Monaghan vs. Derry - St Tiernach's Park Clones - 15th March 2015

[Sleater]

A good result, but just an okay performance from Monaghan. Once the goal was disallowed for Derry, you could see their confidence disappear. From where I was sitting, it looked a square ball. I think the dispute was that it was over the line before McGuckian put his hands to it. I was sitting in the seats between 20 and 13 lines and it didn't look over the line to me, before he palmed it. 14 out of 15 pts from play from Monaghan is great but the free taking was way off. Room to improve there. Also I'd say Manzy is wondering how he hit the cross bar when it looked easier to score a goal. Discipline was decent and it makes the Mayo games look like a total aberration now. Squad depth looks good with Lennon, Walshe and McCarron apparently making good progress from their injuries. A pity McGuiness has been set back due to his appendix operation as he was a few weeks from being match fit. The division is still wide open and we're not safe by any means. At least a draw from the next two games will be vital and that will be very hard earned. Results could go our way but you can't rely on that.

[upmonaghansayswe]

Great 2 points yesterday.

On the disallowed goal, McIver said

"As I read it, Benny Heron carried the ball into the square, so when he's in the square and the ball's played, how can it be a square ball? If the ball had been played from a cross, then you could argue, but when Benny is in the square and plays it across, then it can't be a square ball – because the ball's already in the square."

I thought there was no rule at all for a square ball unless from a dead ball? 

[Croí na hÉireann]

From open play the receiving player can't be in the square until after the ball is played.

[macdanger2]

From open play the receiving player can't be in the square until after the ball is played.

Yeah, so if McIver is right then it wasn't a square ball.

[Main Street]

It sounds like it was a righteous goal.

One of the big positives from the O'Rourke era are the senior players discovering a second wind.
Dessie Mone's appetite for scoring points  has increased  to a point where it has become a burning ambition with him, his fitness has improved as well as his football ability.

[Maguire01]

Very tight finish in store, depending on results 6 pts could be enough if just them and one of Tyrone and Donegal finish on the same points but who knows what way this is going to finish. That heavy defeat in Mayo and Monaghans narrow wins don't help their scoring average.

And obviously if we end up with 6 points our scoring difference is only going one way. That dropped point (or two) v Cork...

[Schkite]

It sounds like it was a righteous goal.

One of the big positives from the O'Rourke era are the senior players discovering a second wind.
Dessie Mone's appetite for scoring points  has increased  to a point where it has become a burning ambition with him, his fitness has improved as well as his football ability.

Dessie's performances under Malachy have been remarkable, he's consistently been playing at a high level since he took over, and playing good football too, as opposed to the "spoiler" role he played at corner-back. Great to see him rolling back the years with some great points, alot of people would probably forget he was a corner-forward in his younger days and only only moved back to defence when Banty put him there near the end of the '07 league.

[GrandMasterFlash]

Some great individual performances yesterday; the Wylie brothers, Neil McAdam, Kieran Hughes and of course Dessie Mone who seemed to have the freedom of the parc such was his dynamism. The last point he scored was sublime in that he looked liked he had ran out of both steam and ideas and the next thing he split two defenders and kicked a straight shot from a tight angle.

There was an air of disappointment however; collectively there was some great defensive work that we have come to expect and some great approach play but the finishing let us down I thought. If Derry had of been more purposeful and had a free taker the end result would have been different. The disallowed goal should have been academic as we should have been cantering down the home straight at that stage but we didn't seem to have that ruthlessness which is needed at this level.

In all that negativity I'm delighted that we are now on 6 points and hope that we can get something from the last two games. Monaghan are well able for this division I reckon so it would be nice to be trading there for another year, despite what folk might say about the relevance of league standing.

[GrandMasterFlash]

http://m.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/mone-on-target-to-put-derry-in-danger-31068948.html