Fermanagh 1-6

Monaghan 1-10

Declan Bogue reports from St Tiernach’s Park

MALACHY O’ROURKE’S MONAGHAN are in the hat for round two of the qualifiers after a hard-fought four-point victory in Clones this afternoon, where it appeared Fermanagh had every opportunity to beat them.

They successfully avenged last year’s Ulster semi-final defeat, but it was a nervy finish against their neighbours, who finished today’s game with just 12 men on the pitch.

Down to 14 men on 56 minutes with the dismissal of Lee Cullen, Fermanagh spurned the chance to go level with a penalty struck by Sean Quigley. Monaghan goalkeeper Rory Beggan dived full length to push the ball around his post.

Monaghan still let Fermanagh get close and only for poor finishing they might have levelled – Quigley again missing a scoreable free deep into injury time.

Monaghan had to rip the page out of Donegal’s playbook in order to get through this.

They kicked nine points in the first half to go in 0-9 to 1-3 up at the break, and apart from a Conor McManus free and a huge Rory Beggan dead-ball kick, the remainder were all chances from distance.

With Ultan Kelm punching holes down Monaghan’s right wing, Fermanagh chipped away at the lead but three wides and three shots dropped short was to be their undoing.

Monaghan lost their edge too, when Conor McManus was dismissed on a black card for a foot trip on Ryan Lyons.

Monaghan sealed it at the end when James McGrath’s short kickout to Declan McCusker was intercepted by Kieran Hughes who ran in and squared for Conor McCarthy to palm home deep into time added on.

Lee Cullen is sent off for Fermanagh during today's game. Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO

Scorers for Fermanagh: R Lyons 1-1, (1f), D Teague, C Corrigan, D McCusker, C Jones 0-1 each, S Quigley 0-1, (1 x ’45′).

Scorers for Monaghan: C McCarthy 1-0, K Hughes 0-2, C McManus 0-2, (1f), K Duffy, V Corey, R McAnespie 0-1 each, R Beggan and J McCarron 0-1, (1f each).

Fermanagh

J McGrath

J Cassidy
C Cullen
L Cullen

U Kelm
J McMahon
K Connor

B Mulrone
R Jones

D Teague
A Breen
C Corrigan

D McCusker
C Jones
R Lyons

Subs:
S Quigley for Teague (35 mins)
K McDonnell for Mulrone (43 mins)
P McCusker for Breen (62 mins)
D McGurn for Connor (67 mins)
S McGullion for McDonnell (69 mins)
C McBrien for Lyons (63 mins)

Monaghan

R Beggan

K Duffy
V Corey
R Wylie

K O’Connell
C Boyle
D Ward

F Kelly
K Hughes

R McAnespie
D Malone
S Carey

C McCarthy
N Kearns
C McManus

Subs:
J McCarron for Carey (47 mins)
D Mone for Ward (52 mins)
D Wylie for Corey (58 mins)
S O’Hanlon for McManus – Black card (62 mins)
M Bannigan for Malone (66 mins)

Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)

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