The opening period was the stuff of nightmares for Gabriel Bannigan and Co. Trailing 2-10 to 0-6 at the break, the Aughnamullen man must have had flashbacks to the hammerings Monaghan took during the League. Even if there was belief inside the dressing-room, there wasn’t much faith outside of it. There were reports of pubs across Armagh City filling up with Monaghan fans in the second-half — most of them young, and still wet behind the ears. We all know what happens next — even if we didn’t believe it could happen again. Trailing by 11 in the second half, Monaghan’s two-point shooting dragged them back into the game. By the time the hooter sounded there was nobody going anywhere. Well, that’s not strictly true. Most people in the ground — including the referee, gatekeeper of the rule-book — thought that the game was over.
Far from it.
Fans flooded the field, some Monaghan players sunk to their hunkers. A gallant performance, but it looked like it was over. However for Rory Beggan and Davy Garland, there hadn’t been enough dramatics. Monaghan teams have been defying the odds for a long time, but changing a referee’s mind must be among their best achievements. Every spectacle needs a showstopper. Of all the great scores Jack McCarron has kicked for Monaghan, few — if any — compare to the shot that sent Monaghan to extra-time. The next 20 minutes felt like an entirely different game. As the clock ticked on, the crowd could sense the belief growing in the Monaghan players — and it draining from the Derry players. The noise inside the ground was taken up a level, as it dawned on everybody in the stadium something special was unfolding before them. And yet, Monaghan still trailed with 30 seconds left on the clock! At this stage, even the most die-hard of Monaghan fans felt that their goose was well and truly cooked. That was until, Conor McCarthy plucked one from the sky, felt the contact, hit the deck, and gave Rory Beggan a chance to win it. It felt like an eternity before he actually struck the ball. When he did, the result was never in doubt. Beggan wheeled away in celebration, and was immediately swarmed by the onrushing Monaghan fans. This time there could be no doubt — it was over.
A fitting crescendo to the most dramatic of days.
Maitiu Monaghan puts some semblance of normality on a surreal Ulster semi final
