Monaghan United  v  Longford Town

After collecting a very valuable point away to Cork City last weekend, Monaghan United are at home to Longford Town on Friday night.  Both sides have commenced the season well.  Longford in second place in the tables are just one point behind league leaders Shelbourne. United who have a game in hand are in 4^th place just two points off the top. A win on Friday could see United take poll position in the table.  Geographically wise Longford is the closest side to Monaghan United in the 1^st.Division and games between them have always had a derby atmosphere, with so little separating the sides then Fridays games should guarantee the same keenness.

Last Friday Longford Town had an easy win over fellow midland side – Athlone Town.  All of the interest leading up to the game cantered on their recent signing former Northern Ireland International and Manchester United player Keith Gillespie.  But Longford didn’t allow themselves to become distracted and they got down to business early with a 4^th minute goal from Jacques Morley’s corner kick, but Athlone’s  keeper Michael Schlingermann must take most of the blame for the score as he allowed Morley’s kick to curl in. Eight minutes later Schlingermann was involved in Longford’s second goal when after making a great save from Cathal Brady he l deflected the ball into the path of Austin Skelly who struc! k home.  Had Longford taken all of their chances they would have been out of sight at half time.

Although Longford started without their star signing Gillespie they did introduce him after 58 minutes but even his presence couldn’t add to their score line and his arrival probably proved as a much of a spur to Athlone as he did to his new side as they finished the half strongly and should have got on the score sheet.

It is most likely that Longford will start Gillespie on Friday night against Monaghan United; his presence no doubt will be of a big interest to the fans of both sides especially those in the crowd who follow the sides that he played for   Cross-Channel.  Monaghan United’s manager Roddy Collins is too experienced to allow either himself or his side to be distracted by any side shows.  Collins will be more occupied with selecting the side that he will be putting out against Longford.  He will still have to contend with the absence of some of his more experienced players. Missing from the game against Cork City were his captain Dom Tierney, Aidan Collins ,Paul Whel! an and Alan Byrne, Conor Mc. Mahon also picked up an knock and didn’t appear for the second half, Tierney will probably the only of these players who will have recovered.  But Monaghan have strength in depth and this they displayed last week at Turner’s Cross.  United’s home fans should be getting their first look at new signing Fabio O’ Brien, those of us who saw him last week were impressed not just with the brace he scored but with his general all round play, his signing was definitely a parting present to the club by Mick Cooke.  Collins is also bringing on his younger players, Local teenager Kevin Lougran has come on twice so far this season and he was on the bench of Friday night, the manager brought on another of his youths – Jimmy Fallon for the closing 20 minutes and performance belied his young years, so we will probably be seeing some! these young lads taking the field again on Friday night.

Monaghan United should extend their unbeaten run against Longford.  In recent seasons United would have taken most of the points in the clashes between the two sides but that said they had a few lucky escapes having leaked some easy goals.  With their good start to the season Longford should come into this game in a confident mood.

Verdict: Home win

Kick off at Gortakeegan on  Friday:  8.p.m. 

Cork City  2 – 2  Monaghan United

Before this game kicked off many regarded that it would be their first real test of the season for Monaghan Unit and how well the stood up to the test.

Monaghan’s manager Roddy Collins was returning to Turners Cross for the first time since leaving at the commencement of last season and it would be an understatement to say that his performance here was the centre of attention from the 2,000 strong crowd.

 United started well and were a goal up after six minutes from Fabio O’ Brien when he headed in Shane Grimes cross, it was Fabio’s first game for United .  Three minutes later United could have gone two up if John O’ Reilly had got his headed attempt on target. After 12 minutes United’s keeper brought off a brilliant save to deny Cork the equaliser it followed a great move started by Davin O’Neill who found Graham Cummins whose pass in turn put Shane Duggan clean through on goal, Sava advanced to deny the Cork man. The home side came more into the game and got back on terms after Graham Cummins headed in from a corner, it was very poor defending from a Monaghan point of view.  Cork finished the half the stronge! r, both keepers saw plenty of action but it was a couple of fine saves from Sava particularly an effort each from Declan O’ Brien and Gearóid Morrissey that kept the sides on terms at halftime.  In the closing minutes of the opening half Monaghan were starting to get more into the game and had weathered the best that Cork could throw at them.

The visitors started the second half the livelier of the two sides. Conor Mc. Mahon who picked up a knock was replaced at half time by Philip Byrne. The half was only 2 minutes old when Eric Foley came close with a strike from outside the area.  At the other end Davin O Neill headed over. Just approaching  the hour mark the game came to life for the wrong reasons. First an unforced error by United’s defence and the keeper almost gifted Cork the lead and then a minute later when Sava took down one of his own defenders going for the ball the referee to the consternation of everyone awarded Cork a penalty after strong protestations from the United players  and advice from his officials he  rescinded his decision (maybe his initial decision was keeping within the spirit of the date that was in it). In the confusion the referee awarded a free out instead of a corner kick to Cork. Immediately United moved down field and won a corner and Fabio headed home his second of the night. When it looked that the points were United and   might even extend their lead Cork got a fluke of a goal, a strike from the side of the area struck Jimmy Fallon on the back and wrong footed Sava for an own goal.

In the end United were unfortunate not to collect the three points but on the balance of play a draw was a fair result and an excellent point for United. Cork hadn’t conceded a goal prior to tonight’s game.

On the managers watch there was no doubt that Roddy Collins won the battle of the tactics, he went with only three at the back and packed the middle of the field snuffing out Corks danger men and the fact that Marks, O’ Brien and Fitzgerald kept inter changing their positions appeared to unsettle the Cork defence.

Cork City: Mark Mc. Nulty, Danny Murphy, Greg O’Halloran, Gearoid Morrissey, Davin O’Neill, Shane Duggan, Graham Cummins, Derek O’ Brien (Vinny Sulivan 76) Kalen Spillane, Gavin Kavanagh, Neal Horgan.

Subs not used: Ian Turner, Timmy Kiely, James Mc.Carthy,Kieran Kenneally, Jamie Murphy, Vincent Escude-Candau

Monaghan United:  Gabriel Sava,  Conor Mc. Mahon (Philip Byrne h.t.), Shane Grimes, Dave Rogers, Ryan Brennan (Jimmy Fallon 70), Eric Foley, John Reilly, Shane Fitzgerald (Micheal Isichei 55), Declan O’ Brien, Sean Brennan, Jason Marks.

Subs not used: Kevin Loughran, Jake Rossiter, Andy Haran, Dom Tierney.

Monaghan United travelled to Bay United for their final league fixture of the season. Having all ready secured the title

this was not an important game Bay were up for it from the start.Monaghan however got off to a great start with a  

lovely cross from the left wing by Conor Mc Carthy and a well taken goal by Paul Byrne .Monaghan seemed to go to

sleep after the early goal and let Bay back into the game.Bay did not look very dangerous in attack but a calamity of

errors in the Monaghan defence let Bay in for a simple goal.It was tit for tat till half time not very exciting football

which left the score evenly matched at 1-1.

The second half started much the same as the first ended with both teams getting equal amounts of the ball.A switch

in the Monahan formation moving Fergal mc Mahon to midfield and Shane Loughran back to defence seem

to give Monaghan the lift they needed and started to get some good attacking going.Monaghan were getting it hard to

break down the Bay defence the pitch did not help as it was very uneven but eventually they got the break through with

a great through ball from Fergal Mc Mahon to the trusty left foot of Conor Mc Carthy who duly slotted home the ball.

This took the pressure off Monaghan who took control of the game and added a third again from Conor Mc Carthy the

game ended Monaghan the victors 3-1 but fair play to Bay who gave a gutsy performance.

Man of the Match Conor Mc Carthy.

 Team:

Back row LtoR  Robert Zagorskis,Paul Byrne,Kevin Loughran,Conor Forde,Shane Loughran,Darren Kelly.

Front row LtoR Conor Burns,Shane Power,Ryan Shields,Fergal Mc Mahon,Conor Mc Carthy and Shane Owens.

Team photo and photo of Kevin Loughran and Fergal Mc Mahon heading to the Irish U16's sent in previous email to this.