Dublin hold on for one point win to reach another league final

Dublin 0-17 Monaghan 0-16

In cinematic terms the widely expected Groundhog Day nearly turned out to be Reversal of Fortune but in the end settled for Breathless, as Monaghan redeemed last week’s hammering by Dublin with a bustling, competitive display that pushed the holders all the way before 20,013 at Croke Park.

Precedent wasn’t on Monaghan’s side. Not alone had they taken a walloping last week when the counties met in Clones but 27 years ago, having also lost the divisional match by 11 points at home they went in to meet Dublin in a league semi-final and got beaten by even more.

Ultimately Dublin won by a point but finished the match under pressure and having seen a three-point lead evaporate to the minimum, were greatly relieved to reach a fourth Allianz league final in five years and take their attempt at three-in-a-row titles to the last day of the spring season.

Monaghan’s Conor McManus was however a deserved man of the match with a superb display of finishing despite desperate attempts to shut him down. He ended with 0-8, five from play, and went close to getting his team over the line.

The first half went encouragingly well for Monaghan. Key to this was keeping out the unanswered 1-2 that they conceded in the opening minutes last week. Instead, a cagey tit-for-tat match unfolded with both sides maintaining the now (itals)de rigeur deep defensive formations.

An early free for Paul Finlay settled Monaghan and when Diarmuid Connolly just failed to get in on goal in the second minute, there was no immediately crushing response from Dublin. The opportunities of marking auxiliary defenders were also on show when Philip McMahon was on hand to kick a couple of first-quarter points.

Dublin were beginning to impose themselves however. Denis Bastick caught some great ball at centrefield and Jack McCaffrey’s turbo breaks from half back consistently opened up opportunities - the best an inter-change between Bastick and Cian O’Sullivan with the latter shooting just wide of goal in the 29th minute.

Monaghan did enough on their less frequent attacks to stay in touch with the favourites. McManus twice demonstrated his knack of squeezing over points despite close defensive supervision and both Neil McAdam and Kieran Hughes kicked nice scores from distance.

Goalkeeper Rory Beggan also chipped in a free from over 60 metres and there was ebb and flow to the match, which was more than had been expected after the previous week.

At half-time Dublin led by two, 0-9 to 0-7, and after Dean Rock extended the lead five minutes into the second half it looked as if the holders would pull away but second-half replacement Dick Clerkin re-energised centrefield and also kicked three points, the first in response to Rock's free.

Dublin did extend the lead to three on two occasions but each time Monaghan came back. The second half was entertaining if at times scrappy with a lot possession being lost by either team - Ryan Wylie particularly alert at the back for Monaghan and one of his interventions led directly to a McManus point.

With Clerkin and Kieran Hughes beginning to disrupt Stephen Cluxton's kick-outs, Jim Gavin sent Michael Darragh Macauley in to try to reverse the trend.

By the 56th minute though Monaghan had recovered the initiative to the extent that McManus’s free - a foul on him by Jonny Cooper -pushed then in front, 0-13 tom 0-12.

Dublin responded by keeping possession and their patience and frees followed and Rock kicked two to regain the lead. Replacement Emmet Ó Conghaile and then the perpetually moving McCaffrey added points to establish what looked like a decisive three-point lead by the 66th minute.

Monaghan persevered but couldn’t quite take the semi-final to extra-time. Dublin now face Cork in a repeat of the 2011 final.

Dublin: Stephen Cluxton: Jonny Cooper, David Byrne, Philly McMahon (0-2); James McCarthy, John Small, Jack McCaffrey (0-1); Denis Bastick (0-1), Cian O'Sullivan; Paul Flynn (0-1), Diarmuid Connolly, Brian Fenton (0-2), Ciarán Kilkenny, Dean Rock (0-7, 0-6 frees, 0-1 45), Kevin McManamon (0-2). Subs: Michael Darragh Macauley for O'Sullivan, 45 mins; Paddy Andrews for McManamon, 51 mins; Darren Daly for Byrne, 53 mins; Emmet Ó Conghaile (0-1) for Bastick, 53 mins; Cormac Costello for Fenton, 61 mins; Tomás Brady for Flynn, 69 mins

Monaghan: Rory Beggan (0-1, free); Kieran Duffy, Fintan Kelly, Ryan Wylie; Karl O'Connell, Vinny Corey, Dessie Mone; Darren Hughes, Neil McAdam (0-1); Ryan McAnespie, Paul Finlay (0-1), Kieran Hughes (0-2); Thomas Kerr, Conor McManus (0-8, 0-3 frees), Owen Duffy. Subs: Dick Clerkin (0-3) for Kerr, half-time; Dermot Malone for O Duffy, 41 mins; Stephen Gollogly for McAnespie, 43 mins; Paudie McKenna for Finlay, 63 mins; Daniel McKenna for O'Connell, 69 mins

Referee: Rory Hickey (Clare)