Ulster SFC Monaghan 1-18 Armagh 0-9 THE MOST straightforward aspect of the day for Monaghan manager Séamus McEnaney was the thumping his team dished out to a beleaguered Armagh in the Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final at Casement Park. The events that preceded the match itself were bizarre, a plot-line straight from the pages of a fictional novel: even then it would seem a little fanciful.
On Saturday night Monaghan goalkeeper Shane Duffy finally succumbed to a quad injury that forced him to withdraw from yesterday's game. McEnaney made three phone calls after consulting his management team informing full back Darren Hughes that he would be playing in goal - he played there at minor level -, JP Mone that he would wear the number-three jersey and Owen Lennon that he would be promoted to the starting line-up and take his place at midfield.
The one player he didn't inform of the reshuffle was the squad's reserve goalkeeper Seán Gorman, who on learning of the new situation when the team met up in Monaghan yesterday morning when he refused to board the team bus and, depending on the source, stormed/walked off. There were further suggestions that Gorman's club-mate Paul Finlay threatened to walk away in sympathy but the player rubbished the notion.
However he did admit: "I have to make a special word for my club-mate there today. It was a really tough decision for the management and nobody likes to make those decisions. I was absolutely gutted for Seán. It took me a good hour to get over what happened and I really feel for him and I hope Seán can come back from this and maybe be back training with us on Tuesday night.
"It was difficult but, unfortunately, decisions have to be made and managers have to make decisions that they don't want to at time and sometimes guys will get hurt over it. We got it right here today and, no matter what our personal differences are, we have to look at what is right for the team. That was an experience that we don't want to happen again but, listen, we move on."
Finlay's presence was pivotal to the outcome of yesterday's contest. Quite apart from his ball striking, prodigious and accurate from a variety of distances, he also linked play very effectively and punished Armagh transgressions with a ruthless efficiency.
McEnaney's decision, in its rawest form, was vindicated because Darren Hughes, acquitted himself very capably in goal on the handful of occasions that Armagh mustered a genuine threat.
JP Mone excelled when, having started at corner back, he was switched in to try and thwart Armagh captain Steven McDonnell, the later having reeled off three sumptuous points inside the first 10 minutes of the match. McDonnell formed one half of a two-man full-forward line alongside Jamie Clarke (a late replacement for Ryan Henderson) but once JP Mone and Colin Walshe were reassigned defensively, that threat was largely negated.
The Monaghan duo were obviously assisted by the fact that their team-mates were dominant in most areas and that the ball sent into the Armagh full-forward line was often poorly directed, struck with hope rather than accuracy. The third prong in McEnaney's reshuffle was to promote Owen Lennon and the midfielder responded with a hard-working display that complemented the equally diligent Dick Clerkin.
Indeed Clerkin embellished his performance with two stunning late points.
The opening throes of the contest saw Armagh settle quickly, racing into a three-point lead.
McDonnell was imperious at this point but the game's first turning point was Tommy Freeman's goal on 12 minutes, the corner forward finishing neatly after good teamwork and running angles had left him alone on the edge of the square.
The second seminal moment of the half was Armagh corner forward Brian Mallon's straight red card for a high challenge on Rory Woods that left the Monaghan player bloodied. Trailing by four points at the interval, it was soon eight as Monaghan began the second half in a blur of industry that was matched by precision.
Jamie Clarke and Paul Duffy grabbed a brace of points, briefly redressing the one-sided nature of the scoring but when McDonnell and Gareth Swift missed easy chances, any momentum built evaporated almost immediately. Monaghan recalibrated, tightened up and for the last 15 minutes of the contest basically did as they pleased, the pick of a string of fine points, Clerkin's long-range strike and a Finlay sideline.
The intensity gradually petered out as the game reached its inevitable conclusion, one pretty much preordained when Armagh's mini-rally subsided. Monaghan will play the winners of next Saturday's game between Cavan and Fermanagh in an Ulster semi-final and on yesterday's evidence will relish the prospect.
MONAGHAN:D Hughes; C Walshe, D Mone, JP Mone; D Freeman, V Corey (0-1), G McQuaid; D Clerkin (0-2), O Lennon; S Gollogly, P Finlay (0-7, four frees, 45, sideline), K Hughes; C Hanratty (0-1), C McManus (0-1, free), T Freeman (1-5). Subs:R Woods for Gollogly (21 mins), D McArdle for D Mone (25 mins), M McElroy (0-1) for Hanratty (51 mins), F Caulfield for K Hughes (57 mins), N McAdam for D Freeman (67 mins). Yellow cards:M Gollogly, JP Mone, C Walshe, T Freeman, K Hughes D Clerkin.
ARMAGH:P Hearty; A Mallon, B Donaghy, V Martin; P Duffy (0-1), C McKeever, F Moriarty; C Vernon, K Toner; M Mackin, A Kernan (0-1, free), G Swift (0-1); B Mallon, S McDonnell (0-4), J Clarke (0-2). Subs:J Lavery for Macken (half-time); K Dyas for Martin (half-time). Yellow cards:S McDonnell, A Kernan, K Tonor. Red card:B Mallon (Armagh).
Referee:M Sludden (Tyrone).
