With one kick they were free. Monaghan have emerged Houdini-like from the bottom of so many rivers - throwing off the chains of relegation - that it’s almost routine. Jack McCarron nailed the 75th minute free to confirm this year’s version.
His team needed the score to beat Dublin, who are now relegated.
The last day of the Allianz Football League season is now an established attraction, its constantly running real-time narratives of success and failure changing as the afternoon progresses.
For instance, the match with the greatest championship significance, Offaly versus Cork in Tullamore, went all the way to the threshold of the final whistle before the visitors overhauled a one-point deficit in injury-time - Cian Kiely and Stephen Sherlock supplying the vital scores.
It leaves the winners with their status in the Sam Maguire competition in all likelihood preserved along with their place in Division Two.
Offaly drop to Division Three with Down and will now contest the new Tailteann Cup unless they can reach the Leinster final.
Having contributed 2-6 to the cause in Clones, McCarron was an obvious Man of the Match but Darren Hughes should also come into the conversation. His feat was to persuade manager Séamus McEnaney - after a day of days - to remain silent, almost akin to silencing Churchill on VE Day.
Hughes is the Gaelic Players Association representative for the Monaghan team and he asked his manager to support the players in their dispute with the GAA in relation to expenses.
“You know me 20 years, lads,” said McEnaney as he bounded past the media - leaving no doubt about the torrent of enthusiasm which would in other circumstances have greeted survival in what on day one, he had called the “best Division One in 25 years”.
There appeared to be some confusion over the GPA directive, as the organisation's former chief executive and now Dublin manager Dessie Farrell made himself available for the unhappy task of explaining a first relegation from the top flight since his own playing days 27 years ago.
“To be honest that is not the concerning thing. Our disappointment is based around the inconsistency of the performance after having two decent performances back-to-back, there is still some work to do for sure.
Disappointing
“We thought we were at a decent enough trajectory at that point. In the second half we were better. We were flat enough in the first half. It is more disappointing I think in terms of the quality of the performance. Obviously we are looking towards the summer at this point.
“Look, they have been known to do that in the past,” he said of Monaghan’s propensity to avoid the drop. “We knew the challenge. We were not surprised by anything threw at us.”
It has been a tough campaign for Dublin. They lost their first four matches for only the second time in history and despite recovering with wins over All-Ireland champions Tyrone and Donegal, Sunday's fall at the final fence has cost them. He reflected on injuries and their impact.
“Yeah, so we haven’t had a run at it now from that perspective but that’s the game and you have to take these things as they come and be able to deal with them. We had to go to the bench early and for two defenders, which is pretty unusual but we still got back into the game and having got that penalty you would have felt it was an opportunity for us to kick on.
Tight margins
“They’re tight margins: big kick-out, it breaks their way, they get the free. Over the bar, that’s it. Done and dusted.”
He was asked about Con O’Callaghan, who hasn’t played any league matches and whose attacking menace has been sorely missed.
“We’re looking forward to having Con back very soon,” Farrell said and asked to clarify did that mean the start of the championship, replied: “Yeah, he will, for sure.”
The final act in Clones ended with Dublin being joined by Kildare on the down escalator, leaving Division One without a Leinster team for the first time in the history of the GAA's hierarchical league structure.
It was emblematic of a bad day for the province. Of the six teams relegated across the top three divisions, five - Offaly, Wicklow and Laois as well - are from there. Furthermore, of the six promoted just one, Mickey Harte's Louth have been promoted; in his case for a second successive year.
The spoils were also divided. Kerry, despite what is likely to be a somewhat sore defeat by Tyrone in Killarney, had already qualified for the Division One final and they will face Mayo, comfortable conquerors of Kildare, next Sunday in Croke Park.
There was promotion and divisional final places for Galway and Roscommon in Division Two. Galway were already through but lost the last match against the neighbours, who they now face again in a week’s time.
The most competitive of divisions has been Division Three. Limerick and Louth made the cut, seeing off Fermanagh and Wicklow respectively. On Saturday evening, the expected promotion from the bottom division of 2020 provincial champions Tipperary and Cavan was confirmed.
The hurling league final will take place on Saturday between Waterford, big winners over Wexford on Sunday, and Cork, who defeated Kilkenny in the other semifinal on Saturday evening. It will take place in Thurles.
Saturday
NHL Division 1
Waterford v Cork, Semple Stadium, 7.15pm
NFL Division 3
Louth v Limerick, Croke Park, 4.45pm
NFL Division 4
Cavan v Tipperary, Croke Park, 2.30pm
Sunday
NFL Division 1
Kerry v Mayo, Croke Park, 4pm
NFL Division 2
Roscommon v Galway, Croke Park, 1.45pm
