Swinburne strikes for Farney

MONAGHAN 1-9 DERRY 0-9

A WELL-taken penalty in the 52nd minute by Donnach Swinburne proved decisive for Monaghan in the Ulster MFC final at the Athletic Grounds.

This low-scoring game was manned by tight defences. When Conan Milne took down Monaghan’s Jack Doogan late on, referee Maggie Farrelly awarded a penalty. Swinburne dispatched the penalty with ease to give the Farney men vital breathing space.

Derry scored the last three points of a very close first half to edge ahead by the minimum at half-time, leading 0-6 to 0-5.

Monaghan enjoyed the better start, with free-taker Sean Jones handing them an early two-point lead. Derry replied with a free from Enda Downey before Eoghan Hawe scored the first point from play in the 12th minute to level matters.

Monaghan’s left-footed freetaker, Aaron Mulligan, nailed a brace of points as Seamus McEnaney’s side regained the lead before the Oak Leaf County finished the half with a flourish through scores from Conleth McGuckin and a brace from Enda Downey.

The second half continued very much as the first had ended, with star men Sean Jones and Aaron Mulligan firing scores that cancelled out points from Ethan Doherty and Enda Downey from Derry.

SCORERS – Monaghan: A Mulligan 0-5 (3fs), S Jones 0-3 (2fs), D Swinburne 1-0, R Grimes 0-1. Derry: E Downey 0-5 (4fs), C McGuckin 0-2 (2fs), E Hawe 0-1, E Doherty 0-1.

MONAGHAN: R Farrelly, R Grimes, J Doogan, S Hanratty, C Flood, B Og Dufaigh, M Meehan, J McGarrell, A Moore, A Mulligan, S Jones, K Gallagher, D Swinburne, L Power, J Irwin. Subs: M Mooney for L Power (42), O O’Hanlon for K Gallagher (60).

DERRY: A Gillan, C Milne, T Woods, T McFaul, A McCluskey, J McErlain, A Canavan, N Doyle, I Donaghy, E McElhennon, S Murray, E Doherty, E Hawe, E Downey, C McGuckin. Subs: PJ McAleese for S Murray (41), Dara Mooney for A Canavan (49), Sean Kearney for E Hawe (55).

REFEREE: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).