All-Ireland SFC Round One: Louth 4-8 Monaghan 1-23
The slow, crashing sound heard around Newbridge on Saturday evening was nothing more than Louth falling back down to earth. It happens when a team is out a fortnight after winning their first Leinster football title in 68 years, but a wisely drilled and super clinical Monaghan contributed massively to that downfall.
That Louth finished within six points in the end certainly gives them reason and hope for their remaining two games against Down and Clare, given they were in danger of being run completely ragged here. Their four goals put some respect on the scoreline, when in reality they were left chasing this game throughout.
On a grey, damp evening in Newbridge, Louth’s home-from-home, Monaghan promptly took the game to them and never looked back, the excellent Stephen O’Hanlon, one of their eight scorers, rattling the Louth net after two minutes.
Although Louth did draw level twice, the last time being on 13 minutes, Monaghan’s physicality and ceaseless work-rate eventually wore them down. That physicality never ceased either, both teams finishing with 14 men after Donal McKenny from Louth and then Killian Lavelle were black-carded in the last 10 minutes in separate incidents.
Louth manager Ger Brennan also got up close and personal with his Monaghan counterpart Gabriel Bannigan in the second half, but insisted afterwards there was nothing untoward in that, and they shook on things afterwards. Brennan did admit there was something of a hangover after their moment of Leinster glory, beating Meath in Croke Park just 13 days ago.
“Well we didn’t know until the game started, and now we know,” said Brennan. “And now it’s done, and we have to pick ourselves up and focus on Down in Newry seven days’ time.
“The better team won, so credit to Monaghan. We continued to fight, even when things weren’t going well, so proud of the lads.
“But we were probably at a four out of 10 today, overall, and again that’s just down to the bit of a hangover after the Leinster final, and down to Monaghan too. But ultimately we couldn’t get up to the energy levels that we demonstrated before, and once those energy levels are off, everything else can kind of show up.
“We’ll just have to pick ourselves up very quickly and go hard again against Down next week.”
Monaghan’s performance was near-complete: Rory Beggan chipped in with two two-point frees, Michael Bannigan adding one from play, the half-back line of Ryan O’Toole, Dessie Ward and Conor McCarthy utterly dominating things too.
Stephen Mooney started and scored three from play, Jack McCarron also showing his worth off the bench.
“I thought it was an excellent performance” said Bannigan, whose Monaghan team had already pushed Donegal so hard in the Ulster quarter-final. “Okay, we wouldn’t be happy conceding four goals, but Louth are full of confidence. We knew we’d get our fill of it today, but I thought to a man, all over the pitch, I was very happy with them, a proper championship performance.
“It was great to get off to the good start, we knew Louth would come back in the second half. We’ve a threat coming from all over the pitch, the men who came in as well. So very happy with how the squad is shaping up. Clare will come all guns blazing next Sunday, and that was a tough, tough game, so we have to get out bodies right for next weekend.”
Louth finished with nine wides, another measure of their shortcomings, and without two second half goals – a penalty by Sam Mulroy on 53 minutes, and a second goal by Tommy Durnin two minutes from time – the damage would have been a lot worse.
Monaghan started with glaring intent, holding up possession from the throw-in and moving the ball steadily around, before O’Hanlon moved into position after two minutes – firing at goal from close range. Niall McDonnell did well to get a block on it, but couldn’t prevent the ball from spilling into the net.
Mulroy’s opening free came off the upright, and Louth also looked a little nervy Mulroy. however soon made amends after six minutes, fetching a peach of a pass from Tommy Durnin, turning and burying his shot past Rory Beggan. Still Monaghan were enjoying the greater spread of possession. Beggan stepped up for a two-point free on 10 minutes, O’Hanlon swifty adding his first from play.
Louth responded again on 13 minutes, Ciaran Downey’s shot at goal coming off the post, Durnin racing in for the rebound, and with that the Leinster champions were level. Then they didn’t score again for the next 15 minutes.
In the meantime, Monaghan hit six unanswered points, including two in succession from the lively Mooney, a fine score from O’Toole, and three from Michael Bannigan, including a free.
Several of Louth’s efforts during that period were just off target, before Ryan Burns ended their wait for a score on 28 minutes with a mighty two-pointer, much to the delight of the Louth fans. Indeed Burns looked impressed himself, and repeated his magic two minutes later to bring Louth’s tally to 2-5.
One more before the break by Ward brought Monaghan to 1-11, giving them a three-point cushion at the break.
When they hit the first four points of the second half, Monaghan looked to be coasting, Louth’s first point of the half not coming until the 48th minute, thanks to Ciaran Byrne. When Conor Grimes was pulled down on 53 minutes, and Mulroy converted brilliantly from the penalty, the gap was back to six, but that’s as close as they got as Monaghan simply reinforced their superiority from there.
For Louth, Emmet Carolan and Dan Corcoran replaced the injured Dermot Campbell and Peter Lynch in the defence, and the hope is they might be back for next weekend. Louth may need everything they’ve got to regain that winning momentum.
LOUTH: N McDonnell; D Nally, E Carolan, D McKenny; C McKeever, D Corcoran, C Lennon; T Durnin (2-0-0), C Keenan; B Duffy, C Downey, C Grimes; K McArdle, S Mulroy (2-0-2, 1-0 pen, 1f), R Burns (0-2-1, 1f).
Subs: C Byrne (0-0-1) for Downey, D McDonnell for McArdle (both h-t), L Jackson for Corcoran (39 mins), A McDonnell for Duffy (43), C Branigan for McDonnell (55, inj).
MONAGHAN: R Beggan (0-2-1, 2tpf, 1f); R Wylie, K Duffy, D Byrne; R O’Toole (0-0-1), D Ward (0-0-3), C McCarthy (0-0-1); M McCarville, G Mohan; S O’Hanlon (1-0-3), M Bannigan (0-1-4, 1f), R McAnespie; K Lavelle, A Woods, S Mooney (0-0-3).
Subs: J McCarron (0-0-1, 1f) for McAnespie (45 mins), C McNulty for Woods (49), D Garland for Mooney (58), D Hughes for McCarville (64), K O’Connell for Ward (68), J Irwin for O’Hanlon (69).
Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).
