MONAGHAN MANAGER VINNY Corey said the sight of midfielder Darren Hughes being stretchered off the Clones pitch was ‘devastating’.

The Scotstown man is believed to have suffered a serious leg injury, the 37-year-old in the middle of producing a brilliant performance with incredible workrate and tackling when he was caught between two Cavan players in an accidental collision.

“He’s away to hospital. That’s the big loss out of it. This is Darren’s 18^th season and to see him go off like that there is devastating,” said Corey.

“Whatever about the result, we just hope that whatever injury he has got, isn’t a bad one.”

A crestfallen Corey parked his disappointment to explain the thinking behind the recall of Rory Beggan to the goalkeepers jersey. Monaghan had leaked 14 goals in the national league, and while three more went in here, two came in the 77^th and 79^th minutes.

Beggan was immense here, on his open-ended return to Gaelic games.

“He’s a special sort of keeper, isn’t he? He was excellent again today. If there was any doubt that he should have started, that was dealt with as I thought he was outstanding. If you have a player like that at your disposal, you use him,” said Corey.

Asked how long he could count on the Scotstown man, he answered, “It’s one of those situations, we never had it before so we are just going to have to manage it week by week until the situation might change.”

In his first year as Cavan manager having just taken off the goalkeeping gloves, Ray Galligan was beaming with pride.

“It’s huge. It’s huge excitement. It’s great for the players, it’s great for the supporters to beat Monaghan because they are a top team. They have top players, same as ourselves, but when you see the workate that went on you’d have to be proud of our boys today,” he said.

Cavan manager Ray Galligan. John McVitty / INPHO John McVitty / INPHO / INPHO

Asked if it was a better accomplishment than winning their Ulster title in 2020, famously played behind closed doors, he said, “I don’t think anything would top that with the way it panned out, but having the crowds and all here it’s absolutely better than 2020. It was great for the fans to be able to experience today – that game in 2020 it was joy for the players but for the fans to be able to share this, it was a better feeling.”

Star of the game was Paddy Lynch with a 1-9 haul. His talents are well signposted, but his ability to kick eight scores from eight dead balls, either side of the goals, was phenomenal.

“He is a marked man every day he goes out and knowing how good he is on the frees it is a great settler for us because there was nothing easy for him today with that wind. He was immense, I think he finished with 1-9. He is just continuing his upward mode in terms of performances,” said Galligan.

Having played away from home in the preliminary round, they have home advantage when Tyrone come to Kingspan Breffni on 21 April.  

“It’s another huge challenge. Tyrone are a fantastic team, really experienced and they have some fantastic players all over the pitch,” said Galligan.

“We know it’s going to be a huge challenge but we’re going to really enjoy today because we have watched Monaghan do fantastic things over the last  number of years – and I’ve no doubt they will again in the All-Ireland series – but we’ll get back down to work on Tuesday night and really look forward to Tyrone because full focus has been on Monaghan and no-one else.”