ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE Cork 1-15 Monaghan 1-12:ALL-IRELAND champions Cork returned to winning ways in their first home league game since last September's memorable triumph, but Monaghan made them battle right to the finish at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.
The visitors trailed by 1-9 to 1-5 at half-time after playing against the strong wind and enjoyed a lot of second-half possession only to waste chances which cost them in a tight game.
On three occasions Monaghan came within two points of their opponents, but Cork always replied to the threat, notably in the closing stages when substitute Colm O’Neill and the impressive captain for the day Pearse O’Neill, who scored five from play, added important points.
Monaghan substitute Mark Downey struck the crossbar as the game entered injury-time before centre back Dessie Mone kicked the closing point, but it wasn’t enough to deny the league holders.
In the first half Monaghan stunned Cork with the opening goal after 14 minutes. Conor McManus fielded well from a skyward shot from a colleague before passing to Gavin Doogan, who sent in Owen Duffy to finish off the post for a 1-2 to 0-4 lead.
Cork responded with a goal of their own 13 minutes later. Aidan Walsh fielded spectacularly in the middle of the pitch for Eoin Cadogan to surge forward and offload to Conor O’Driscoll, who found Ciarán Sheehan.
He tried to fist a point from the right of the posts only for the ball to drop on the other side to the waiting Pa Kelly, who slipped the ball inside the upright past goalkeeper Mark Keogh for a fortunate goal and a 1-7 to 1-3 advantage.
Kelly could easily have had a hat-trick, but Keogh twice denied him in one-on-one situations either side of his goal.
Monaghan almost grabbed a second six minutes from the interval, when Conor McManus cut through the defence only to see his low shot scrape past the upright and wide.
Midfielders Dick Clerkin and half-time substitute Owen Lennon helped Monaghan win a lot of ball in the area in the second half, but Cadogan was magnificent in defence for Cork and did a lot of damage to Monaghan’s prospects when moving forward.
Monaghan’s cause wasn’t helped by Duffy’s injury, which forced him off after 51 minutes.
CORK: K OHalloran; M Shields, E Cadogan, R Carey; C ODriscoll, P Kissane, C ODriscoll (0-1); A OConnor, A Walsh; P ONeill (capt, 0-5), P Kelly (1-1), F Goold (0-2); D Goulding (0-4, three from frees), C Sheehan, D OConnor (0-1 from a free). Subs:F Lynch for Carey (half-time), P O'Flynn for O'Driscoll (52 mins), C O'Neill (0-1) for Goulding (60 mins), N Murphy for A O'Connor (68 mins).
MONAGHAN: M Keogh; K Duffy, Darren Hughes, C Walsh; David Hughes, D Mone (0-1), N McAdam; B McKenna, D Clerkin (0-2); J Turley, O Duffy (1-3), G Doogan; C McGuinness (0-1), P Finlay (Capt, 0-3, two from frees), C McManus (0-2). Subs: O Lennon for McKenna and D Morgan for McAdam (half-time), T Freeman for Duffy injured (51 mins), M Downey for Turley (58 mins), V Corey for Finlay (69 mins).
Referee: D Coldrick(Meath).
