Ulster SF Championship Semi-final/Monaghan 0-14 Derry 1-9:Monaghan's new kids-on-the-block rolled back the years at Casement Park yesterday. They performed with gusto and determination to reach the Ulster final for the first time since 1988 and, in so doing, beat Derry for the first time in 23 years.
It was a memorable victory planned by their methodical manager Séamus McEneaney and delivered by a fresh and dedicated team with heroes in almost every position.
Any Tyrone followers looking on may be just a little apprehensive concerning the fresh attitude of this bunch of players.
McEneaney said afterwards: "For me this is the Man United job of Gaelic football. This group of players are prepared to die for the cause of their county and what you saw here today was a sample of their attitude.
"We are delighted to be in the final. How much more had we to wait to reach the final again and to beat Derry?"
The odds began to stack up against Monaghan before the start when it was learned that Paul Finlay, their talented centre half forward, was not in a position to play due to a virus. In contrast to this Derry folk greeted the return of their scorer-in-chief, Paddy Bradley.
But fans of Bradley were disillusioned on the day with what he delivered. In addition, Enda Muldoon hardly got the ball into his hands. With two such normally prolific scorers not shaping up, Derry were in dire straits.
Monaghan's only real flaw was their inconsistent scoring rate. They went 0-6 to 0-2 up in the opening quarter and then their previously smooth scoring machine spluttered and stalled. They failed to raise a flag from the 18th minute of that first half.
One had not got to look far to identify Monaghan's star player. He was Tom Freeman, a brilliant forward with an accurate right boot. He accounted for seven points, half of Monaghan's total, with two of his points coming from frees.
McEneaney appeared to win the tactical battle with his Derry counterpart Pat Crozier. There was a striking difference between the approaches of both sides with Monaghan always prepared to get the early ball into their forwards where Freeman, Dick Clerkin and late call-up Rory Woods were only too ready to shoot at the Derry posts.
However, Stephen Gollogly was superb in finding the target.
He was an inspiring figure in that Monaghan attack and fully deserved the standing ovation he received when leaving the pitch shortly before the end with victory in the bag.
Paddy Bradley failed to make the expected impact on proceedings and was largely a peripheral figure. He failed to score until almost midway through the second half but ultimately contributed a goal and two points, one from a free.
The goal came in the 25th minute of the second half and remarkably left only two points between the teams.
Monaghan's work rate, better team work and strategy was hardly reflected in this situation and when Gollogly stretched Monaghan's lead to three points in the closing stages, Paddy Bradley to his credit stepped up to the mark to reduce the deficit to two points once more, but this was in injury-time.
Derry manager Pat Crozier said: "We didn't play well. I thought when Paddy (Bradley) had that goal it could have been the platform for us to salvage something, even a draw."
MONAGHAN: S Duffy; D Mone, V Corey, D McArdle; D Freeman, G McQuaid, D Morgan; E Lennon, B McManus; D Clerkin, R Woods (0-3, one free), S Gollogly (0-4); C Hanratty, S Smith, T Freeman (0-7, two frees). Subs: C McManus for Morgan (half-time); H McElroy for Smith (45 mins), P Meegan for Hanratty (62 mins), D Hughes for Gollogly (70 + 2).
DERRY: B Gillis; M McGoldrick, K McCloy, G Ahern; Patsy Bradley, MJ Lockhart, C McKeever; F Doherty, J Conway (0-2); Paddy Bradley (1-2, one free), C Gilligan (0-3 frees), J Diver (0-1); R Wilkinson, E Muldoon, M Lynch (0-1). Subs: L Hinphey for Patsy Bradley (23 mins), B McGoldrick for Wilkinson (56 mins), C Devlin for Doherty (59 mins), ; P Murphy for Gilligan (60 mins), G Donaghy for Lynch (68 mins). Att: Est 14,000
Referee: F Flynn (Leitrim).
