O’Rourke relieved as Monaghan motor on but brave Carlow light up summer

Monaghan got the fright of their football lives at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday as a hugely motivated Carlow side brought the Farney to the very limit in an absorbing All-Ireland Round 3B Qualifier which provided one of highlights of the summer.

Watched by an attendance of 6,124 in perfect weather conditions, Monaghan struggled for an hour against their Division 4 opponents – opponents fuelled by wonderful home support which provided them with a 16th man element.

With the game having swung to and fro for an hour, the experience of playing at the highest level eventually told for the men from Kavanagh country and, in a dominant final 10 minutes, they put the game to bed, the crucial score being a 65th-minute goal from right-corner-back Fintan Kelly.