Senior County Hurling

Courtesy of Monaghan County GAA website - monaghan.gaa.ie

14/04/2008

Allianz National Hurling League Division 4 Final

Monaghan 1-27 South Down 5-14 (AET) 13/4/08

Monaghan won the NHL Division 4 title with a one point win over South Down after an absolutely absorbing ninety minutes of hurling in Kingspan Breffni Park on Sunday last. The game had just about everything as it twisted and turned right up until the final whistle when Stephen Lambe hit his 14th point and the 47th score of the game to give Monaghan a deserved victory. Lambe, Pat O’Connell, Michael Greaney and Jim McHugh played central roles for Monaghan while Aidan Brown, Daniel Doran and Daniel McCusker were on form for a gallant South Down.

South Down got off to a flying start, racing into a five point lead by the third minute. John and Aidan Brown hit a point each before Aidan Brown kicked home a goal from close range after a goalmouth scramble. Monaghan responded strongly though with 1-3 without reply to lead by a point after ten minutes. Brian McGuigan got them on their way, Arthur Hughes added a good point, Michael Greaney fired home the goal after a one-two with Michael Dolan and Pat O’Connell hit a brilliant point from play from just inside his own half. John Murphy levelled with a well-taken point but Stephen Lambe tapped over a twenty metre free for a foul on Dolan and followed it up with a great point at the end of a strong run to put Monaghan two up. Dolan and McGuigan hit a point apiece to double the lead to four but a Daniel Doran point and an Eoin Magennis goal after a long ball in by Daniel McCusker brought South Down back on level terms. Two frees by Lambe, a fine point by Greaney and an 80 metre free by O’Connell put Monaghan back in the driving seat. Aidan Brown and Lambe exchanged points from play before Monaghan keeper Michael McHugh saved well from Magennis. Murphy was on target from the resulting ’65 but Lambe quickly cancelled it out with a 40 metre free. South Down were then awarded a penalty for a foul on Magennis but Monaghan full-back Jim McHugh brilliantly blocked Jonathan McCusker’s goal-bound effort as well as the follow-up by Magennis. Murphy again split the posts from the ’65 but a Greaney point kept Monaghan four ahead at the end of an action-packed first half, 1-14 to 2-7. Frank Brady’s men had a chance of a goal less than a minute after the restart but Down keeper Damien Kearns made a double save to deny Dolan and Greaney before Éanna MacSuibhne tapped the rebound over the bar. South Down were gradually getting back into it though with points by Doran, John Brown (free) and Jonathan McCusker to reduce the gap to just two. Again Monaghan replied though as Lambe got on the end of a long free by O’Connell to point before converting two frees, both after he had been fouled. Monaghan still led by five with just three minutes of normal time remaining but the drama was far from finished as Daniel McCusker hit a point from a long-range free and Doran added a point from play to leave just one score between them.
In the fifth minute of added time, South Down drew level when a twenty metre free by John Brown somehow found its way to the bottom corner of the Monaghan net and Magennis edged the Mourne men in front with a point. It looked to be all over but McGuigan won a free 40 metres out and Lambe brought his tally into double figures to make it Monaghan 1-19 South Down 3-13 and force extra time. Monaghan dominated the first half of extra time as points from play by Lambe and Greaney (two) followed by another free by Lambe for a foul on O’Connell pushed them into a 1-23 to 3-13 lead. Any hopes Monaghan had of easing home were quickly wiped out though when Aidan Brown tapped in his second goal from a long centre by James McGrath to once again leave the minimum between the teams. Dolan hit two points in the space of a minute to increase the gap to three and although John Brown replied with a free, Lambe hit an excellent point after good work by Jim McHugh and O’Connell. There was still more to come as Magennis lashed home a well-finished goal after catching a high ball by John Brown and South Down could have had a sixth goal in the first minute of injury time when Jonathan McCusker found room in front of goal but Michael McHugh saved well. There was time for one more attack and it produced a free for Monaghan when McGuigan was fouled 25 metres out. Lambe again made no mistake with the last puck of the game, a fitting winner from the game’s outstanding performer. GAA President Nickey Brennan was in attendance and he made the presentation of the Division 4 trophy to Monaghan’s David Connolly and Arthur Hughes.

Monaghan: M McHugh, A Kerr, J McHugh, P Murphy, D Crowe, P O’Connell (0-2, 1f), G Coleman, D Connolly (Capt.), B Phelan, S Lambe (0-14, 9f), A Hughes (0-1), É MacSuibhne (0-1), M Greaney (1-4), M Doran (0-3), B McGuigan (0-2).

Subs: P Dowdall for Kerr (40 mins), N Meaney for MacSuibhne (44), K Boylan for Meaney (67). Blood-Subs: P Dowdall for Crowe (19-26), R Healy for Dolan (70-73).

South Down: D Kearns, N Conway, B McAleenan, P McCusker, J McGrath, D McCusker (0-1f), A Higgins, D Doran (0-3), J Murphy (0-3, 2 ‘65s), K Maxwell, C O’Neill, J Brown (1-3, 1-2f), A Brown (2-2), E Magennis (2-1), J McCusker (0-1).

Subs: T Jennings for O’Neill (19), J O’Kane for Jennings (79), D McGovern for Maxwell (80).

Referee: J Devlin (Tyrone).

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