Rookie propels Galway to vital victory over Monaghan

IMPORTANT WIN: Monaghan’s Ciaran McNulty and Daniel O’Flaherty of Galway. Pic:©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Allianz National Football League

Division 1

Galway 3-12 Monaghan 0-14

Three first-half goals including one from rookie Rory Cunningham propelled Galway to a vital Division 1 win in Clones, boosting their survival hopes.

Cunningham, making his full league debut, struck 1-3 for the 2022 All-Ireland finalists while Cathal Sweeney and John Maher also registered vital majors.

Boss Padraic Joyce will have targeted this as a must win game given that the Tribesmen, who now have five points on the board, will conclude their campaign with ties against Dublin and Kerry.

Cillian O Curraoin added some punch to Galway's attack when he came on and struck 0-5. Between himself and Cunningham they offset the losses of former All-Stars Damien Comer and Shane Walsh in attack. Cillian McDaid, Liam Silke and Paul Conroy didn't feature either.

Monaghan's fourth defeat on the trot is a big blow for them and with ties against Tyrone, away, and Mayo, at home, to come, it will take another end of campaign miracle to keep them in the top flight for an 11th season.

Farney fans did at least get to cheer the seasonal returns of Conor McManus and All-Star wing-back Conor McCarthy, the latter scoring two points.

The tie was a repeat of the 2021 relegation play-off which Monaghan eventually won after extra-time at the same venue.

The stakes were almost as high again with both teams knowing that another defeat would leave them likely to drop into Division 2 for 2025.

Monaghan needed the win most as they were rock bottom on two points with Galway one ahead of them.

Monaghan were also coming into the game short on momentum after three defeats in a row to Kerry, Derry and Roscommon.

All the positive vibes from their opening round win over Dublin seemed to have subsided as they battled again without key figures like goalkeeper Rory Beggan who was busy preparing for his shot at earning an AFL contract.

McCarthy, McManus, Ryan McAnespie and Stephen O'Hanlon didn't start either though the first three were at least available as subs and McCarthy and McManus came on in the second-half.

Galway were even more depleted with arguably their four best players unavailable - 2022 All-Stars Comer, Walsh, McDaid and Silke.

It was neck and neck initially and the sides were level three times before Jack McCarron nudged Monaghan 0-4 to 0-3 clear after 26 minutes.

Truth be told, the misses were more memorable than the scores with Monaghan hitting the woodwork three times in the first-half and dropping two more point attempts short.

They were costly errors and Galway punished them with three goals between the 27th minute and half-time.

All three came from high balls into the danger area that Monaghan didn't deal with.

Sweeney scored the first when Dylan McHugh's high ball broke kindly to him though he still had to improvise with a tidy left footed finish in a crowded area.

Four minutes later, Rob Finnerty's attempt for a free struck the woodwork and fell to Cunningham who rifled to the roof of the net.

Cunningham added a point and Galway now held a commanding 2-4 to 0-4 lead.

It got even better just before half-time when Johnny Heaney's delivery from a sideline ball beneath the main stand was contested by the goalkeeper and Cein Darcy, spilling loose for Maher to kick to the net.

Galway led 3-4 to 0-7 at half-time and, realistically, Monaghan were going to need something special to rescue a result.

They restarted with a little more gusto and picked off points from Micheal Bannigan, Dessie Ward and substitute McCarthy.

But they needed at least one goal and it never arrived as Galway found a strong performer in substitute O Curraoin.

Monaghan, trailing by nine points at the hour mark, 3-10 to 0-10, threw the kitchen sink at it late on but the closest they came to a goal was a McCarthy shot that was well saved by Conor Gleeson.

Scorers for Galway: R Cunningham (1-3); C O Curraoin (0-5, 4 frees, 1 mark); C Sweeney, J Maher (1-0 each); R Finnerty (0-2, 2 frees); J Daly, S Kelly (0-1 each).

Scorers for Monaghan: J McCarron (0-4, 1 free, 1 mark); M Hamill, D Ward, M Bannigan (1 mark), C McCarthy (0-2 each); C McManus (1 free), R O'Toole (0-1 each).

GALWAY: C Gleeson; S Mulkerrin, J McGrath, S Fitzgerald; D McHugh, J Daly, D O'Flaherty; J Maher, C Darcy; J Heaney, S Kelly, C Sweeney; R Finnerty, N Daly, R Cunningham.

Subs: J Glynn for Mulkerrin (27); L O Conghaile for Finnerty (h/t); C O Curraoin for Darcy (48); K Molloy for Heaney (50); P Egan for Sweeney (66) 

MONAGHAN: D McDonnell; T McPhillips, K Duffy, R Wylie; R O'Toole, K Lavelle, K O'Connell; M McCarville, D Hughes; D Ward, M Bannigan, M Hamill; C McNulty, J McCarron, A Woods.

Subs: C McCarthy for Woods (46); C McManus for McNulty (50); D Garland for O'Connell (55); J Irwin for Bannigan (64); K Loughran for Ward (66).

Ref: B Cassidy (Derry).