Monaghan manager Vinny Corey was delighted by the manner in which his side upped their game in the second half to earn a narrow win over Tyrone in the Ulster SFC quarter-final.
Ryan O'Toole drilled home a sensational winning goal deep into stoppage time to give the Farney victory in a gripping clash at O'Neills Healy Park. Earlier Stephen O'Hanlon found the net as Corey's side responded well on the resumption after a dominant Tyrone built up a five-point half-time lead.
"A few wee things went against us but we weren't bringing the intensity that we needed to bring," the manager told RTÉ Radio's Sunday Sport.
"I was happy with how the boys responded in the second half. It wasn't that we were doing overly bad in the first half; we were caught out a few times and conceded a goal on a kickout.
"In fairness the boys regrouped at half time and I thought they were outstanding in the second half.
"We were five points down but we knew there was a lot more left in us. We had a slight breeze with us in the second half and if we got it back to a couple of points we knew it was game on. It was nip and tuck and some of the younger boys came up trumps.
Ryan O'Toole wins a thrilling Ulster football game with an injury-time goal for Monaghan against Tyrone
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One of that younger brigade was Ryan O'Toole. On his goal, the manager said: "Young Ryan O'Toole on his championship debut went for the goal instead of fisting it over. Great composure."
It was said a few times in the build-up to the game that Monaghan's win over Mayo in the last round of the league, a result that kept the Ulster side in the top flight, would give them an extra lift in advance of their provincial opener.
"It was a momentum shift for us coming in," Corey added.
"We were still in Division 1 and we knew we could come here today and put in a performance, We have a young team and were down a lot of players from last year but the resilence and the fire that's in Monaghan players, I think you saw it there today.
"I thought we pressed them hard and tackled well; we drove at them well, and got our just rewards at the end. A few soft frees kept them in it at the end. Work the ball up the field, injected pace and got the scores."
