Monaghan spread the load

Monaghan 1-20 Fermanagh 1-11: Monaghan’s support cast showed an eagerness to play a leading role in this year’s Ulster championship, with 13 different scorers in Saturday night’s win over Fermanagh an encouraging sign for the summer ahead.

This preliminary-round tie ended in near darkness at Clones, the absence of floodlighting at St Tiernach’s Park surely becoming a pressing issue, especially with the ‘Super 8s’ soon coming to town, but there was light on the horizon for Malachy O’Rourke’s side.

No longer can they be labelled as a one-man show. Yes, Conor McManus still top-scored with 1-3, but others have joined him on the big stage. They had points of attack from everywhere. Colin Walshe kicked two nice first-half points, when the game was at its most competitive, while Conor McCarthy and Jack McCarron picked off points of memorable quality.