McEnaney faces up to a reality that bites

THIS WAS billed as the moment Monaghan might become a peer of Ulster’s elite football county and genuine All-Ireland contenders in the process.

Under Séamus McEnaney’s clever delegating, it seemed Monaghan had added enough finesse to their long-established steeliness to become true rivals to a seemingly never-ending reel of Tyrone excellence (they captured their seventh minor title of the 21st century with a comprehensive defeat of Armagh in the curtain-raiser).

Even the opening exchanges promised an Ulster thriller to compare with the epic Tyrone-Armagh encounters of a few seasons back.

Tommy Freeman seemed to settle with an early point. Then some confusion between Justin McMahon and debutant Tyrone corner back Cathal McCarron presented Freeman with a great goal chance. Pascal McConnell made a fine save.

No matter. Paul Finlay hoisted a fine point. Conor McManus was next with a long-range free while big Rory Woods, refusing to bite down on the bait being dangled by Ryan McMenamin, clipped a pretty score instead.

That was it though. Tyrone became themselves as Monaghan also reverted to type.

McCarron enveloped Freeman for the remainder of the contest as the 12-man Tyrone rearguard fanned out and poured forward on the counter-attack. Every Monaghan forward lost his individual duel as Joe McMahon sweeped up any loose ball.

As 40 scoreless minutes passed between the fourth and fifth Monaghan point, Tyrone duly amassed 0-7.

“There is no hiding place for us here: We allowed Tyrone bully us, especially in the last half of the field,” said “Banty” McEnaney.

This was supposed to be McEnaney guiding his team to a higher plane. Instead, they are back, clearly, where they belong: in the qualifiers.

“Monaghan’s worst performance in six years,” McEnaney admitted, and he should know having been in charge since 2004.

“We’re together a long time and we’ve had a lot of setbacks but today was the worst. We were very, very poor – especially in the second half.

“They are not three-time All Ireland champions for nothing. I said earlier in the week they are the best team from Ulster, certainly since I started watching football. But regardless of how Tyrone played today, Monaghan were very disappointing.

“We have to live with that and pick ourselves up on Tuesday night at training.”

Monaghan have a six-day turnover that is really only four days.

Mickey Harte put it all in perspective, as he always tends to do.

Tyrone eyed the chance to win back-to-back provincial titles for the first time since 1996, proving relegation from Division One of the National League was irrelevant. Harte was merely taking a closer look at the next wave of talent.

“I’m always optimistic. I am. I believe in this side. Relegation didn’t bother me. We didn’t want to be relegated but it didn’t mean to say we were a bad side.

“We’re not going to swing from the rooftops and say we are the finished product but we are a decent product.

“And a decent product that can get better. If we can say that at this time of year I would take that any year.”