Cavan 0-13 Monaghan 0-11
Cavan have won through to an Ulster final meeting with Tyrone after victory over Monaghan in a very poor semi-final match at Clones this afternoon.
By reaching an Ulster semi-final, both sides had surprised many fans in the province, however, on the basis of today’s performance neither team will be fancied to progress to the latter stages of the championship.
Monaghan began the second half two points downpoints from substitutes Thomas Freeman and Peter Duffy levelled the teams early on.Cavan in contrast were struggling to get back on terms with their opponents.
However, after Peter Reilly’s goal attempt was well saved by the Monaghan goalkeeper, Cavan began to find their scoring range once again.
Peter and Finbar Reilly pointed to level the game at 0-9 apiece.Centre half back Anthony Forde then scored a superb point from the 50 yard line to pop Cavan into a single point lead.
Monaghan full forward Gary Meehan and Cavan’s Finbar Reilly then exchanged frees.Reilly pointed again from the restart before Freemanpulled away from his marker to restore the deficit to one point.
Dermot McCabe, however, pointed to reinstate a two point lead and close the scoring for a Cavan victory.
The first half was an atrocious exhibition of Gaelic football with neither team setting a tempo to a game strewn with comical mistakes and appalling marksmanship.
Monaghan kicked 7 wides in the first 17 minutes but only trailed Cavan by two points at the break.Cavan, for all their possession in the forward division, used the ball carelessly inside the Monaghan half and should have led by more at the break.
Cavan dominated at half back and half forward but Cavan manager Val Andrews can feel aggrieved with the forwards overall attacking return.
Monaghan snatched an early two point to no score lead courtesy of Declan Smyth and Darren Farmer frees.Cavan, taking time to settle, soon found their stride and pulled level with a Larry Reilly free and a Dermot McCabe effort from play.
Monaghan’s Raymond Ronaghan should have done better after 9 minutes when sent through on goal.Ronaghan had only the Cavan goalkeeper to beat when he screwed his shot tamely wide of the left hand post.
McCabe and Finbar O’Reilly then stretched Cavan’s lead to four points before Smyth and lively substitute Freeman bridged the gap to two points at the end of 35 minutes.