All-Ireland SFC Round One: Louth 4-8 Monaghan 1-23
The slow, crashing sound heard around Newbridge on Saturday evening was only Louth falling back down to earth. It happens when a team is out a fortnight after winning their first Leinster football title in 68 years, but a wisely drilled and super clinical Monaghan contributed massively to that downfall.
That Louth finished within six points certainly gives them hope for their remaining two games against Down and Clare, given they were in danger of being run completely ragged here. Four Louth goals put some respect on the scoreline, salvaging some remnants of confidence too.
On a grey, damp evening in Newbridge, Louth’s home-from-home, Monaghan promptly took the game to them and never looked back, the excellent Stephen O’Hanlon, one of their eight scorers, shaking the Louth net after two minutes.
Although Louth did draw level twice, the last time being on 13 minutes, Monaghan’s physicality and ceaseless workrate eventually wore them down. That physicality never ceased either, both teams finishing with 14 men after Donal McKenny from Louth and then Killian Lavelle were black-carded in the last 10 minutes in separate incidents.
Louth manager Ger Brennan also got up close with his Monaghan counterpart Gabriel Bannigan in the second half, but insisted afterwards there was nothing untoward in that, and they shook on things afterwards. Brennan did admit there was something of a hangover after their moment of Leinster glory, beating Meath in Croke Park just 13 days ago.
“Well we didn’t know until the game started, and now we know,” said Brennan. “And now it’s done, and we have to pick ourselves up and focus on Down in Newry seven days’ time.
Louth also looked a little nervy. Mulroy caught fire after six minutes, fetching a peach of a pass from Durnin, turning and burying his shot past Beggan. Still Monaghan were enjoying the greater spread of possession. Beggan stepped up for a two-point free on 10 minutes, O’Hanlon swifty adding his first from play.
Louth responded again on 13 minutes, Ciaran Downey’s shot at goal coming off the post, Durnin racing in for the rebound, and with that the Leinster champions were level. Then they didn’t score again for the next 15 minutes.
In the meantime, Monaghan fired six unanswered points, including two in succession from the lively Mooney, a fine score from O’Toole, and three from Bannigan.
Ryan Burns ended Louth’s wait for a score on 28 minutes with a mighty two-pointer, much to the delight of the Louth fans. Indeed Burns looked impressed himself, repeating his magic two minutes later to bring Louth’s half-time tally to 2-5 to Monaghan’s 1-11.
When Monaghan hit the first four points of the second half, they looked to be coasting, Louth’s first point of the half not coming until the 48th minute, thanks to Ciaran Byrne. When Conor Grimes was pulled down on 53 minutes, and Mulroy converted brilliantly from the penalty, the gap was back to six, but that’s as close as they got as Monaghan simply reinforced their superiority from there.
LOUTH: N McDonnell; D Nally, E Carolan, D McKenny; C McKeever, D Corcoran, C Lennon; T Durnin (2-0-0), C Keenan; B Duffy, C Downey, C Grimes; K McArdle, S Mulroy (2-0-2, 1-0 pen, 1f), R Burns (0-2-1, 1f).
Subs: C Byrne (0-0-1) for Downey, D McDonnell for McArdle (both h-t), L Jackson for Corcoran (39 mins), A McDonnell for Duffy (43), C Branigan for McDonnell (55, inj).
MONAGHAN: R Beggan (0-2-1, 2tpf, 1f); R Wylie, K Duffy, D Byrne; R O’Toole (0-0-1), D Ward (0-0-3), C McCarthy (0-0-1); M McCarville, G Mohan; S O’Hanlon (1-0-3), M Bannigan (0-1-4, 1f), R McAnespie; K Lavelle, A Woods, S Mooney (0-0-3).
Subs: J McCarron (0-0-1, 1f) for McAnespie (45 mins), C McNulty for Woods (49), D Garland for Mooney (58), D Hughes for McCarville (64), K O’Connell for Ward (68), J Irwin for O’Hanlon (69).
Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).
