Michael Isichei and Sean Brennan fired the goals to move Monaghan United within touching distance of the Premier Division following this hard-fought victory over Galway United in the Airtricity League promotion/relegation play-off.
Firstly, the former Shamrock Rovers’ winger Isichei slotted home a 13th minute opener before Brennan added the second with an 87th minute shot to give Monaghan United a distinct advantage ahead of Friday’s second-leg.
In a game where each side had a man sent off - Sean Gavin for Galway United and Eric Foley for Monaghan United - the visitors can have no complaints about their defeat.
Monaghan United, quite simply, had more to offer. Declan O'Brien had three great chances to add to the score but didn't take them. Sean Brennan, five minutes from the end, took his chance though with a sharp, powerful shot that beat Conor Winn.
And in the final analysis, all the credit has to go to the Ulstermen. Organisationally, they impressed. Tactically, they cleverly varied their approach, going route one when the occasion allowed but showing a desire to play an expansive game and stretch the Galwegian defence when that approach seemed sensible.
They started the game at an electric pace, varying the direction of their attacks with patient, purposeful passing, and then just when Galway were adjusting their defensive shape to cope with this strategy, Monaghan unsettled them with long, diagonal passes over the head of their right back, Paul Sinnott.
His mood was hardly helped by the adventurous positioning of his right-sided colleague, Jin Gu Kim, who simply didn’t appreciate the dual responsibilities of defence and attack. By half-time, the Korean was called ashore as Galway United saw the need to address this imbalance.
Yet they could not address the score line. Behind on 13 minutes when their defence failed to react to Monaghan’s quick movement from Shane Grimes’ throw-in, Galway allowed Jordan Keegan the time and space to move into the penalty area, where he delivered a perfect cross for Michael Isichei to side-foot in.
This goal proved critical, firstly in settling Monaghan, who repeatedly came close to stretching their lead. Declan O’Brien having a pair of headers veer wide, Sean Brennan firing one shot low which Conor Winn saved and Jordan Keegan doing the same, which again Winn saved.
From Galway’s perspective, former Derry City star Alan Murphy kept trying to beat Gabriel Sava from distance, coming close on three occasions. Once was with a low free kick which appeared to go in, before ending up wide of the upright, and once with a shot from play in the second half, which also ended wide of Gabriel Sava’s post.
At the other end, Monaghan’s shooting was mixed. Alan Byrne struck the crossbar in the second half and there was a credible case for saying this was one-way-traffic.
Yet it wasn’t. Galway contributed greatly to this entertaining game, Alan Murphy and Bobby Ryan being their creative hubs.
They had their best spell of the match from the 70th to 80th minutes but then Sean Gavin was dismissed in the 80th minute at the same time that Eric Foley was shown a red card.
With that, the balance of the game changed. Galway United lost their composure and a chance fell Sean Brennan’s way late on.
He kept his cool and beat Conor Winn from a tight angle. That put Monaghan United in the driving seat ahead of Friday second leg.
Monaghan United: Gabriel Sava; Paul Whelan, Aidan Collins, Alan Byrne, Shane Grimes; Michael Isichei (Paul Byrne 64, William McDonagh 85), Eric Foley, Ryan Brennan, Jordan Keegan (Jason Marks 88); Declan O’Brien, Sean Brennan
Substitutes not used: David Byrne, Philip Byrne, Mark Grace, Jake Rossiter
Galway United: Conor Winn; Paul Sinnott, Yob Som, Laurence Gaughan, Gary Kelly; Jin Gu Kim (Sean Gavin HT), Bobby Ryan, Alan Murphy, Oscar Sibanda (Eduardo Silvera 76); Mikey Gilmour, Ronan Cauldwell (Steven Walsh 89)
Substitutes not used: Willie Enulbe, Dara Duggan, Eric Brown, Eric Holland
Referee: Derek Tomney
