Monaghan secure long-awaited win against Down

Down 1-15 Monaghan 2-15

Monaghan staged a sensational finish at Páirc Esler today to send Down crashing out of the Ulster SFC.

Two goals from 20-year-old Ciaran Hanratty and a volley of late points from Paul Finlay gave the Farney county their first win over Down since 1998, the season in which they won their last Ulster title.

Tommy Freeman, from a free, Shane Smith and Stephen Gollogly, were all on target in Monaghan’s impressive opening burst.

But Down got in for a Packie Downey goal in the ninth minute, and they went ahead seconds later through James McGovern.

It was Monaghan who continued to look the more creative and potent force, and they went back in front with a sublime goal on 23 minutes, Hanratty rifling a thunderous angled shot to the roof of the net.

It was Down who sneaked ahead with a couple of McGovern frees to take a 1-7 to 1-6 lead into the interval.

Aidan Carr stroked over a couple of long range frees, with subs Michael Walsh and Paul McComiskey also on target as Down began to prosper from Dan Gordon’s midfield efforts.

But they could not shake the hungry Monaghan men, who kept in touch through Finlay, Conor McManus and Freeman, whose scoring touch had returned with a vengeance and rewarded him with four second half points.

Down led by two with six minutes to play, but with Gary McQuaid driving them forward from the back, Monaghan believed.

Substitute Rory Woods gathered possession wide on the right, fed Finlay, and his pass inside sent Hanratty in for another deadly finish past Mickey McVeigh.

Finlay was irresistible in the closing stages, firing over a long range free and posting two gems from play to close out the win.

Down: M McVeigh, J Clarke, D Rooney, K McGuigan, R Murtagh, B Grant, M Cole, D Gordon (0-1), P Murphy (0-2), J McGovern (0-4, 3 frees), A Carr (0-4, 3 frees, 1 ‘45’), R Sexton, D Hughes, P Downey (1-0), B Coulter.

Subs: M Walsh (0-2) for Downey, P McComiskey (0-1) for McGovern, S Kearney (0-1) for Sexton.

Monaghan: S Duffy, C Flanagan, G McQuaid, D Morgan, D Mone, V Corey, B McKenna, E Lennon, P Finlay (0-5, 1 free), D Clerkin, S Gollogly (0-2), D Freeman, C Hanratty (2-1), S Smith (0-1), T Freeman (0-5, 3 frees).

Subs: JP Mone for D Mone, R Woods for Smith, C McManus (0-1) for Clerkin, D Mone for Gollogly, P Meegan for McKenna.

Referee: M Deegan (Laois)