Somehow, Monaghan overcome the greatest of obstacles

Despite scoring four goals in the opening half, Monaghan were chasing the game in the closing stages

Conor McManus celebrates their Ulster SFC semi-final win over Armagh at Páirc Esler. 

Ulster SFC semi-final

Armagh 2-21 

Monaghan 4-17

When Seamus McEnaney’s phone pinged at 1.30am on Saturday, he knew it could only be the worst of news.

As the rest of the county was waking up to the tragedy that U20s captain Brendan Óg Ó Dufaigh had died in a car accident on his way home from leading the county to an Ulster semi-final win over Donegal, McEnaney was trying to park the devastation and get himself ready, in order to get his team ready, for the day ahead.

Whether Saturday’s Ulster SFC semi-final should have gone ahead or not - and it’s understood the Monaghan players were not involved in that decision - Banty had a job to do and he insisted they didn’t tap into the emotion.

Instead they tried to compartmentalise it.

“We didn’t use what happened as motivation in any shape or form,” claimed McEnaney, who was manager when Ó Dufaigh captained the U18s to the Ulster title in 2018.

“We talked about it and said we would park the emotions and the feelings of last night until after today and we will deal with them this evening.

“Football is very important to me, it is very important to Monaghan but there is devastation now waiting for us when we go back there.

“Football will move on but I’m devastated for his family because they will never be the same again.”

The game itself will go down as a classic. Monaghan scored four first-half goals to lead by eight points yet still found themselves chasing the game with five minutes to go as Armagh stormed back brilliantly in the final quarter. It took some greatness and outstanding nerves from Conor McManus to steer Monaghan into a first Ulster final in six years.

Armagh boss Kieran McGeeney admitted his team had been “naïve” in failing to hold onto possession in those clutch moments after taking the lead. His contract is up with Armagh but he knows that never in his seven years in charge has the team been on such an upward curve and he wants to stay on.

“I’ll always want to be about Armagh. It’s in my blood no matter where I go. It’s been part of who I am for my whole life.

“There is always an end point for everybody but as long as the players want you and the county board, you will definitely sit down and chat about it.

“There is a lot more in us but whether it’s me or someone else they’re a good bunch, they’re going places.”

Monaghan ripped an inexperienced Armagh defence wide open in the first half, Jack McCarron involved in all four goals.

With Blaine Hughes unavailable, rookie goalkeeper Shea Magill was drafted in at short notice and with two of their first-choice fullback line also not starting, Armagh were vulnerable and were ruthlessly exposed by Monaghan who went for the jugular.

There was nothing the defence could do about McManus’ side-step and goal after two minutes but a botched kickout led to McCarron’s second and Micheal Bannigan scored a third at the end of an incredible opening 15 minutes.

Darren Hughes banged home a fourth after 26 minutes and it was only then that the Armagh sideline acted by bringing in Aidan Forker on his return from injury. He completely shut down McCarron and in the fallout, Armagh fans will be wondering why Forker could not have started.

Monaghan led by eight points and at the break by 4-9 to 0-14. They still held that seven-point advantage at the second water break before Armagh stormed back in the final quarter.

Armagh outscored Monaghan 2-4 to 0-1 after the second water break, Conor Turbitt bravely beating Rory Beggan to the punch in the air before another Sub Tiernan Kelly drilled home a second. Armagh took a two-point lead into the last five minutes before Conor McManus stepped up, was fouled three times and converted all three brilliantly Stephen O’Hanlon stuck over the insurance point deep into stoppage time at the end of an incredible game.

“We played exceptionally well early on and when we went two points down after the goal we showed great character,” added McEnaney.

“We hadn’t been in an Ulster final since 2015 and we were hungry today.

“Mansy (McManus) puts them over all day. Cometh the hour cometh the man, who else would you want on the ball when it mattered most.” The elation was shortlived however, as the squad knew they would be returning to a county in mourning.

“My overriding emotion is sadness because it’s devastation,” said McEnaney.

“We also lost our main sponsor Philip Traynor in America. He was our sponsor, a great supporter and one of my best friends. We had a very tough week, very difficult.”

Scorers for Armagh: R O’Neill (0-6, 4f), C Turbitt (1-1), T Kelly (1-0), O O’Neill (0-3), R Grugan (0-3, 1f), C O’Hanlon, G McCabe, N Grimley, J Og Burns, A Murnin, S Campbell, C O’Neill, R McQuillan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Monaghan: C McManus (1-6, 3f, 1m), J McCarron, M Bannigan (1-1 each), D Hughes (1-0), R Beggan (0-2, frees), D Ward, S O’Hanlon (0-2 each), N Kearns, C McCarthy, S Carey (0-1 each).

ARMAGH: S Magill; J Morgan, A McKay, R Kennedy; C O’Hanlon, G McCabe, C Mackin; N Grimley, O O’Neill; J Hall, R O’Neill, J Og Burns; R Grugan, A Murnin, S Campbell.

Subs: A Forker for McKay (29), C Turbitt for O’Hanlon (HT), C O’Neill for Grimley (HT), T Kelly for Hall (50), R McQuillan for Mackin (52).

MONAGHAN: R Beggan; K Duffy, C Boyle, R Wylie; K O’Connell, K Lavelle, R McAnespie; D Hughes, N Kearns; M Bannigan, A Mulligan, D Ward; C McCarthy, J McCarron, C McManus.

Subs: S O’Hanlon for McCarthy (34), S Carey for Mulligan (42), C Walshe for O’Connell (48), K Hughes for Lavelle (49), A Woods for Kearns (59), F Kelly for D Hughes (70).

Referee: David Coldrick (Meath).