McManus keeps his cool in stoppage time as Monaghan remember Duffy
MONAGHAN’S day began in sadness and ended in euphoria as Conor McManus steered them into a first Ulster SFC final in six years with some outstanding free-taking when it mattered in Pairc Esler.
It was an emotional win for Monaghan, after the tragic news that their Under-20 captain Brendan Óg Duffy died in a car accident after the Ulster semi-final win over Donegal on Friday night. Despite that heartache, the senior squad took to the field in the blistering heat determined to honour his memory.
They started in whirlwind fashion and led by eight points at one stage but somehow found themselves trailing by two with seven minutes remaining.
The outstanding Rian O’Neill enhanced his reputation as one of the best young footballers in the country by almost single-handledly keeping Armagh in the game in the first half.
Having trailed by eight points after conceding four goals in a total defensive malfunction, Armagh mounted a stirring fight-back in the final quarter and looked the stronger team, with Monaghan suddenly wilting in the baking heat and under pressure for the first time.
Armagh took the lead after goals by Conor Turbitt and Tiernan Kelly and it looked like they would go on to complete the comeback and reach a first provincial decider since 2008 when they led by two with seven minutes to go, having outscored Monaghan by 2-4 to 0-1 since the second water break.
But mistakes and turnovers cost them and Monaghan, the more experienced and battle-hardened team, called on all that nous to rally again.
McManus nailed three frees in a row, including two incredibly difficult ones, before Stephen O’Hanlon sealed it.
Monaghan had scored three goals in the opening 15 minutes. They led by eight points when Darren Hughes plundered a fourth in the 26th minute and were 4-9 to 0-14 up at half-time. Even by the second water break, Monaghan still held their seven-point advantage.
Conor Turbitt scored a goal within seconds of the restart, finally catching out Rory Beggan, who had been living dangerously. Then Tiarnan Kelly beat Beggan low at his near post, after a controversial sideline ball which went Armagh’s way.
Ross McQuillan and Oisin O’Neill landed late points and all the momentum was with Armagh, but Monaghan have been in tight spots before and they did not panic.
While one of the frees he won looked soft, McManus still brilliantly steered over three frees on the trot to wrestle back the initiative.
They will wonder how they were forced to win this game twice, but too often Monaghan carried the ball into traffic in that fourth quarter and were dispossessed.
Armagh always looked for Rian O’Neill on their kickouts but went short a few times late on and it proved to be their undoing as Monaghan ruthlessly exploited every sliver of an opportunity.
Shea Magill was the rookie Armagh goalkeeper who played in the absence of Blaine Hughes and Monaghan pushed up and put pressure on his kickouts in the first quarter. He could do nothing about McManus’ brilliant side shuffle and goal in the second minute, but he was at fault for the second which Jack McCarron – who was on fire in the first half but well held by Armagh sub Aidan Forker in the second – converted.
McCarron was again involved in the third goal which Micheal Bannigan fisted to the net meaning after 15 breathtaking minutes, Monaghan led 3-6 to 0-8.
But if the game began in a frenzy, McManus was coolness personified nailing those late frees, which rescued what looked like a perilous situation as the game had started slipping from their grasp.
He brought them level in the fourth minute of the five allowed minutes of stoppage time, converted another within the next 60 seconds and when Monaghan got possession again from the kickout, O’Hanlon kicked the insurance point in a memorable win.
ARMAGH: S Magill; J Morgan, A McKay (A Forker 29), R Kennedy; C O’Hanlon (C Turbitt HT), G McCabe, C Mackin (R McQuillan 52); N Grimley (C O’Neill HT), O O’Neill; J Hall (T Kelly 50), R O’Neill, J Og Burns; R Grugan, A Murnin, S Campbell
Scorers: R O’Neill 0-6 (4f), C Turbitt 1-1, T Kelly 1-0, O O’Neill, R Grugan (1f) 0-3 each, C O’Hanlon, G McCabe, N Grimley, J Og Burns, A Murnin, S Campbell, C O’Neill, R McQuillan 0-1 each MONAGHAN: R Beggan; K Duffy, C Boyle, R Wylie; K O’Connell (C Walshe 48), K Lavelle (K Hughes 49), R McAnespie; D Hughes (F Kelly 70), N Kearns (A Woods 59); M Bannigan, A Mulligan (S Carey 42), D Ward; C McCarthy (S O’Hanlon 34), J McCarron, C McManus. Scorers: C McManus 1-7 (4f), J McCarron 1-1, M Bannigan, D Hughes 1-0 each, R Beggan (2f), D Ward, S O’Hanlon 0-2 each, N Kearns, C McCarthy, S Carey 0-1 each referee: David Coldrick (Meath)