LAST UPDATE | 3 Jul 2021

Monaghan 1-21

Fermanagh 0-14

Declan Bogue reports from Clones

ALL TOO EASY for Monaghan here as they amassed an eight-point lead by the break and just simply held a much weaker opponent at arms’ length for the second.

For the second week in a row, the margin of victory between two Ulster rivals is into double figures. There is no dressing it up here, the Covid pandemic has drawn the lines between haves and have-nots even sharper while the lack of a backdoor is clearly having an impact.

Monaghan committed too many bodies to the attack for Fermanagh’s defence, stacked as it was with two sweepers. Four of the back seven scored and it was another corner-back, Kieran Duffy who had his shot parried by young Sean McNally for Jack McCarron to palm home the only goal on 18 minutes.

Prior to that, Aaron Mulligan opened the Oriel scoring with a point on the end of a patient move involving Ryan McAnespie and Michael Banningan to get what was the first of his three from play. That kind of pattern, with players running clever angles towards goal and around loops to create the right opportunity, was something that Seamus McEnaney’s men did all day here.

The pattern of the game hardly shifted from that. Seven up at the break, at its’ tightest Fermanagh only shaved one off that margin.

With the goal coming just before the water break, Fermanagh needed an answer but none was forthcoming as Dessie Ward sauntered through to notch his point after passes through Ryan Wylie and Conor McCarthy. It was all too easy, and Monaghan will take nothing from it but stress with both Darren Hughes and Conor McManus coming off injured.

Scorers for Monaghan: J McCarron (1-2, 0-2f), C McManus (0-4, 0-2f, 1x’mark’), A Mulligan (0-3), M Bannigan (0-2), C Walshe (0-2, 1x’mark’), C Boyle, R Wylie, K O’Connell, D Ward, K Lavelle, N Kearns (0-1 each), R Beggan (0-1, 1x’45’), C McCarthy (0-1, 1x’mark’)

Scorers for Fermanagh: S Quigley (0-7, 5f, 1x’45’), A Breen (0-2), J Cassidy, C Corrigan, U Kelm, D McGurn, J Largo-Ellis (0-1 each)

MONAGHAN

1. Rory Beggan (Scotstown)

2. Kieran Duffy (Latton)

3. Conor Boyle (Clontibret)

4. Ryan Wylie (Ballybay)

5. Karl O’Connell (Tyholland)

6. Dessie Ward (Ballybay)

7. Ryan McAnespie (Emyvale)

8. Darren Hughes (Scotstown)

9. Killian Lavelle (Clontibret)

10. Stephen O’Hanlon (Carrickmacross)

11. Conor McCarthy (Scotstown)

12. Micheál Bannigan (Annaghmullen)

13. Aaron Mulligan (Latton)

14. Jack McCarron (Currin)

15. Conor McManus (Clontibret)

Subs: N Kearns for D Hughes (33m), C Walshe for McCarron (51m), S Carey for O’Hanlon (56m), K Hughes for McCarthy (63m), F Kelly for O’Connell (68m), K McMenamin for Lavelle (77m)

FERMANAGH

1. Sean McNally (Teemore)

2. Kane Connor (Belnaleck)

3. Jonny Cassidy (Enniskillen)

4. Luke Flanagan (Derrylin)

5. Declan McCusker (St Joseph’s)

6. James McMahon (Roslea)

7. Kevin McDonnell (Irvinestown)

8. Stephen McGullion (Derrygonnelly)

9. Eoin Donnelly (Coa)

10. Ciaran Corrigan (Maguiresbridge)

21. Cian McManus (Teemore)

12. Josh Largo-Ellis (Irvinestown)

13. Ultan Kelm (Erne Gaels)

14. Dara McGurn (Belnaleck)

15. Sean Quigley (Roslea)

Subs: A Breen for McDonnell (26m), R O’Callaghan for McGurn (42m), S Cassidy for McManus (59m), T Bogue for McMahon (65m), M McCauley for McGullion (65m)

Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)

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