Focused Monaghan show their mettle

Monaghan 0-19
Laois 0-14

Monaghan have all but assured themselves of a place in Division One football next season with one game left to play but they had to battle right to the very finish against a tenacious Laois team.

As it was though, Monaghan showed the greater experience in the second half to get back in the ascendancy and they had the forwards to pick off the vital scores. The introduction of Stephen Gollogly in the second half had a marked effect on the outcome. His his industry fashioned a number of vital points for Monaghan in the second half and he picked off two excellent points himself to help keep Laois at bay.

Quite assured
Monaghan started the brighter with Kieran Hughes giving them a two-point lead after four minutes and by the 11th Monaghan were three in front.

However through the efforts of the towering John O’Loughlin in midfield along with Kevin Meaney Laois battled back while wing back Darren Strong helped with a couple of excellent long-range points.

By the 21st minute Laois had drawn level with pointsand the sides were tied at 0-8 to 0-8 at t the interval.

Monaghan began the second half well and edged three points clear thanks to Dessie Mone, Kieran Hughes and Conor McManu (a free).

Laois reduced the deficit to the minimum by the 15th minute with points by Ross Munnelly (a free) and Billy Sheehan but Monaghan forged three in front again thanks to another free by McManus and a Gollogly point.

Darren Strong reduce the margin to two but by the 25th minute Monaghan were five in front thanks to Stephen Gollogly, Dessie Mone and Fintan Kelly and they held out for a deserved victory.

MONAGHAN: R Beggan, K Duffy, D Wylie, F Kelly (0-1), C Walshe, V Corey, D Mone (0-2), D Clerkin, G Doogan (0-1), K O'Connell, J McCarron, P Donaghy, D Malone, K Hughes (0-4), C McManus 0-6 (4f). Subs: S Gollogly (0-2) for P Donaghy, C McGuinness for J McCarron, D Hughes for D Clerkin, P Finlay (0-1) for D Malone, M McElroy (0-1) for D Mone.

LAOIS: G Brody, P McMahon, D Booth, P O'Leary, D Strong (0-2), P Begley, C Begley, K Meaney, J O'Loughlin (0-1), R Munnelly (0-2, 2f), C Meredith (0-1), B Sheehan, E O'Carroll, D Kingston (0-1, f), D Conway (0-1). Subs: G Walsh (0-1, f) for E O'Carroll, J Finn for K Meaney, P Kingston for D Conway, D O'Connor (0-1) for B Sheehan, MJ Tierney for R Munnelly.
Referee: B Cassidy (Derry).