Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MONAGHAN ARE MAL RIGHT NOW
Wexford 1-11 Monaghan 3-23
MALACHY O’ROURKE believed it was important that Monaghan got back to winning ways through the qualifiers.
Having lost their Ulster Championship semi-final to Down, the Farney needed very little time to lay down a marker at Innovate Wexford Park on Saturday afternoon.
A feeble Wexford bore the full brunt of that anger as Monaghan led 2-10 to 0-5 at half-time.
In fact, the game was over as a contest by the 10th minute when cornerback Fintan Kelly got on the end of a sweeping move to finish to the net.
O’rourke (inset) admitted: “There is always a hangover from losing in the Championship. We lost to Down, had to return to the training ground, put the heads down and prepared for the qualifiers.
“It was not easy but the boys really got down to the task facing them so we are delighted to get the victory.
“It was a case of approaching the qualifiers in a positive frame of mind. We did not want to go out like last year when we lost to Longford in the opening qualifier round.
“We always knew Wexford would be up for the game but we also knew that once we settled, kept patient, we would break them down.” Wexford’s season is over and manager Seamus Mceneany must be satisfied with promotion from Division 4 in his first season. He said: “Monaghan were in a different class. The gulf in class was there for all to see.”