Cavan beat Monaghan by one goal in pulsating game

Cavan 1-13 Monaghan 0-13

Neighbours Cavan and Monaghan generally produce a battle and they didn’t disappoint in a pulsating contest which produced three red cards and plenty of fine scores at Kingspan Breffni Park. Cavan, powered by Gearóid McKiernan and Killian Clarke, raced into a 0-9 to 0-2 lead, with McKiernan kicking three points from play and Dara McVeety, Chris Conroy and Mark McKeever also landing spectacular scores.

Stephen Gollogly was the pick of the Monaghan side but Cavan were dominant as they led 0-12 to 0-5 at half-time. Two points from Paul Finlay dragged Monaghan closer but he was later dismissed after an off the ball incident from which McKiernan and Drew Wylie also saw red. By then, Cavan were hanging tough thanks mainly to a lobbed goal from the otherwise-quiet Martin Dunne. Having lost Niall McDermott to a second yellow and Damien O’Reilly to a black, Cavan faded late on. Monaghan kicked good scores through Paul Meegan and Ryan McAnespie but ran out of time as the hosts held on.