Monaghan 1-11 Dublin 1-22
Dublin and Monaghan will meet again in the Allianz Football League Division 1 semi-finals next week after Dublin claimed a 1-22 to 1-11 win in Clones.
Dublin laid the foundations for this win early on and led throughout this contest, with a third-minute goal from Brian Fenton (1-01) helping Dublin to a 1-02 to 0-00 lead at that stage.
Monaghan relied hugely on scores from placed balls during the opening half, with Rory Beggan (0-02), Paul Finlay (0-01) and Conor McManus (0-02) on target.
Dublin pushed 1-09 to 0-05 ahead by the interval, with eight different scorers at that stage.
Diarmuid Connolly (0-02) extended Dublin’s lead to eight points early on the restart, and although Beggan replied for Monaghan, the hosts weren’t to score again for 24 minutes.
Dublin fired eight unanswered points as they moved 1-18 to 0-06 ahead, following a Tomas Brady point.
Monaghan worked hard late on, with Darren Hughes netting a 67th-minute goal, but Dublin had done enough to claim an 11-point win.
Monaghan manager Malachy O’Rourke stuck with the same team named midweek, but for Dublin there were two late changes, with Fenton replacing Ciaran Kilkenny in the half-forwards, and Denis Bastick in for Tomás Brady.
10,066 spectators watched a game in which Dublin got off to a lightning start.
Corner forwards Kevin McManamon and Bernard Brogan fired early points from play, before the travelling ‘Hill’ sprung to life with Fenton’s fourth minute goal.
The Raheny clubman in his first Senior start got on the end of a move which saw Jack McCaffrey and Dean Rock involved in the build-up.
Dublin were lording midfield at this stage, but Monaghan fought back with Owen Duffy taking their first score in the sixth minute, with the first of his two points from play.
Vinny Corey cut through for a ninth minute goal chance, but Rory O’Carroll was well placed to deny him a final shot, with Rock extending Dublin’s lead to five points at the opposite end.
Beggan and Finlay converted frees for Monaghan, and although Paul Flynn responded with a Dublin point, a goal separated the sides after 19 minutes, when Conor McManus became the third home side player to convert a free.
Monaghan relied on dead-ball accuracy, where in contrast at the opposite end, Dublin claimed well taken scores from play.
Connolly, McMahon and McManamon firing from play before the break, while Rock added another free to ensure a 1-09 to 0-05 interval advantage.
Monaghan lost Dessie Mone to a black card late in the half, and he proved a big loss, as the Farney County struggled on the restart.
Connolly and Beggan swapped early points, but Monaghan wouldn’t score for 24 minutes as Dublin kicked eight points in a row.
Rock, Emmet Ó Conghaile, McMahon, Flynn and Tomas Brady added points to see them move 1-18 to 0-06 ahead with 10 and a half minutes to play.
Dublin lost Ó Conghaile to a black card and although Monaghan’s deadlock was broken by substitute Thomas Kerr and they mounted a strong challenge, it wasn’t enough.
Darren Hughes netted from close-range, after Stephen Cluxton had initially controlled a high-ball, but this 67th minute effort wasn’t enough, and Dublin held out for victory.
Monaghan will have a chance to seek revenge next weekend, with the sides set to meet again in the semi-finals.
DUBLIN: S Cluxton; R O’Carroll, E Culligan, J Cooper (0-01); J McCarthy, J Small, J McCaffrey; MD MacAuley, D Bastick; P Flynn (0-02), D Connolly (0-02), B Fenton (1-01); K McManamon (0-02), D Rock (0-06, 5f)), B Brogan (0-02).
Subs: P McMahon (0-02) for Culligan (19); E Ó Conghaile (0-01) for MacAuley (42); C Kilkenny for McManamon (48); T Brady (0-02) for Bastick (51), D Byrne (0-01) for Ó Conghaile (black card, 56); N Devereux for Cooper (58).
MONAGHAN: R Beggan (0-02, 1f, 1 45); D Wylie, K Duffy, R Wylie; K O’Connell, V Corey, F Kelly; N McAdam, K Hughes (0-01); D Mone, D Hughes (1-00), P Finlay (0-01, 1f); D Malone, O Duffy (0-02), C McManus (0-02, 2f).
Subs: P McKenna for Mone (black card, 33); R McAnespie (0-01) for Finlay (42); D Clerkin for McAdam (42); P McGuigan for D Wylie (48); T Kerr (0-01) for Malone (48); S Carey (0-01) for K Hughes (black card, 64).
