Monaghan crash out of Championship

Offaly 1-18 Monaghan 1-10

Offaly can always be counted to spring a surprise and their footballers did that at O’Connor Park in Tullamore when sending a fancied Monaghan side crashing out of the Championship.

It was a fully deserved victory for Tom Cribbin’s men who led throughout having taken the decision to play with the elements in the opening half.

But while Niall McNamee found the net for the home side, a goal from Monaghan’s Christopher McGuinness meant that the Oriel men trailed by just two points at the interval.

And with wind advantage in the second-half, the large Monaghan following were confident that they would push on and secure a place in the phase of the qualifiers.

But it was Offaly who remained in control of the game and deservedly advanced to the next round, heaping further misery on a Monaghan side who were relegated from the top flight in the league this year.

Richard Dalton gave Offaly dominance in midfield as they raced into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead after 20 minutes before McGuinness gave steel to a Monaghan comeback when he finished to the net after a good passing movement.

By that stage Monaghan looked a team in disarray but the goal revived them.

With their tails up Monaghan began to attack from all angles. Owen Duffy reduced the deficit to one point with a great score off the outside of his boot, and after Dalton landed his third point for Offaly, Duffy repeated the act with a great point form an acute angle.

But not to be outdone, his fellow wing-back Neil McAdam charged forward and after finding acres of space he drew Monaghan level four minutes from the break.

However, Offaly had played all of the best football and two points in first-half injury time from Stephen Lonergan and the evergreen McManus gave them a 1-8 to 1-6 lead at the break.

After the substitution of Clerkin at half-time, things didn’t get much better for the Ulster side after the restart as two quick wides from Darren Hughes and Finlay failed to reduce the two-point deficit.

It got worse four minutes into the half when McNamee pointed on the turn after an arrowed pass from Niall Darby found its target.

McManus, who gave a stellar performance at centre-forward, kicked two quick frees – the first from 50 metres – to push the home side’s lead out to five points.

With their opponents on the rack, Offaly refused to relent and McNamee fired another point, which was quickly followed by a Niall Darby score to make it 1-13 to 1-6 in the 45th minute.

McManus responded with a free for Monaghan midway through the second, but McNamee’s third point of the half brought the Offaly lead back to seven points.

Ciaran Hanratty pointed for Monaghan on his return after a long injury lay-off, but as time ran out Offaly tagged on three further scores to advance to the next round.

OFFALY: A Mulhall; B Darby, J Quinn, S Pender; N Darby (0-1), S Brady, S Lonergan (0-2); R Dalton (0-3), N Smith; R Brady (0-1f), C McManus (0-4, 0-3fs), K Slattery; B Allen (0-1), K Casey (0-1), N McNamee (1-4).

Subs: P Bracken for Casey, 51; S Ryan for Slattery, 63; D Egan (0-1) for Allen, 63;

MONAGHAN: M Keogh; C Galligan, D Morgan, K Duffy; O Duffy (0-2), N McAdam (0-2), D Hughes; O Lennon, D Clerkin; D McKenna, B O’Brien (0-1), M Downey; C McGuinness (1-0), P Finaly (0-2fs), C McManus (0-2, 0-1f).

Subs: C Hughes for Clerkin, half-time; C Hanratty (0-1) for McKenna, 53; v Corey for Downey, 64; B McKenna for McGuinnes, 64;

Referee: Syl Doyle (Wexford).