ULSTER UNDER-21 CHAMPIONSHIP RESULT
MONAGHAN 1-15 V FERMANAGH 0-3
The result pretty much sums up this game for Fermanagh who failed to register a score for the entire second half in this contest that was played at the Inniskeen Grattan’s ground on Wednesday night.
Monaghan the 2013 Ulster Minor champions came into the game as warm favourites and pointed after just 17 seconds through Dessie Ward, but Fermanagh then gradually grew into the contest and will look back on 4 costly wides from the 3rd to the 12th minute that were all missed.
The Farney county however went two ahead in the 13th minute when Barry McGinn pointed as they gradually got on top around the middle of the field.
The next three scores all went the way of the home side from McGinn, Conor McCarthy and the lively Ferghal McMahon, the trio certainly impressing the watching Monaghan Senior manager, Malachy O’Rourke.
Fermanagh though rallied late in the first half and hit a trio of points from Sean Keenan, Patrick Reihill and Eoin McManus to leave it 0-5 to 0-3 in favour of Monaghan at half time.
If Fermanagh were to cause something of an upset they needed to start the second half as they finished the first but it was to be Monaghan who started much brighter and they raced 0-10 to 0-3 ahead thanks to Barry McGinn (3) and Conor McCarthy (2).
Fermanagh then lost captain Eoin McManus to a second yellow card in the 43rd minute after colliding with his man after a shot in what looked to be an extremely dubious call by the Down whistler and from that any hope of a Fermanagh resurgence had all but gone.
The excellent Dessie Ward got up from wing half back to point his second of the game in the 46th minute and a Barry McGinn goal arrived to put the icing on the cake with 5 minutes remaining to leave it 1-11 to 0-3.
Fermanagh to their credit never threw in the towel but time after time wrong shot selection or being over crowded out by a stubborn Monaghan defence was how the Ernesiders can look back at Wednesday night’s game.
Dessie Ward capped off a fine showing with his 3rd from defence and the final scores of the night came from Adam Treanor (3) who had only came on for the last 15 minutes of the game.
Monaghan now meet Armagh in an Ulster Championship U21 Semi Final.
For Fermanagh its a lot of soul searching after a sixth Under-21 Championship defeat in a row.
Monaghan scores = B McGinn 1-5, D Ward 0-3, A Treanor 0-3, C McCarthy 0-3, F McMahon 0-1.
Fermanagh scores = E McManus 0-1, P Rehill 0-1, S Keenan 0-1.
MONAGHAN – C Forde; B Kerr, M Murnaghan, K Loughran; D Ward, J Mealiff, A Curran; N Loughman, A Lynch; R McAnespie, B McGinn, D Meegan; M O’Dowd, C McCarthy, F McMahon. Subs – A Treanor for Meegan (black card 29), F Maguire for McMahon (40), A Kieran for Loughran (42), B McBennett for McGinn (62).
FERMANAGH – J Kelly; S O’Hara, J Allen, M Jordan; C McManus, C Corrigan, D Leonard; E McManus (Capt.), P Rehill; J McCann, C McAuley, C Carney; J Flanagan, S Keenan, D Teague. Subs – S Rooney for Carney (H-T), T O’Hara for McCann, G Jones for McAuley (both 40), L Jones for Flanagan (52).
Referee – C Mooney (Down).
