McManus provides lift as Monaghan hold off late Tyrone fightback
MONAGHAN 0-15 TYRONE 0-14
MONAGHAN kept their winning run intact but only just against a resilient Tyrone side in this fairly low-key and at times scrappy, mistake-riddled affair in Castleblayney last night.
Tyrone fielded their strongest team in the League so far, with six changes from their previous game against Kildare, including the return of influential midfielder Colm Cavanagh, with Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee, Kieran McGeary, Colm Cavanagh, Conal McCann and Richard Donnelly coming in for Hugh Pat McGeary, Tiernan McCann, Rory Brennan, Ciaran McLaughlin, Cathal McShane and Padraig McNulty.
Monaghan made four changes with Ryan Wylie coming in for the suspended Barry Kerr, Vinny Corey for a first start for Karl O’Connell, Shane Carey for Paudie McKenna, Fintan Kelly for Dermot Malone and Sigerson star Conor McCarthy for Conor McManus.
Despite the very cold conditions Monaghan made a bright start and had four points on the board inside the opening seven minutes, Fintan Kelly with three and Shane Carey from a free before Tyrone opened their account through Colm Cavanagh in the ninth minute.
Monaghan continued to dominate the outfield exchanges but mistakes helped Tyrone to gain a foothold and they battled back to parity by the 35th minute with four unanswered points before taking the lead for the first time in stoppage-time with a point from a free by Lee Brennan to leave the half-time score Tyrone 0-7, Monaghan 0-6.
The second half was a livelier affair with the sides level on four occasions before substitute Conor McManus lifted Monaghan with three points, two from frees as they pressed on to open a four points lead entering the final five minutes of normal time.
Tyrone to their credit staged a great fightback and pulled back three late points through Lee Brennan, two from frees, and Richard Donnelly but Monaghan held out for the narrowest of victories. MONAghAN: R Beggan; C Walshe (K Duffy 46), C Boyle, R Wylie; D Mone (K O’Connell 43), D Wylie, V Corey; D Hughes, N Kearns; S Carey (O Duffy 53), F Kelly, D Ward; J McCarron (K Hughes 65), T Kerr (C McManus 53), C McCarthy (D Malone 69). Scorers: C McManus (2f), R Beggan (3f), F Kelly 0-3, Jack McCarron 0-2 (2f), S Carey (1f), C Walshe, D Ward, O Duffy 0-1. TYRONe: N Morgan, M McKernan, R McNamee, C McCarron (HP McGeary 22), C Meyler, P Hampsey, K McGeary, C Cavanagh, M Donnelly (P McNulty 69), C McCann (D Mulgrew 56, D McCurry BC 60), N Sluden, P Harte, L Brennan, R Donnelly, C McAliskey (M Bradey 46). Scorers: L Brennan 0-8 (8f), C Cavanagh, M McKernan, M Donnelly, N Sludden, P Harte, R Donnelly 0-1. Referee: C Lane (Cork).