ULSTER SFC FINAL Tyrone 1-14 Monaghan 0-7:WHEN MONAGHAN players, heads bowed, pitch up for training tomorrow evening, with just four days to rediscover some semblance of form before Saturday's qualifier against Kildare, they will have to face some cold, hard facts.
They are not what we were led to believe. On this evidence, coupled with Armagh’s poor display against Dublin on Saturday, the quality of football coming from the northern province has taken a significant nose dive.
None of this will concern Tyrone. The Buddha-like guidance of Mickey Harte has never been upset by the errors of winter, spring or early summer so long as they survive and learn by August.
And then, of course, sparkle in September.
Having used the National League as an experimental canvas, which resulted in relegation, Harte is also making good use of Ulster championship battlegrounds. He now has refreshed elder statesmen and knows more about the next wave.
This exceptional group of Tyrone men want to better everything that has come before them. Retaining the Anglo-Celt Cup means they have emulated their 1995-’96 predecessors.
A fourth All-Ireland title is the next step as they seek to surpass the 1960 Down team paraded at half-time in St Tiernach’s Park. Down won three All-Irelands during their life-span.
Maybe the loss of Monaghan captain and centre back Vinny Corey – out for the campaign with torn ankle ligaments – was too great a blow but a more plausible explanation is they crashed into superior opposition, playing a brand of football they can only dream about.
Joe McMahon quickly abandoned his post in the half-forward line to act as the defensive sweeper. His presence frustrated Monaghan’s rhythm, with Cathal McCarron’s tight marking of Tommy Freeman ruining any chance of a first Ulster title since 1988.
When Freeman gets quick, clean possession he can win the game single-handedly. He got neither but Monaghan’s marquee forward must shoulder some responsibility as he failed to grasp all but one of the balls sent into him.
Tyrone’s dominance was masked by wayward shooting early on and the inability of Seán Cavanagh to lead the attack. However, there were signs of Cavanagh’s old spark even before marker JP Mone was stretchered off on 45 minutes with a knee injury.
Brian Dooher somehow continues to defy his years. Dooher, 34, is like a mosquito – you rarely lay eyes on him but opponents are nonetheless tormented by his incessant and ruthless industry.
Ryan McMenamin and Philip Jordan were also contributing with equally Trojan work-rates and bursts from defence, while Conor Gormley is the glue that holds it all together.
When Tyrone won an All-Ireland two seasons ago, Owen Mulligan was unable to attain the fitness levels necessary to play a central role in the Tyrone attack. Besides the full-back line, Mulligan was the only outfield player not to score for Tyrone here, yet he showed for heaps of ball and engineered scores for Gormley, Cavanagh and Davy Harte to ensure a 0-7 to 0-4 interval lead.
The two goal chances Monaghan spurned would have changed the complexion of this match if just one of them had found the net. After just three minutes, Justin McMahon and McCarron messed up a simple high ball to give Freeman a clear sight of goal but his shot disappeared into the giant shadow of Pascal McConnell.
Then, in first-half injury-time, quick thinking by Conor McManus sent Damien Freeman bearing down on goal. McConnell made another fine save.
In the reshuffle caused by Corey’s injury, Darren Hughes was freed from goalkeeper to centre back as Shane Duffy came back between the posts. His kick outs consistently failed to reach half way.
Regardless, Kevin Hughes was dominating Dick Clerkin in the air.
But Tyrone were hungrier and quicker all over the field. When in possession they always took the sensible option, which usually meant one solo or hop before a quick delivery to overlapping players. Then Mulligan would get out in front of Dermot McArdle and a sight of the posts tended to follow.
With Monaghan trailing by four points early in the second half, Damien Freeman and Rory Woods kicked ugly wides. Tyrone, in response, patiently shifted matters down field until Cavanagh had an opportunity to take his second point.
A 45 from Joe McMahon made it 0-10 to 0-4.
When Conor McManus ended the 40-minute drought from the previous Monaghan score, Tyrone reacted by getting possession to Cavanagh 40 metres from goal. He was surrounded by four defenders. He thumped the ball over the bar. Always the sensible option.
Clerkin finally bustled past Hughes to punch a point but Tyrone reacted by bringing down the hammer blow.
Colm Cavanagh, not to be outdone by his elder sibling, scored the goal that turned the Monaghan hundreds streaming out the gates into thousands.
That this must be recorded as a poor Ulster final is not any fault of Tyrone’s as their defending and clever use of possession is how this game should be played.
“It’s serious knock-out business now,” said Mickey Harte. “We’d like to make a few more strides than last year.”
