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Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Monaghan march past Down to secure All-Ireland SFC quarter-final spot
All-Ireland SFC, Group 3, Round 3 Monaghan 2-27 Down 1-26 Jack McCarron's half-time introduction had a huge impact as Monaghan edged a classic encounter in Armagh to finish top of Group 3, securing an All-Ireland SFC quarter-final place. In what was a shoot-out for top spot between the two sides with perfect records in the group, Tailteann Cup holders Down led by four points with 20 minutes to go. But Monaghan, All-Ireland SFC semi-finalists just two seasons ago, showed all their big game experience to turn things around and lead by four points themselves at full-time. McCarron's 50th minute goal really got them going and the hugely experienced forward added another two-pointer and a single to take his tally to 1-3 as the Farney squeezed Down out. Boss Gabriel Bannigan may be a little alarmed at just how many scoring opportunities they coughed up to a livewire Down side who picked off 1-26. Read More Louth edge winner-takes-all thriller against Clare to stay in Championship But with a dozen different scorers, and tonnes of experience in this Monaghan team, he will still believe that they can go deep into the All-Ireland series as they excel under the new rules. All is not lost for Conor Laverty's Down as they will still advance to an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final next weekend as runners up in Group 3. Pat Havern hit a dozen points for the 2010 finalists but they will rue a couple of late missed opportunities as they fought desperately to reel Monaghan in. Both sides had been putting up big scores in the group stage so an open, attacking game was always anticipated and we weren't let down. The first-half alone yielded a combined 2-29 with Down edging it by 1-15 to 1-14. Monaghan edged the two-point count in that half, four to three, with goalkeeper Rory Beggan drilling two long-range frees. Conor McCarthy and Michael McCarville curled over two beauties as well though the Farney's early 0-6 to 0-3 lead didn't last long. Down were slightly better at sweeping up the breaking ball and created chance after chance for themselves. They scored one goal, through John McGeough in the 21st minute, but could have had a couple more. The McGeough goal came at the end of a speedy move up the field, a Danny Magill kick-pass up to the influential Ryan McEvoy followed by another 30m kick pass into McGeough who finished smartly. But Beggan pulled off a great save to deny Magill a goal in the 30th minute, diving full length to his left to tip over. Rory Beggan of Monaghan kicks his second 2 pointer of the game. Pic: ©INPHO/James Lawlor. Murdock fired just over close to half-time while Monaghan defender Ryan Wylie twice blocked goalbound efforts from James Guinness and Murdock. Havern had a thrilling duel with Scotstown's Ryan O'Toole. O'Toole conceded 0-5 to Havern from play and the Down free-taker filled his boots from placed balls too, converting his second two-point free in the 43rd minute to leave Down 1-20 to 1-16 ahead at that stage. They started the second-half strongly but suddenly found themselves in Monaghan's slipstream again as the promoted Division 2 team rallied. Half-time substitute McCarron pulled Monaghan back with a 50th minute goal, finishing at the third attempt after McCarthy and Bannigan had gone close. McCarron butchered a second goal chance soon after as the ball hit the post and bounced out to safety. But the experienced attacker slotted a brilliant two-pointer in the 58th minute to tie a pulsating game up yet again, 2-21 to 1-24. Monaghan brought all their big game experience to bear in the closing 15 minutes or so as they managed the contest superbly, picking off points from O'Toole, Beggan and substitute David Garland to keep Down just about at arm's length. Scorers for Monaghan: J McCarron (1-3, 1tp, 1f), R Beggan (0-6, 3tpf), M Bannigan (1-2), S O'Hanlon (0-3), C McCarthy, M McCarville (0-2, tp) each, D Ward, A Woods, R O'Toole (0-2) each, A Carey, L Kelly, D Garland (0-1) each. Scorers for Down: P Havern (0-12, 3tpf, 3f), J McGeough (1-0), D Magill (0-4, tp), A Crimmins, D Guinness (0-2) each, O Murdock, C McCrickard (0-2, 1f) each, C Doherty, E Branagan (0-1) each. Monaghan: R Beggan; K Lavelle, K Duffy, D Byrne; R Wylie, R O'Toole, A Carey; M McCarville, D Ward; R McAnespie, S O'Hanlon, C McCarthy; A Woods, M Bannigan, S Mooney. Subs: J McCarron for Mooney (h/t), L Kelly for Lavelle (49), D Garland for Woods (57), D Hughes for Duffy (59), C McNulty for McAnespie (70). Down: R Burns; P Fegan, P Laverty, P McCarthy; C Doherty, M Rooney, R Magill; O Murdock, J Guinness; D Magill, P Havern, D Guinness; A Crimmins, J McGeough, R McEvoy. Subs: C Mooney for J Guinness (h/t), E Branagan for Rooney (54), C McCrickard for McGeough (56), O Savage for R Magill (65), A McClements for Crimmins 67. Referee: David Coldrick (Meath).
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Monaghan beat Down to secure quarter-final spot
Jack McCarron's second-half goal helped Monaghan defeat Down by 2-17 to 1-26 to secure an All-Ireland quarter-final spot. It was a winner-takes-all shootout in Group Three in Armagh as the sides were level on four points heading into the final fixture. Advertisement Down held a narrow 1-15 to 1-14 lead at the break as John McGeough and Michael Bannigan exchanged first-half goals. There was little to split the sides throughout the contest, but McCarron's goal was crucial as Monaghan moved clear in the final quarter to book their place in the last eight. Down will go into the preliminary quarter-final after the defeat, and they will be joined by Leinster champions Louth, who defeated Clare by 2-17 to 2-14 to progress. Monaghan held a three-point lead in the early stages but Down drew level when McGeough netted after being found by Ryan McEvoy. In a role reversal, Down edged into a three-point lead after a flurry of points before Bannigan struck in the 31st minute to level the contest. Advertisement Down again moved three points clear as the clock ticked towards half-time, but Rory Beggan's two-pointer reduced the lead at the interval. The end-to-end nature continued before Pat Havern's 11th point of the game moved Conor Laverty's side four points clear. However, Monaghan grabbed their second goal 14 minutes into the second half in scrappy circumstances when Conor McCarthy was denied by Ronan Burns, Bannigan hit the post from the rebound but the ball fell kindly to McCarron, who was able to fire into the unguarded net. Neither side could find clear daylight until McCarron, Bannigan, Ryan O'Toole and Beggan's two-pointer moved Gabriel Bannigan's side five points clear heading into injury-time, which was enough to help Monaghan over the line and into the last eight.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Monaghan v Down LIVE score updates from All-Ireland football clash
It's D-day in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship group stage and the equation is simple at the Box-It Athletic Grounds in Armagh for Ulster rivals Monaghan and Down. The winner goes straight through to the All-Ireland quarter-finals and the loser has a home preliminary quarter-final next weekend. Down are the highest scorers in the group stages to date and Monaghan are fourth highest. Admittedly they got the best group, but anything other than a shoot out here would be a surprise so we could be in for a real treat. Conor McCarthy's form, Rory Beggan's importance and Jack McCarron's scoring – starting or as an impact sub – might give Monaghan the edge but Down under Conor Laverty will fancy their chances. The bookmakers have Monaghan as strong favourites at 2/5 with the Mournemen 13/5 shots. A draw is 15/2 and may not be a bad shout. Stay with us for blow-by-blow coverage from Armagh. The stakes are high here. The victor advances directly to the All-Ireland quarter-finals, while the defeated team will host a preliminary quarter-final next weekend. Down have been the top scorers in the group stages so far, with Monaghan not far behind in fourth place. Granted, they had the most favourable group, but anything less than a high-scoring match would be unexpected. The form of Conor McCarthy, the significance of Rory Beggan, and Jack McCarron's scoring ability - whether starting or coming on as a substitute - could give a speedy Monaghan side the advantage. However, being the favourites and under pressure to win, this match will truly test their mental strength.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
What time, TV channel is Down v Monaghan on today in All-Ireland Championship?
The equation is simple here. The winner goes straight through to the All-Ireland quarter-finals and the loser has a home preliminary quarter-final next weekend. Down are the highest scorers in the group stages to date and Monaghan are fourth highest. Admittedly they got the best group, but anything other than a shoot out here would be a surprise. Conor McCarthy's form, Rory Beggan's importance and Jack McCarron's scoring - starting or as an impact sub - might give a pacey Monaghan side the edge, but as favouites and with the pressure on to win, this one will really test their mentality. Where is the game being played? The game is being played at the Athletic Grounds, Armagh City What time is throw-in? Throw in is at 2pm. Can I watch the game on TV? Yes, the game is LIVE on RTE 2. Is the game being streamed online? Yes, the game will be live streamed on the RTE Player Betting Odds: Down: 13/5 Draw: 15/2 Monaghan : 2/5
Irish Times
30-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Rory Beggan is Monaghan's ace card who stops forwards at one end and puts fear in defenders down the other
The Rory Beggan conundrum continues. This weekend, the contestants trying to solve the puzzle are the Clare footballers. During my Dublin career, when it came to taking on Monaghan , the two players we immediately thought of were Beggan and Conor McManus . While the retirement of McManus has robbed Monaghan of their generational forward, the new rules in Gaelic football have armed their goalkeeper - also a generational talent - with a new set of arrows. I'm talking about two-pointers. Beggan was Monaghan's top scorer in the National Football League , finishing their successful Division Two campaign with 0-38. Within that total there were 17 two-pointers, all bar one of which came from a placed ball. READ MORE He was back at it against Louth last week, kicking a pair of two-pointers from placed balls in a game Monaghan won by six points . We'll return to the merits of two-point frees later, but first it's important to understand the dilemma facing teams in relation to Beggan's attributes within the new rules. The Monaghan No1 is among a crop of elite goalkeepers who changed the role and brought the position to a new level. When we were preparing to play Monaghan, there was a lot of emphasis on him, not just on his kickouts but also how best to deal with him when he comes beyond his natural area and roams further up the field. His foot-passing and general game awareness are of a very high quality. We were also conscious of his ability to kick frees from distance, but the arrival of two-pointers to Gaelic football has been a game changer. It has really empowered Beggan and Monaghan in terms of taking on long-range efforts. In short, it's worth the risk now. In a year their greatest ever forward retired, who would have predicted they would put up such high scoring tallies? That realisation challenges defenders and forces them to make split-second decisions that need to be perfect. Players who might normally tackle hard are being forced to reconsider their level of force against Monaghan. If they commit to a tackle against the Farney men, it better be right on the money. The jeopardy has increased. The risk-reward equation is weighted in favour of Monaghan as they have Beggan to attempt long-distance frees. For defending teams, it means the potential punishment for a foul has been doubled. It's almost too risky to tackle at times. All of this creates doubt among defenders. Anxious not to be the reason Monaghan score a two-pointer, they step off. This leads to the kind of defensive uncertainty forwards thrive on. Monaghan's Conor McCarthy in possession during last weekend's victory against Louth. Photograph: Ciaran Culligan /Inpho If you step off a little bit against Monaghan, you are in danger of enabling strong ball-carriers like Conor McCarthy, Micheál Bannigan and Stephen O'Hanlon to break through the lines and punish you in open play. It's a double-edged sword for defenders. Conceding a long-distance free is potentially momentum swinging in a game against Monaghan because you just know Beggan is going to come up and have a swing at it. There are even more elements to it as well. Monaghan will not only bring Beggan up to try bag the prize of two points, but as he prepares to take that kick, it is an ideal opportunity for his teammates to set up for the subsequent kickout. It used to be very hard, at times, to get set on a kickout. With the new rules, where the kickout has to go beyond the arc, it's a lot easier to get pressed up. Free kicks and set plays are perfect situations to target kick-outs and it is something Monaghan do well. Gabriel Bannigan's men were the highest scoring team across all four divisions of the National League this season. They amassed a combined total of 193 points in their seven group games. Kerry were next on that list, with 170. Monaghan's average from those seven league games was 27.5 points per outing. In a year their greatest ever forward retired, who would have predicted they would put up such high scoring tallies? They have put up decent scores in their two championship games so far this summer as well – 0-21 against Donegal and 1-23 against Louth. Their high-scoring return is largely down to the factors I have highlighted: Beggan having the licence to kick from distance without fear of criticism should they not all sail over, plus Monaghan's ball-carriers having the freedom to take on their man knowing if they don't create a scoring opportunity, there's a good chance they'll draw a foul. And when they do draw a foul, that man Beggan will run up to take it. Rory Beggan takes the ball forward for Monaghan during their Division Two match against Meath in March. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho Even if it doesn't yield a score, Monaghan will invariably be in a great position to keep the opposition pinned in and steal the kickout. There were occasions over the years when I questioned Beggan's decision to shoot from certain difficult angles. Purely from a free-taking perspective, his percentages probably weren't fantastic; I'd imagine they were below 50 per cent a lot of the time. But those kicks are worth the risk now because two points are on offer, along with a chance to squeeze the opposition kick-out. The Donegal game in the Ulster championship is the outlier. When Donegal were faced with the Beggan conundrum, they concluded that denying Monaghan frees would be the most effective way of negating their attack. To an extent it worked. That's why I think they shouldn't be worth two points Donegal defenders refused to commit themselves to any borderline tackles within scoreable range – which for Beggan is a considerable distance. Donegal were so disciplined that Beggan wasn't afforded any opportunity of knocking over a placed ball two-pointer. At full-time, all the Monaghan goalkeeper had contributed on the scoreboard was one point, from a 45. Monaghan still ran up a good tally of points in that game, but there were no frees from outside the arc registered. Indeed, only 0-2 of Monaghan's 0-21 total came from frees – Micheál Bannigan kicking over a pair from inside the arc. Donegal's gameplan was built on a logic of taking away the weapon of Beggan's frees. If imposed successfully - and it was - they knew their opponents would be reduced to scoring points from play. You can be sure Peter Keane and his Clare management team have been discussing how to approach the Beggan conundrum this week. It's a key area for any team trying to overcome the Farney County. Monaghan fans will travel to Sunday's match against Clare expecting to see the two-point flag waved. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho As for the two-point rule in general, while I'm not averse to the idea of two-pointers from open play, I think the punishment of conceding two points for what can often be an innocuous foul is very harsh. I don't feel the punishment fits the crime. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have been coming out with a protest against two-point frees if they were introduced during my Dublin career. But I honestly don't think many of those scores from long-range placed balls justify two points. Free takers are operating at such a high level now that many of those opportunities are well within their range. That's why I think they shouldn't be worth two points. Not that Monaghan are likely to be joining any campaign for change. Their victory over Louth has put them in a strong position in Group Three and if they get over Clare in Clones on Sunday, Gabriel Bannigan's side will be in pole position to top the table. It looks very likely that Rory Beggan will still be posing problems for opponents come All-Ireland quarter-final weekend.
