Eoin Lennon, who was doubtful after picking up a training-ground injury, came in as a late replacement for Ciarán Hanratty and went on to dominate the match.
The sides were level after nine minutes, a goal by Conor Devaney wiping out three early points by Paul Finlay (two), and Tom Freeman but that was the best it was to get for the visitors.
Freeman was a real thorn in Roscommon's side, finishing with eight points (four from frees) and he might have had a goal when he looked to have a simple tap-in from close range on the ground but his effort went wide.
Monaghan led at half-time by 0-11 to 1-2 and while Roscommon started the second half with a point from Cathal Cregg in the first minute Monaghan were soon back in control and four unanswered points between the second and the 10th minutes, three by Tom Freeman and one by Conor McManus, put them firmly in the driving seat.
By that stage Roscommon were down to 14 players after Séamus O'Neill was dismissed for a second booking and thereafter they were out of contention.
Entering the final quarter Monaghan led by double scores with Karl Mannion then pulling back a brace from frees in the 18th and 20th minutes but Roscommon could make very few inroads against a well-organised Monaghan defence.
Daniel McNally celebrated his introduction to league action with a goal three minutes from the end to put the icing on the cake for the home side.
MONAGHAN: P McBennett; D Mone, JP Mone, C Flanagan; D McArdle, G McQuaid (0-1), P McGuigan (0-1); D Clerkin, E Lennon; V Corey, R Woods, P Finlay (0-4, two frees); C McManus (0-3), R Ronaghan (0-1), T Freeman (0-8, four frees). Subs: O Duffy for Clerkin, S Smith for Woods, D Freeman for McArdle, D McNally (1-0)for T Freeman, B McKenna for Lennon.
ROSCOMMON: M Miley; P O'Connor, A McDermott, R Dooner; D O'Gara, D Flynn, S Daly; S O'Neill, M O'Carroll; K Mannion (0-3, two frees), G Heneghan, C Cregg (0-2, one free), C Devaney (1-2, two frees), E Kenny, S Kilbride (0-1, free). Subs: D Keenan for Daly, J Dunning for Heneghan, J Tiernan for Kenny.
Referee: M Deegan(Laois).
