Galway confirm Monaghan relegation with routine win on the road

The Farney were unable to give their supporters a performance at Inniskeen to get behind, ahead of the championship.

Karl Gallagher of Monaghan after his side's defeat to Galway at Grattan Park in Inniskeen. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Galway 1-20 Monaghan 2-9 

Down and out. Galway confirmed Monaghan’s relegation as they cruised to an eight-point victory. It was a comfortable day out for the visitors and a miserable one for the hosts.

The home venue of Inniskeen is a well-equipped club ground and a luxury for a county in this sort of predicament. The type of spot where the GAA club is well signposted on surrounding roads. And it should be an utter bear snare for any travelling side.

Monaghan are yet to win a game and came into this tie all but assured of relegation. At a minimum, they needed a sign to show their championship would be different. They have trained recently in this exposed and bare pitch. It may not have a working hooter, but it does have a hurricane of a breeze that should have ensured a strong start.

They were unable to deliver it. Monaghan were miles off. Despite playing with the wind, they were 0-4 to 1-5 down at the break. They kicked one two-pointer from seven attempts. It took 14 minutes for their first score, a two-point free from Jack McCarron. The Scotstown shooter missed another four shots and was taken off at half-time. Micheál Bannigan added two from play in what was otherwise a turgid half.

Galway did what they had to do against that. Their first score was a well-worked move between Shane McGrath and Matthew Tierney. Dylan McHugh tapped over a point and created a brilliant goal for Oisín Mac Donnacha. John Maher made the most of an advantage in the middle to break forward and the support his shoulder was immediate. Mac Donnacha collected at the back post and elected to roof it off the woodwork and into the net.

The Leitir Moir clubman should have had a second before the turnaround. A sloppy cross-field kick by Aaron Carey was picked off and presented Galway with a breakaway. A brave block by Darragh McElearney forced a 45 instead.

On the 40th-minute mark, Monaghan finally found a spark. Cian Hernon was turned over in his own full-back line and Dessie Ward took off dribbling. His finish off the deck was a beauty, right into the top corner.

Galway invested heavily in orange flags as a response. Paul Conroy came off the bench to kick two. Robert Finnerty kicked one from a free and had a ludicrous amount of time to line one up from play immediately after. Eventually, he was pressed. A deft dummy created space for him to go again and the strike was pure.

With the fourth official preparing to signal the four additional minutes, Mícheál McCarville buried a goal to make the scoreline more respectable.

Scorers for Monaghan: D. Ward, M. McCarville 1-0 each; M. Bannigan 0-3; J. McCarron 0-2 (1tpf); S. O’Hanlon 0-2, R. Beggan 0-2 (1 tpf).

Scorers for Galway: R. Finnerty 0-8 (1tpf, 1tp, 2f); P. Conroy 0-4 (2 tp); Mac Donnacha 1-0; M. Tierney 0-3; C. Costello, D. McHugh, S. Kelly, J. Maher, C. D’Arcy 0-1 each.

MONAGHAN: R. Beggan; D. McElearney, R. O’Toole, R. Wylie; C. Dowd, D. Ward, L. Kelly; M. McCarville, K. Gallagher; S. O’Hanlon, M. Bannigan, A. Carey; J. McCarron, A. Woods, D. Garland.

Subs: O. McGorman for McCarron, F. Carolan for Carey, R. Duffy for Kelly (half-time); R. Hanratty for Dowd (55); E. Walsh for Woods (65).

GALWAY: C. Flaherty; J. McGrath, C. Hernon, J. Glynn; L. Silke, D. McHugh, S. Kelly; J. Maher, M. Tierney, S. McGrath, C. Mulhern, C. D’Arcy; R. Finnerty, O. Mac Donnacha, L. Ó Conghaile.

Subs: P. Conroy for Mulhern (43); C. Costello for Mac Donnacha (45); B. Cogger for Ó Conghaile (58); S. Mulkerrin for Silke (62); C. Carson for McGrath (67).

Referee: B. Tiernan (Dublin).