Monaghan off the mark

Monaghan's hurlers beat the South Down selection 2-10 to 3-03 at Clones this afternoon to record their first win of the 2008 NHL Division 4.

The visitors, whose squad is made up of non-Ards players, trailed by 2-05 to 1-03 at half-time and were far more clinical with their scoring opportunities than Monaghan who hit 14 wides in all.

The Farney men were 0-03 to 0-00 to the good after six minutes' play with Michael Greaney (free and from play) and Pat O'Connell (free) both on target.

It took South Down another six minutes to raise their first white flag and that was through a 60-metre free from John Murphy.

Monaghan goaled soon after when Michael Dolan played in Brian McGuigan but South Down nabbed a goal of their own in the 22nd-minute when Murphy dangled a free in towards the square and Jonathan McCusker directed it into the net.

Monaghan managed to score another goal just before the break. South Down goalkeeper Gary McMullan saved Greaney's initial shot, however Jim Lacey was on hand to bat home the rebound.

The third quarter was rather listless with only two scores - a point from Monaghan's Greaney and a goal for South Down by Eoin McGuinness, whose effort cut the gap to just three points.

Monaghan rallied with three points in a row from Eanna MacSuibhne, substitute Conor McGinnity and Greaney (free).

South Down almost had another goal through McCusker but they were reduced to 14 men when Kieran Sloan gained a second yellow card for a wild pull on Pat O'Connell.

Frank Brady's Monaghan side had to battle right to the finish to see out the win however, as an injury-time goal from McCusker kept the pressure on for South Down.

Greaney, who scored 0-05 in all, tapped over the clinching point for Monaghan who have a bye next time out on March 9.

In this weekend's other Division 4 game, Fermanagh beat their Ulster compatriots Cavan by 1-14 to 1-09 at Ballyconnell.

Meanwhile, in Division 3, a late goal from Cormac McHugh handed Tyrone the spoils in a hard-fought 1-20 to 3-10 win over Sligo at Markievicz Park.

McHugh top-scored for the visitors with 1-03 while Sligo kept the pressure on right to the end with goals from Keith Raymond, Johnny Mullins and Conor O'Mahoney.

Following up on last week's dismissal of Tyrone, Donegal made it two wins on the trot by outlasting Louth at Letterkenny. Free-scoring wing forward Kevin Campbell was a central figure in the 1-20 to 3-08 success.