Electric Ireland Ulster Minor Football Championship Round One
Monaghan 3-14 Antrim 1-10
The start of this game in Iniskeen was delayed for 45 minutes after the Antrim bus got stuck under a bridge in the village with the Antrim players having to be relayed by car to the ground.
It failed to unsettle the young Saffrons however when play got underway as they set about putting an early stamp on proceedings.
Antrim took the game to a Monaghan team, who had defeated them earlier in the league by 12 points at Dunsilly and raced into a 0-6 to 0-2 early in the game and their ability to overturn the Monaghan attack and hit on the counter suggested that a major upset was on the cards.
The Antrim defence at this point was dealing with everything the ‘Farney’ could throw at them but an excellent 2 pointer from Cillian McKenna seemed to settle the home side and they gradually began to eat into the Antrim lead.
Roger Casements’ duo Dara Campbell and Tom Convery had dominated at midfield for much of the game, the latter striking a superb 45 and a two-point free early on, while Joey Griffin palmed home their goal, the smallest man on the pitch rising highest to pull it back to 2-9 to 1-8 at one stage in the second half.
The Monaghan defence, led by full-back Darragh Feeney finally got to grips with a lively Antrim attack and he got forward for an excellent point in the first half as the momentum of the game started to change.
Adam Borsje had the home crowd on their feet with a superb individual goal as he placed his shot in the corner of the Antrim net and another from Mickey Dooher-Burke finally killed the game off.
Malachy Treanor had lashed home Monaghan’s second goal just moments beforehand and the hosts emptied their bench with Mantas Palauskas making an instant impact to point, and Caoilte Kelly following with a two-pointer.
Despite this defeat there was much to be positive about in this Antrim performance with Niall Quinn excellent in goals and his kick-outs were pin point at times, while the St Ergnat’s Moneyglass man also made an excellent save to deny Noah Hughes.
Darragh Feeney, Cillian McKenna Malachy Treanor, Adam Botsje and Noah Hughes were excellent in a Monaghan team with an Ulster league title behind them and they will now fancy their chances to complete a league and championship double.
Antrim have struggled at times this season but their performance in Iniskeen suggest that they didn’t quite fulfil their obvious potential and in Niall Quinn, Tom Convery, Daire Thornbury, Sean McCormack Darra Campbell and Joe Griffin they have players who look to have a bright future.
Monaghan: R Quigley; C Farrelly, D Feeney 0-1, N Fanthorpe (C); M Doogan-Burke 1-1, A Lawless, M Treanor 1-0; J O’Loan, P Gilmartin; C McKenna 0-3 (tp), A Borsje 1-0, P Brady; A McGinnity 0-4 (3f), S McKenna, N Hughes
Subs used: C MacCionnaith 0-1 for A Lawless (inj), C McCluskey for P Brady (38), C Kelly 0-3 (tp) for J O’Loan (45), M Palauskas 0-1 for M Treanor (50), G Collins for S Mac Cinna (56)
Antrim: N Quinn; C McKenna, B O’Donnell, C McArt; S McCormack 0-1, T Douthart, C Wilson; D Campbell 0-4 (4f), T Convery 0-3 (45, tpf); A O’Hanlon, J Higgins, J Griffin 1-0; T Lee, S McFerran, D Thornbury 0-1.
Subs used: C McKeever 0-1 for T Lee (HT), S McMullan for A O’Hanlon (40), S McLernon for D Thornbury (45’), N Burns for J Higgins (53), S McPeake for B O’Donnell (58).
Referee: M Turley (Down)