Astute tactics by Monaghan United manager Mick Cooke formed the foundation for his side’s surprise 1-0 victory over First Division promotion favourites Shelbourne at Century Homes Park – but the Mons had to pull out some heroic defending in a frenetic finish to this compelling game.
Cooke flooded midfield and played Eoin Lanigan, normally a winger, as the sole attacker, enabling his side to dominate Shels for an hour of the game.
United scored the decisive goal as early as the eighth minute, James Hand’s right-wing free-kick deftly directed into the bottom corner from the head of defender Paul Whelan.
Shelbourne sought immediate retribution, and United ‘keeper Brendan Kennedy rescued his side with a brave save at the feet of Anto Flood. Shels’ full-back Alan Murphy then penetrated deep into the United box but his shot deflected wide.
Hand almost extended United’s lead early in the second half with a blistering volley from Stephen McCrossan’s corner.
After that, Shelbourne, transformed by the introduction of Philip Hughes and James Chambers, took control of the match.
Kennedy produced a great stop to keep out Hughes’s snap shot in the 68th minute.
Then Damien Brennan powered a header just off-target from a Shels corner.
As the game entered a dramatic finale, Kennedy saved adroitly from David McGill.
With seven minutes remaining referee Neil Doyle reduced both sides to ten men, red-carding Monaghan’s McCrossan and Shels’ Greg O’Halloran after a bad McCrossan tackle precipitated a mid-pitch melee.
In the final minutes Chambers powered the ball home from close range only to be denied by the offside flag.
MONAGHAN UNITED: Kennedy, Whelan, Gartland, Malone, Mooney; Maher, Tierney, McCrossan, Meenan (Byrne 81),
Hand (Sheppard 66); Lanigan (Collins 62).
SHELBOURNE: Delaney, Murphy, Keely (Byrne half-time), Brennan, Rutherford; McGill, Mulcahy (Chambers 60), O’Halloran, Keddy; Flood, Freeman (Hughes 60).
Referee: N Doyle (Dublin)
