Ulster SFC semi-final: Monaghan 1-30 Derry 3-23 (aet)
Victorious Monaghan manager Gabriel Bannigan adopted a little of the Conor Laverty playbook on Saturday night, stating his side harnessed the hurt of being written off in some quarters prior to their epic Ulster Championship win against Derry.
“We tapped into it from the moment we beat Cavan,” said Bannigan shortly after his side’s stunning comeback win at the Athletic Grounds. “You have to tap into it. You heard what Conor Laverty said last week. In sport, you lean on everything; you pull every lever you possibly can to just find any wee bit of extra motivation. We were written off everywhere else - bookies, pundits, you name it. The only place where a game is won is out there on the pitch.
“Yes, we might have lost all those games in the league and we were very disappointed to lose our Division One status but it was always about the championship.”
A mighty Rory Beggan two-pointer with the last kick of extra-time dramatically snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and earned battling Monaghan a place in the 2026 Ulster Final.
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Bannigan’s men had trailed for most of the game before impact sub Jack McCarron’s 70th-minute two-pointer from a sideline ball earned his side extra-time at an enthralled Athletic Grounds.
“This sport is a game of inches,” explained the Farney boss. “Jack McCarron’s kick, unbelievable. The subs that came in, Jack McCarron, Bobby McCaul, Oisin McGorman, Davy Garland all scored, Robbie Hanratty caught a brilliant ball in the middle of the field, that would have been his championship debut, Shane Hanratty came on at the end. They’re all the inches.”
Come extra-time Derry once again led with Sean Kearney’s 89th-minute point appearing to have edged the Oakleafers over the line. But Monaghan would not yield, with Beggan heroically splitting the posts to win a game for the ages.
Despite a wayward nine wides, goals from Niall Loughlin and then Eoin McEvoy handed Derry a 2-10 to 0-6 lead at half-time.
Early points from Lachlan Murray and Paul Cassidy gave the Oakleafers the better start, before Micheal Bannigan and Andrew Woods levelled matter for Monaghan at 0-2 apiece after five minutes.
Niall Loughlin drew first blood for Derry when he side footed the ball home with a surgeon’s precision a minute later.
Thanks to some fantastic midfield fetching by Micheal McCarville, Monaghan clung onto Derry’s coat-tails and raised a couple of white flags from Stephen Mooney and a second from Bannigan.
But Ciaran Meenagh’s side, backed by a first-half breeze, took a firm grip of proceedings nailing six of the next seven scores to finish the opening half in some style.
Ethan Doherty helped himself to a late brace and when Eoin McEvoy rampaged forward to palm home a second Derry goal it left the favourites 10 points up at the break.
Eoin McEvoy’s 51st-minute goal handed Derry a 3-13 to 0-12 as the Oakleafers appeared to be cruising to victory. Monaghan, however, refused to wilt.
An incredible six two-pointers, and a vital 61st minute Micheal Bannigan goal, ignited a magnificent comeback and pulled the Farneymen right back into contention. McCarron’s outrageous two-pointer from the sideline at the death equalised matters with the very last kick of the second half.
A Lachlan Murray two pointer was the key score as Derry took a 3-20 to 1-24 lead into extra-time half-time.
However, a missile of a two pointer from the influential Dessie Ward with further vital scores from substitute McGorman and Bannigan kept the Farneymen firmly in touch.
But when Sean Kearney pointed with less than a minute remaining on the clock Derry had one foot in the final with only seconds remaining.
Monaghan launched one last attack and earned a free. Cometh the hour, cometh the man as big Rory Beggan showed nerves of steel to leather a 55m two-pointer over the bar and win the game for Monaghan.
“I think I’d have to be the most biased of Monaghan people ... but he’s certainly up there as one of the best players ever to play the game, never mind goalkeeper,” said Bannigan. “Phenomenal player.”
MONAGHAN: R Beggan (0-3-0); K Lavelle, R O’Toole, D Byrne; C Dowd, D Ward (0-1-1), A Carey; M McCarville (0-1-1), L Kelly; K Gallagher (0-0-1), M Bannigan (1-0-5, 2f), S O’Hanlon; C McCarthy (0-1-0), A Woods (0-1-1), S Mooney (0-0-1). Subs: B McCaul (0-0-1) for L Kelly (h-t); D Garland (0-0-1) for S Mooney (45 mins); O McGorman (0-0-1) for A Carey (50); J McCarron (0-1-1) for A Woods (54); R Hanratty for K Gallagher (74); R McAnespie for S O’Hanlon (80).
DERRY: S McGuckin, D Baker, R Forbes, C McCluskey, C Doherty (0-0-1), G McKinless, P McGrogan, E McEvoy (1-0-3), B Rogers, E Doherty (0-0-2), C Glass (0-0-1), P Cassidy (0-0-1), N Loughlin (2-0-1,1f), S McGuigan (0-0-7, 1f), L Murray (0-1-4). Subs: S Downey for P Cassidy, N Toner for N Loughlin (both 60 mins); P McGurk for C Doherty (66); S Kearney (0-0-1) for C Doherty (88).
Referee: N Mooney (Cavan).
