Monaghan 1-21 Fermanagh 0-14

Fermanagh’s Anglo Celt ambitions were ended for another year in Clones on Saturday as Ryan McMenamin’s side were brushed aside by a very effective Monaghan outfit, ten points separating the teams at the finish.

The Farney’s pace and power added to their greater efficiency, and proved too much for Fermanagh who struggled at times to deal with the weight of numbers that the home side committed to attack as they had players breaking forward from deep positions.

Jack McCarron’s goal midway through the first half was evidence of this as corner back Kieran Duffy joined the attack on the right wing to burst through on goal, and although his effort was superbly saved by Sean McNally in the Fermanagh goal, McCarron got to the rebound to punch to the back of the Erne net.

That opened up a five-point cushion for Monaghan and they never looked back after it as they went in at the interval with a seven-point advantage, 1-11 to 0-07.

Fermanagh kep battling hard and did create chances, but they lacked the clinical quality of the Farney, and Monaghan’s win never looked in doubt as they held Fermanagh at arm’s length throughout the second half to set up a semi-final encounter against Armagh.

With no back door, this defeat concluded a shortened season for Fermanagh, and while there have been positives to take from the league campaign as they secured their status in Division Three with a youthful and new-look squad, the loss on Saturday shows that there is a lot of work still to be done.

Fermanagh boss McMenamin made three changes to the team that started in the league semi-final defeat to Offaly, with Declan McCusker, Cian McManus and Ultan Kelm coming in for Aidan Breen, Danny Leonard and Tiarnan Bogue.

He would have been reasonably satisfied with the start that his side made to the contest as they settled in quickly, but they failed to make this tell on the scoreboard as a couple of early efforts failed to find the target.

Instead, it was Monaghan who opened the scoring through the lively Aaron Mulligan, although Sean Quigley replied moments later as he held off Conor Boyle before clipping over with the left.

Conor McManus, who was well marshalled on the whole by Johnny Cassidy, edged Monaghan back ahead with a high-lofted, and when McManus and McCarron then tagged on frees it pushed Monaghan into a 0-04 to 0-01 lead.

Advantage

Fermanagh did answer with a point from full back Cassidy, who was found in space by James McMahon, but this was followed by the key score of the half as McCarron punched to the net to put Monaghan into a 1-04 to 0-02 advantage.

Fermanagh were happy to concede the Monaghan kick-outs as they retreated back into their own 45, but despite having numbers back, Fermanagh found it hard to deal with Monaghan’s runners from deep as they continually created an overlap.

Quigley and McGurn did rattle over points for Fermanagh, but Monaghan centre back Dessie Ward pushed forward to fire over a score before McCarron converted a free and the forceful Michael Bannigan blasted over after the home side had cut through on the right hand side.

Quigley hit back with another free before Fermanagh then briefly looked to be in on goal as Eoin Donnelly, who drifted into full forward for spells to good effect, shrugged off Killian Lavelle before laying off to Kelm, but Darren Hughes made a crucial challenge to dislodge the ball and Rory Beggan cleared.

Fermanagh felt though that the goalkeeper lifted the ball off the ground outside his small box, but referee Barry Cassidy, who also turned down a strong penalty appeal in the second half, allowed play to continue.

Monaghan did suffer a blow as they lost midfielder Hughes to injury, but it did not knock them out of their stride as they accounted for four of the next five points to move into an eight-point advantage.

Conor McCarthy, Mulligan, Ryan Wylie and Bannigan accounted for the Farney scores during this spell, while Josh Largo Elis – who was one of Fermanagh’s better performers on the day – fired over a super score at the other end.

Quigley registered the last score of the half from a free while the Roslea man also attempted an audacious lob when he spotted Beggan off his line from the middle of the park, but he did not get enough on it as Monaghan led 1-11 to 0-07 at the break.

Fermanagh felt that they had a strong shout for a penalty early in the second half as Declan McCusker’s long ball found Donnelly, but he was pulled back as he turned Lavelle, and Fermanagh argued that this prevented a potential goal-scoring opportunity but Cassidy awarded a free that was converted by Quigley.

Niall Kearns, Mulligan and Karl O’Connell all landed points though for Monaghan, who led 1-14 to 0-08 by the 54th minute.

Fermanagh pushed up more on the Monaghan kick-outs in the second half and did get their hands on more ball as a result, but Monaghan were always in control of matters.

Aidan Breen, who made a positive impact after coming off the bench in the first half, rattled over a point while Donnelly saw his goal-bound shot brilliantly blocked at full stretch by O’Connell before Quigley drilled over the resultant 45.

Indeed, it was three in a row for Fermanagh as Kelm rifled over to leave six between the sides, 1-14 to 0-11.

Monaghan responded with points from a McManus free and a Colin Walshe mark, and it was just a case of seeing the game out for them in the final quarter.

Fermanagh continued to work hard – with Luke Flanagan and Kane Connor impressing in the full back line – and Breen notched his second before James McMahon cut through the Farney rearguard and laid off to Largo Elis, but he was smothered as he got the shot away, and his effort was blocked.

Monaghan rattled off four points in the next four minutes as McManus, who sustained a late worrying injury, pointed a mark while Walshe, Lavelle and Boyle landed points from play.

Ciaran Corrigan and Quigley hit consolation scores for Fermanagh late on before Beggan 45 rounded off the scoring to leave it 1-21 to 0-14 at the final whistle.

FERMANAGH: S McNally; K Connor, J Cassidy (0-01), L Flanagan; D McCusker, J McMahon, K McDonnell; S McGullion, E Donnelly; C Corrigan (0-01), C McManus, J Largo-Ellis (0-01); U Kelm (0-01), D McGurn (0-01), S Quigley (0-07, 5f, 1’45).

Subs: A Breen (0-02) for McDonnell (26m), R O’Callaghan for McGurn (42m), S Cassidy for McManus (59m), T Bogue for McMahon (65m), M McCauley for McGullion (65m).

MONAGHAN: R Beggan (0-01, 1’45); K Duffy, C Boyle (0-01), R Wylie (0-01); K O’Connell (0-01), D Ward (0-01), R McAnespie; D Hughes, K Lavelle (0-01); S O’Hanlon, C McCarthy (0-01, 1m), M Bannigan (0-02); A Mulligan (0-03), J McCarron (1-02, 2f), C McManus (0-04, 2, f, 1m)

Subs: N Kearns for D Hughes (33m), C Walshe for McCarron (51m), S Carey for O’Hanlon (56m), K Hughes for McCarthy (63m), F Kelly for O’Connell (68m), K McMenamin for Lavelle (77m).