Valiant effort but Down fall short against Monaghan

​A tremendous effort just wasn't enough, as Down faded at the finish of their All-Ireland Championship clash with Monaghan who won by four points in the end of this thrilling, high quality match.

With three wins from three, the Farney men booked their place in the last eight, while Conor Laverty's men are back in action in the preliminary quarter-finals next weekend in Pairc Esler - their opponents determined after the draw tomorrow morning [Monday].

Despite the result, a spread of nine scorers including Man-of-the-Match Pat Havern who hit 0-12, wasn't the only pleasing aspect of Down's performance, as defensively they also played a blinder for the most part and it could be argued that a few mistakes around the rules and a bit of luck for Monaghan cost them the game.

For Monaghan's second goal, Jack McCarron, appeared to be pick the ball up off the ground and Down were punished by a couple of gifted Rory Beggan two-point frees.

But there were outstanding performances for Down all over the Box-it Athletic Grounds pitch, not least from Danny Magill, Odhran Murdock, Daniel Guinness and Ryan McEvoy, although Monaghan had players such as Ryan Wylie, Dylan Byrne, Michael Bannigan, Stephen O'Hanlon and Beggan to counteract, and their bench had a massive impact with McCarron hitting 1-3 and Louis Kelly proving a real handful on his championship debut.

It was end-to-end from start to finish and while Monaghan got off to a better start the sides were level five times in the first half and twice more in the second. Down led by a point 1-15 to 1-14 at the break and had increased that to four early in the second half.

But that second Monaghan goal proved crucial and it was nip and tuck again after that until the aforementioned rule breach when Monaghan were two points to the good. Soon it was five and Down just couldn't find a way back.

Played at a breakneck speed, with top spot in the group at stake, it was Gabriel Bannigan's men who began the better with points from O'Hanlon, Adam Woods and Michael Bannigan in the first six minutes.

Murdock almost wiped those scores out with a maximum effort in the seventh minute but he was denied with a brilliant block by Wylie before Daniel Guinness was fouled and Havern set out his stall with a pin-point two-point free to open Down's account.

But that score was cancelled out on 11 minutes when Havern was punished for over-carrying and then delaying handing over the ball as Monaghan netminder Beggan replied in kind to make it 0-5 to 0-2. Traded scores between Ceilum Doherty and Ryan O'Toole kept the margin intact, but Down were in front for the first time with four on the board from Havern through a brace of frees either side of a two-pointer from play that floated high over the bar set up sweetly by Daniel Guinness.

The way games can change in an instant was proven at that juncture however as within 60 seconds Michael McCarville and Conor McCarthy nailed two from outside the arc to give Monaghan a 0-10 to 0-7 lead with 18 minutes on the clock.

Two minutes later though the game was squared again following some stellar work in their own half by Down whereby Havern, Adam Crimmins and Daniel Guinness worked hard to keep possession and work get the ball forward to Ryan McEvoy. He booted on to John McGeough who fired past Beggan into the net.

The next four scores were traded between Dessie Ward, Havern, Aaron Carey and Adam Crimmins before another from Havern was followed by a stunning two-pointer by Danny Magill to put Down three to the good 1-12 to 0-12.

There was no shaking Monaghan however who were aided when Daniel Guinness lost the ball through his legs on his way out of his own half. Ryan McAnespie picked it up and played on to Bannigan who slid past Down goalkeeper Ronan Burns to square proceedings once more. Down responded well with the next three points from Magill, whose shot on goal was well saved by Beggan who pushed the ball over the bar, Daniel Guinness and Murdock. But Beggan nailed a two-point free with the last play of the half to narrow the margin to a point at the break.

The pace was just as intense – if not even more-so in the second half with the first four points shared before once again Magill and a two-point free from Havern saw Down pull away to lead by four 1-20 to 1-16.

But again Monaghan replied, firstly by almost scoring a goal through Ryan McAnespie who was denied with his initial shot through a combination of Danny Magill and Burns before the rebound was cleared off the line by Paddy McCarthy.

But then when the experienced McCarron was sprung from the bench, he hit the target on 50 minutes on the third time of asking. Burns saved a shot by Conor McCarthy and the rebound from Bannigan hit the post before it was third time lucky for McCarron – in fact there was more luck than that involved as the pick up off the ground wasn't spotted and the goal stood.

Kelly then tagged on a point to make it 1-20 to 2-17 – but Down weren't out yet by any means.

The end-to-end battle continued and it was all square again 1-24 to 2-21 with 58 minutes on the clock but Monaghan's experience showed in the last 10 minutes scoring three of the next four points to lead by two.

The turning point for Down arrived on 65 minutes however when they were in possession with Havern about to shoot. Meath referee David Coldrick was alerted to a breech of the four players back rule and Monaghan were gifted another a two-point free opportunity with Beggan making no mistake as expected. Another Farney sub David Garland made it a five-point game and it was clear when Havern missed a free – his only one off target of the day and Pierce Laverty saw his point effort come back off the post, that Down's resolve was finally broken. It may have been a temporary set-back but time was not on their side and while Conor McCrickard converted a free in the dying seconds it mattered little as Monaghan had done enough to claim a 2-27 to 1-26 victory.

​MATCH STATS

Down: R Burns; P McCarthy, P Fegan, C Doherty (0-01); R Magill, P Laverty, M Rooney; D Guinness (0-02), R McEvoy; D Magill (0-04,1tp), O Murdock (0-02, 0-1f), A Crimmins (0-02); J Guinness, P Havern (0-12, 2tpf, 3f, 1tp), J McGeough (1-00)

Subs: C Mooney for J Guinness (h-t), E Brannigan (0-01) for Rooney (53), C McCrickard (0-02, 1f) for McGeough (55)

Monaghan: R Beggan (0-06,3tpf); R Wylie, K Duffy, D Byrne; R O'Toole (0-02), D Ward (0-02), C McCarthy (0-02, 1tp); M McCarville (0-02,1tp), K Lavelle; S O'Hanlon (0-03), M Bannigan (1-02), R McAnespie; A Carey (0-01), A Woods (0-02), S Mooney

Subs: J McCarron (1-03, 1f,1tp) for Mooney h-t, L Kelly (0-01) for Lavelle (48), D Garland (0-01) for Woods (55), D Hughes for Duffy (59), A McClements for Crimmins (66)

Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)

​