Monaghan 1-17 Cavan 2-15: Breffni stun rivals with extra-time win
Cavan defeated neighbours Monaghan in the first game of the 2020 Football Championship, in an extra-time nail-biter. Seamus 'Banty' McEnaney's side are the first team knocked out in the race for the Sam Maguire Cup.
Saturday 31 October 2020 20:35, UK
Cavan stunned Monaghan after extra-time in Clones to eliminate the Farney County from the 2020 Football Championship, winning 2-15 to 1-17.
Goalkeeper Raymond Galligan landed a long-range free deep into injury-time to seal the one-point win, as the Breffni County edged their neighbours in the first knockout game between the sides since 1995.
Cavan's win in 2019 was based on the strong foundations of a fast start, and they got off to a flyer. Oisin Pierson's opportunistic low shot beat Rory Beggan into the far low corner, as the Breffni County moved into a 1-2 to 0-1 lead after 10 minutes.
However playing with a strong wind at their back, Monaghan didn't panic. Indeed, they only allowed the concession of two more scores in the entirety of the half.
As the game wore on, McManus grew into the contest. He kicked a string of impressive points, as the home side looked to establish a significant wind at the break.
Cavan were just about hanging in there, after weathering three Farney goal chances. However, moments before half-time the breakthrough came. Kieran Duffy broke down the right wing, before sending a delightful through-ball to the Clontibret forward who slid it under the on-rushing Raymond Galligan for a 1-11 to 1-4 half-time lead.
Playing into the stiff breeze after the break, Monaghan looked to defend their lead. But their cagey approach back-fired, as Cavan slowly worked their way back into the contest.
A string of successive Gearoid McKiernan efforts swung the momentum and dragged them back into the contest.
And a late Gerard Smith point brought it level at 1-13 to 1-13, forcing extra-time.
Monaghan got their noses in front once more to take a two-point advantage into half-time of extra-time, but a Martin Reilly goal swung the contest. The veteran palmed the ball into the empty net, after man of the match Thomas Galligan hand-passed the ball across the square.
Rory Beggan thought he had ensured it would go to penalties with a free, but there was to be one final twist as goalkeeper Galligan held his nerve to seal victory.
Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Kieran Duffy, Conor Boyle, Ryan Wylie; Dessie Ward, Fintan Kelly, Karl O'Connell; Darren Hughes, Kieran Hughes; Ryan McAnespie, Micheál Bannigan, Drew Wylie; Stephen O'Hanlon, Conor McCarthy, Conor McManus.
Cavan: Raymond Galligan; Jason McLoughlin, Killian Clarke, Killian Brady; Gerard Smith, Ciaran Brady, Luke Fortune; James Smith, Padraig Faulkner; Martin Reilly, Gearoid McKiernan, Oisin Kiernan; Oisin Pierson, Stephen Smith, Cormac O'Reilly.
