Monaghan too strong for Antrim

Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Quarter-Final:
Monaghan 0-11 Antrim 0-6

Despite playing the last 30 minutes with 14 men, Monaghan comfortably overcame Antrim’s challenge in a sun drenched Casement Park on Sunday.

Monaghan kicked 17 wides on the day and had Neil McAdam sent off in the second half, but they always had too much class for an Antrim side that went 35 minutes without scoring at one stage.

Monaghan led by 0-5 to 0-4 at the break having been four clear at one stage when Owen Duffy found the target and Conor McManus clipped over his second score of the game. However, two well-taken scores from Seán McVeigh reduced the gap, and when Kevin Niblock knocked over a free after a foul on Paddy Cunningham, there was the minimum in it at the break.

Antrim were level at the start of the second half when Cunningham found his range from a free, but Monaghan were back ahead quickly when Dessie Mone hit the target after neat interplay with Paul Finlay.

McAdam was then sent off, but being a man down hardly broke Monaghan’s rhythm, as they added further scores from Christopher McGuinness and McManus (two) to move four clear.

Tommy Freeman marked his return to competitive action with a fine score when coming off the bench and then McGuinness slotted over his second score after good work by Drew Wylie.

Antrim rounded off the scoring when Michael Pollock ended a barren spell that lasted 35 minutes by knocking over a close-range free, but Monaghan had already done more than enough to seal their place in the Ulster semi-final against Cavan or Fermanagh on June 29.

Monaghan: R Beggan; D Mone (0-1), F Kelly, C Walshe; V Corey, N McAdam, K Duffy; O Lennon (Capt.), D Hughes (0-1); P Finlay (0-1f), D Clerkin, O Duffy (0-1); C McGuinness (0-2), K Hughes, C McManus (0-4, 3f). Subs: S Gollogly for Clerkin (41 mins), D Wylie for Kelly (44), T Freeman (0-1) for O Duffy (48), J McCarron for Finlay (63), P Donaghy for K Hughes (71).

Antrim: C Kerr; K O’Boyle (Capt.), R Johnston, A McClean; S Kelly, J Crozier, P McBride; S McVeigh, M Johnston; A Healey, K Niblock (0-2, 1f), M Sweeney; P Cunningham (0-1f), M Pollock (0-1f), B Herron. Subs: C Murray for Herron (29), M Herron for Niblock (inj., H-T), R Murray for Cunningham (52), J Carron for McClean (56), P Doherty for M Johnston (64).

Referee: D Gough (Meath).

Report: gaa.ie