Sport

Monaghan pull away at finish

NFL DIVISION TWO Monaghan 2-24 Louth 1-15: AN UNANSWERED 1-9 in the final quarter saw Monaghan clinch victory in this roller…

Mon Mar 12 2012 - 00:00

NFL DIVISION TWO Monaghan 2-24 Louth 1-15:AN UNANSWERED 1-9 in the final quarter saw Monaghan clinch victory in this roller-coaster of a game in Clones yesterday.

Louth were forced to field without their influential midfielder and captain Paddy Keenan and they sorely missed his leadership at the vital time.

Monaghan led at half-time by 1-10 to 0-10, Christopher McGuinness with a sublime finish for the Monaghan goal in the 26th minute, but the main talking point at the break was Louth’s 100 per cent record from chances on goal, 10 shots yielding 10 points.

Monaghan then gifted the initiative to Louth in the early stages of the second half following an own goal by Darren Hughes and they went on to take a two-point lead by the seventh minute. By the end of the third quarter though, Monaghan fought back to parity, the 11th time that the sides were level.

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By that stage too Louth had been reduced to 14 players with the second yellow card dismissal of Declan Byrne in the 12th minute.

Monaghan began to capitalise on their numerical advantage and after Owen Lennon restored them to the lead in the 55th minute they went on to add eight further points without reply before Darren Hughes made amends for his earlier mishap by crashing home a penalty in the final minute after Ciarán Hanratty had been fouled.

Louth corner back Jamie Carr picked up a second yellow card for that foul as the visitors finished the game with 13 players.

MONAGHAN: M Keogh; V Corey, D Hughes 1-0 (pen), C Walshe; D Malone, D Mone, D Morgan; J Turley 0-2, D Clerkin 0-2; K Hughes, P Finlay 0-5 (three frees), O Lennon 0-2; C McGuinness 1-3, O Duffy 0-4 (all frees), T Freeman 0-3. Subs: S Gollogly 0-2 for K Hughes, C Hanratty 0-1 for T Freeman, G McQuaid for D Morgan, N McAdam for O Lennon, S Smyth for P Finlay.

LOUTH: N Gallagher; G Hoey, D Finnegan, J Carr; D Byrne 0-1, P Rath, L Shevlin; B Donnelly 0-1 (free), R Carroll 0-2; A McDonnell, C Rafferty, D Crilly; D Maguire 0-2, M Brennan 0-1, D Clarke 0-5 (one free, one '45). (D Hughes (Monaghan 1-0 og). Subs: A Reid 0-1 for A McDonnell, J McEneaney 0-2 for C Rafferty, R Greene for L Shevlin, B Whyte for B Donnelly, S Fitzpatrick for R Greene.

Referee: D Fahy(Longford).