Late goal salvo sees Cavan scuttle Monaghan in Ulster SFC preliminary clash

Before just 8,324, Gerard Smith and Paddy Lynch both pierced fragmented Monaghan cover for a third success championship win over their neighbours.

An exciting second half saw Monaghan trail to a Pádraig Faulkner goal on 60 minutes but then recover to level through a Michael Hamill goal on 67 minutes before they went ahead from a Joel Wilson mark and a Rory Beggan point from play.

Beggan was back as Monaghan goalkeeper after his six weeks in the US trialling to be an NFL kicker and he was involved often throughout, setting up at least five scores.

But he was picking the ball out of his net for a second time six minutes into 10 minutes of added time when Gerard Smith combined with substitute Cormac O’Reilly to crash home from close range for a 2-11 to 0-12 lead.

With Beggan pushing up, Ciarán Brady stripped Wilson of possession as time elapsed and with a quickly taken free found Lynch over the top and the finish from distance to an empty net was sublime.

Beggan had been involved early and with a deft pass he teed up a goal chance for Kevin Loughran, via Conor McCarthy’ shot off an upright, which brought a fine double save, first from Beggan’s opposite number Gary O’Rourke and then full-back Killian Brady after eight minutes as Cavan scrambled to the relative safety of Beggan standing over a 45 which he nailed with consummate ease.

Beggan had plenty of involvement but Monaghan could not make any real headway as Brady, tracking Jack McCarron, and Cian Reilly won important one-to one battles in defence.

They did get three points clear at one stage as Conor McManus and McCarron got free before Monaghan went in 0-7 to 0-5 ahead at the break.

Into the wind, Lynch’s freetaking was immaculate, five from five, eight from eight overall, as he landed from a variety of angles and distances, including a 45 after Beggan saved well from him after a superb pass from Cian Madden had put Lynch in straight after that Monaghan goal chance at the other end.

There was a significant seven-minute delay in the third quarter when Darren Hughes was involved in a collision that he came out of second best, resulting in his removal with what looked like a serious leg injury. Cavan midfielder James Smith also came off as a consequence of the collision.

Monaghan looked to have steadied, even after the Faulkner goal, with Karl O’Connell giving a defensive tour de force.

But they were side open for the Smith goal and into the wind, a second comeback was always likely.

Scorers – Cavan: P Lynch 1-9 (7fs, 1 45) , G Smith 1-1, P Faulkner 1-0, O Brady, B O’Connell 0-1 each. Monaghan: M Hamill 1-0, R Beggan (1 45, 1f), C McManus (2fs) 0-3 each, J McCarron 0-2 (1f), K O’Connell, D Garland, S Jones (m), J Wilson (m) all 0-1 each.

Cavan: G O’Rourke; B O’Connell, K Brady, C Reilly; P Faulkner, N Carolan, Conor Brady; J Smith, O Kiernan (Denn); Ciaran Brady, G Smith, O Kiernan (Castlerahan); C Madden, P Lynch, O Br51), T Madden for Kiernan (Denn), C O’Reilly for C Madden (65), R Donohoe for O Brady (70+8).

Monaghan: R Beggan; R O’Toole, K Duffy, R Wylie; K O’Connell, K Lavelle, C McCarthy; G Mohan, D Hughes; C McNulty, J Irwin, K Loughran; D Garland, J McCarron, C McManus. Subs: M Hamill for Irwin (h-t), J Wilson for Hughes (42), S Jones for Garland (52), M Bannigan for McCarron (65).

Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).