Dublin v Monaghan: Recent NFL meetings

Dublin and Monaghan have clashed 24 times inNational Football League action over the years, the first league meeting of the counties took place on November 22, 1936. The Dubs won that Croke Park encounter by a point - Dublin 3-2, Monaghan 1-7. Dublin have won 16, drawn 2 and lost 6 of their NFL meetings with Monaghan. The Farney County have won the last two NFL duels between the counties, last year in St Tiernach’s Park, Clones and the previous season in Croke Park.

Here we look back on recent NFL/SFC meetings of the counties.

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2019 FL DIVISION 1: Round 1

FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27: St Tiernach's Park, Clones

MONAGHAN 2-13 DUBLIN 1-13

A golden spell in the second-half saw Monaghan defeat Dublin in this FL Division 1 clash at St Tiernach's Park, Clones.

Dublin led 1-7 to 0-8 at half-time and early second-half points from Dean Rock and Con O'Callaghan had Jim Gavin's men four-points clear.

The Dubs might have got a free at one end but Monaghan swept forward for Jack McCarron to leave a goal between the sides.

Then came Monaghan's golden spell with subs Stephen O'Hanlon and Conor McManus having a massive impact in turning the game in favour of the Farney County.

In the 45th minute O'Hanlon goaled to level the game, two minutes later McManus converted a mark for the hosts to take the lead for the first time in this duel.

McManus and O'Hanlon combined for Shane Carey to hit Monaghan's second goal in the 48th minute and when McManus slotted another mark it was 2-11 to 1-9 and a nine-point turnaround had taken place.

Dublin battled to the finish but Monaghan looked a fitter and more cohesive unit at this time of season and made better use of the 'advanced mark' rule.

Ryan Basquel did clip two fine points but it was a goal Dublin needed if they were to snatch victory, it never looked likely.

At the end of an eventful first-half Dublin led 1-7 to 0-8 but it was the hosts who had finished the half on the up by kicking four unanswered points.

Dublin enjoyed a 1-7 to 0-4 advantage after 22 minutes following a superb Brian Fenton point at the end of a two-minute passage of keep ball that was eventually broken by Niall Scully injecting pact into the attack.

However, Dublin failed to score again in the half as Jack McCarron, Fintan Kelly, McCarron (free) and Dermot Malone were all on target to cut the half-time deficit to two points.

Dublin also had their second player black-carded in this period with Robbie McDaid being sanctioned, John Small had spent ten minutes in the 'sin bin' from the 19th minute.

The only goal of the half came in the eighth minute when a left handed pass from Fenton was won strongly by Scully who slotted low to Rory Beggan's net.

Dublin opened impressively and two Dean Rock points, the second off a mark, had them 1-2 to 0-0 ahead inside ten minutes.

Paul Flynn got in on the scoring act with a sweetly struck point in the 15th minute while Con O'Callaghan hit one off either foot as Dublin raised their game to lead 1-6 to 0-3 after 17 minutes.

Disappointed the result didn’t go our way – but I’m really pleased with the endeavour,” said Dublin manager Jim Gavin afterwards.

“We’re back just two weeks today so we’ve a lot of ground to catch up on other teams, and obviously Monaghan have been doing a lot of work pre-season and it showed towards the latter half of the game.”

SCORERS - Monaghan: J McCarron 0-5 (0-4f), C McManus 0-4 (0-2 mark, 0-2f), S O’Hanlon, S Carey 1-0 each, M Bannigan 0-2 (0-1f, 0-1 mark), F Kelly, D Malone 0-1 each. Dublin: D Rock (0-1 mark, 0-1f), C O’Callaghan (0-1f) 0-4 each, N Scully 1-0, R Basquel 0-2, P Flynn, B Fenton, C Costello (0-f) 0-1 each.

MONAGHAN: R Beggan; K Duffy, C Boyle, R Wylie; K O’Connell, B Kerr, C Walshe; D Hughes, F Kelly; R McAnespie, JMcCarron, D Malone; D Garland, M Bannigan, S Carey. Subs: S O’Hanlon for Garland (43), C McManus for Bannigan (43), D Ward for O’Connell (61), C McCarthy for Malone (69), N McAdam for McAnespie (73).

DUBLIN: E Comerford; E Lowndes, M Fitzsimons, J Cooper; C Mullally, B Howard, J Small; B Fenton, MD Macauley; P Flynn, C O’Callaghan, N Scully; C Costello, P Mannion, D Rock. Subs: R McDaid for Macauley (blood sub 29-35), D Daly for Mullally (49), R Basquel for Flynn (49), C McHugh for Rock (52), C O’Connor for Macauley (56), P Andrews for Costello (61).

REF: D Coldrick (Meath), replaced at half-time by P Hughes (Armagh).

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2018 FL DIVISION 1: Round 7

SUNDAY, MARCH 25: Croke Park

DUBLIN 0-17 MONAGHAN 2-12

Fintan Kelly’s point in the fourth minute of added time saw Monaghan edge out Dublin in this FL1 clash at Croke Park in front of an attendance of 22,085.

There was only time for Evan Comerford’s kickout when the full-time whistle was blown as the Farney County men proved the adage that ‘goals win games’.

However, the Dubs’ league title hopes as still alive as they face Galway, victors over Kildare (0-16 to 0-10), in next Sunday’s decider (4.0).

The sides were level, 0-8 to 1-5, at the break with Vinny Corey hitting the Monaghan goal in the 13th minute butDublin looked to have gained the upperhand inside that last ten minutes following David Byrne’s point to make it 0-15 to 1-10.

Then came Jack McCarron’s crucial goal when his lobbed shot over Comerford dropped just under the crossbar.

Dublin were reduced to 14 men when Philly McMahon, who had scored 0-2 from play, was red-carded on a second yellow offence.

The game concluded in a flurry of scores with Brian Fenton bringing Dublin level before sub McCarron nosed his side back in front.

Brian Howard fired over a super point and it looked like it was headed for a drawn until Monaghan launched one last-gasp attack and were rewarded with Kelly’s winning score.

SCORERS - Monaghan: V Corey, J McCarron 1-1 each, C McCarthy 0-3 (0-2f), C McManus 0-2 (0-1f), D Mone, K Hughes, R McAnespie, K O'Conell, F Kelly 0-1 each. Dublin: D Rock 0-7 (0-5f), P McMahon, B Fenton, B Howard 0-2 each, J Small, N Scully, C Basquel, D Byrne 0-1 each.

MONAGHAN: R Beggan; C Boyle, D Wylie, R Wylie; D Mone, V Corey, K O'Connell; D Hughes, N Kearns; P McKenna, O Duffy, R McAnespie; C McCarthy, K Hughes, C McManus. Subs: F Kelly for McKenna (47), D Ward for Duffy (47), C Walshe for Mone (BC, 56), J McCarron for McCarthy (56), N McAdam for Kearns (59), T Kerr for K Hughes (71).

DUBLIN: E Comerford; M Fitzsimons, P McMahon, D Byrne; D Daly, J Small, B Howard; J McCarthy, B Fenton; S Carthy, C Costello, N Scully; C McHugh, D Rock, K McManamon. Subs: C Basquel for McManamon (44), MD Macauley for Carthy (44), E Murchan for Daly (54), P Small for McHugh (54), E Ó Conghaile for Costello (64).

REF: D Gough (Meath).

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2017 ALL-IRELAND SFC QUARTER-FINAL

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5: Croke Park

DUBLIN 1-19 MONAGHAN 0-12

Dublin strolled to a comfortable victory over Monaghan in this fairly one-sided All-Ireland SFC quarter-final at Croke Park.

The reigning All-Ireland champions simply had too much firepower for an opponent that tried with all their might, but simply couldn’t bridge the gulf in class.

From the start it was clear that Monaghan had set up to contain first, and attack second.

Whenever Dublin had possession the Ulster team funnelled 12 outfield players behind the ball, leaving Conor McManus and Jack McCarron as the only two offensive players.

The problem was that when they did manage to overturn the ball they had so men back that McManus and McCarron were isolated with a prairie of space between them and the next nearest Monaghan man.

Getting the ball into scoring positions was thus difficult, and when they did they weren’t clinical enough as twice McCarron shot wide and on another was blocked down.

Dublin were having no such issues posting scores at the other end of the field.

Paul Mannion hit their first point after just 29 seconds, and that set the tone for what was to follow.

In a 20-minute spell in the first-half they hit seven points with none in reply from Monaghan to take a firm grip on the contest.

Four of those were clinically hit Dean Rock frees, as the Monaghan defence panicked and fouled under the increasing pressure.

By half-time the score read 0-11 to 0-3 in Dublin’s favour, so already the writing was very much on the wall for Monaghan.

They did score the first point of the second-half courtesy of lively sub Conor McCarthy, but normal service soon resumed as Dublin took charge once more.

After Dean Rock pointed another free he then pretty much killed the game as a contest by pouncing for a goal.

When Paddy Andrews claimed a booming Brian Fenton free he cut in toward goal and passed selflessly to Rock who palmed the ball to the net past Rory Beggan. Simple, but deadly.

Monaghan tried to hit back with a goal of their own soon after by quickly taking a free, but once again McCarron couldn’t find the finish as Cluxton stood tall and saved his shot.

After that it was something of a procession for Dublin all the way to the final whistle as they made the most of the opportunity to empty their bench.

They could afford to take off such luminaries as James McCarthy, Ciarán Kilkenny, and Jonny Cooper, but the replacements weren’t too shabby either as the likes of Bernard Brogan, Paul Flynn, Eoghan O’Gara, and Michael Darragh MacAuley came on to stake their claim.

To Monaghan’s credit, they battled right to the end and actually outscored Dublin by five points to two in the final 15 minutes of the match.

In the final reckoning though they came up very much second-best against a superbly drilled Dublin team who look dead set on winning that third All-Ireland title in-a-row.

SCORERS - Dublin: D Rock 1-8 (0-7f, 0-1 '45'), P Andrews, P Mannion 0-3 each, J McCaffrey, C O’Callaghan, J McCarthy, P Flynn, E O’Gara 0-1 each. Monaghan: C McManus 0-4 (0-3f), C McCarthy 0-3, R Beggan (0-1f), C Walshe, K O’Connell, D Hughes, R McAnespie 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P McMahon, C O’Sullivan, M Fitzsimons; J Cooper, J Small, E Lowndes; B Fenton, J McCarthy; C Kilkenny, C O’Callaghan, J McCaffrey; P Mannion, P Andrews, D Rock. Subs: B Brogan for Lowndes (41), D Daly for Small (50), P Flynn for McCarthy (50), E O’Gara for Andrews (54), MD Macauley for Kilkenny (57), D Byrne for Cooper (60).

MONAGHAN: R Beggan; F Kelly, D Wylie, R Wylie; C Walshe, K Duffy, K O’Connell; K Hughes, D Hughes; G Doogan, D Ward, S Carey; R McAnespie, J McCarron, C McManus. Subs: C McCarthy for Doogan (35), O Duffy for Ward (ht), V Corey for R Wylie (44), D Mone for O’Connell (44), D Malone for Carey (55), N McAdam for D Hughes (62).

REF: C Lane (Cork).

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2017 FL DIVISION 1: Round 7

SUNDAY, APRIL 2: St Tiernach's Park, Clones

DUBLIN 2-15 MONAGHAN 1-15

This utterly absorbing showdown in Clones was the most compelling evidence to date that Jim Gavin's All-Ireland champions don't know when they are beaten.

Twice during the third quarter of this St Tiernach's Park thriller, watched by 13,227 rapt witnesses, an ebullient Monaghan led by six points … and still they lost.

Jack McCarron must wonder how that is so. The Currin clubman has been irrepressible this spring but this was his finest hour to date: by the 58th minute he had 1-9 to his name, 1-5 from play.

And still he lost.

How was that so? Well, partly because the hosts probably ran out of gas, reflected in some damaging turnovers in the fourth quarter; but even more so because Dublin regrouped in the face of crisis and found a way.

Crucial to their comeback was Bernard Brogan's goal on 48 minutes, clinically tucked away after Ciaran Kilkenny created the opening.

That cut their deficit to three points, and they eventually drew level via a Dean Rock free in the 67th minute.

With the stage set for a grandstand finish, another Dublin sub – Jack McCaffrey – delivered. Some 12 seconds into the allotted four minutes of stoppage time, the 2015 Footballer of the Year advanced deep into Monaghan terrain and played a one-two with James McCarthy before roofing a shot beyond Rory Beggan.

Incredibly, it was the first time Dublin had led.

The Farney men rallied through a Fintan Kelly point, but Brogan quickly replied at the other end to seal a memorable three-point victory.

SCORERS - Dublin: D Rock 0-5 (0-5f), B Brogan 1-1, J McCaffrey 1-0, C Reddin, P Andrews, J McCarthy 0-2 each, B Fenton, C Kilkenny, P McMahon 0-1 each. Monaghan: J McCarron 1-9 (0-4f), K Hughes 0-2, K O'Connell, C McManus (0-1f), F Kelly 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; M Fitzsimons, D Byrne, P McMahon; J McCarthy, C Reddin, E Lowndes; B Fenton, C Kilkenny; P Flynn, K McManamon, N Scully; D Rock, P Andrews, C McHugh. Subs: B Brogan for McHugh (35), D Connolly for Scully (ht), J McCaffrey for Reddin (41), P Mannion for McManamon (47), C O'Sullivan for Connolly (BC 50), MD Macauley for Flynn (65).

MONAGHAN: R Beggan; F Kelly, D Wylie, R Wylie; D Ward, V Corey, K O'Connell; D Hughes, K Hughes; C Walshe, S Carey, G Doogan; O Duffy, J McCarron, C McManus. Subs: N McAdam for Walshe (inj, 20), K Duffy for D Hughes (BC, 30), D Malone for O Duffy (54), T Kerr for Ward (59), C McCarthy for Doogan (68).

REF: J McQuillan (Cavan).