Mons Depart Station With A Draw
Monaghan United FC left Kildare County’s station road with a point following their 1 all draw on Saturday night last in the FAI eircom League of Ireland. Kildare County sit 4 points above United in the table and there was very little separating the teams on the pitch too.
Early in the game, United’s Willie Doyle had what was the first real chance of the game after Kildare wasted an early corner putting the ball out for a goalkick. Doyle’s dash up the pitch ended with a throw in for Mons but Kildare were soon back in possession. Moments later Doyle was the dangerman again when Peter D’arcy sent the ball into the box. The referee adjudged a hand ball and County were awarded a free killing Mons attack.
County used the free to put in a long shot which skimmed the top of the bar and landed in the netting on top of the Monaghan goals. County were undeterred and Stephen Cooling initiated an attack, passing the ball to ex-Mon Ian Malone. Malone, after some fancy footwork, set Conor McDonald up for a shot but McDonald sent it over the bar.
Kevin Williamson and Peter D’arcy worked well together for United as they fed the ball to Doyle across the pitch from them but Doyle was dispossessed and Kildare’s attack put Alvin Rouse under pressure in the United goals. Williamson & D’arcy continued to hook up throughout the game making life difficult for County’s midfield.
In the 12th minute Kildare came close again when, having won a free, the ball was sent in and glanced off Malone’s head to go wide of the mark. Kildare were not finished yet though and a fine string of passing ensued from Darren Stapleton, Paul Donnelly and Conor McDonald before McDonald passed to Philly Gorman. Gorman, who has found the net on 7 occasions so far in the league, had everyone beaten and looked certain to score but somehow sent the ball wide.
United step it up a notch and D’arcy pushed forward trying to find Robbie Farrell. Kildare were awarded a free but Mons soon had the ball back in their possession. After some hard work by Doyle and Farrell, the ball was fed through to Brian Gannon. Gannon went on the run and sent the ball over to Darren Meenan, whose subsequent shot was saved by the agile Austin O’Neill in Kildare’s goal.
As Kildare prepared for another assault on the Mons goal, Philip Byrne passed to Stephen Cooling but D’arcy was on hand to steal the ball back and once more Gannon and Meenan were the protagonists in United’s attack but Meenan’s shot was scooped up by O’Neill again.
McDonald and Gorman picked up the challenge but the County hitman was left watching his shot go over the bar aided by Barry Burke to win a corner. Kildare’s corner was plucked out of the sky by a courageous Rouse to maintain the status quo.
The game continued in a see-saw manner with United wining a throw. Paul Whelan took the throw and found Farrell who sent it back to Whelan but the ball went out for a Kildare throw. County’s Cooling went back up the pitch and passed to Stapleton but his lazy shot was easily collected by Rouse. Whelan and Meenan teamed up again and Meenan sent a ball in hoping to find Doyle but he just couldn’t get to the cross.
Williamson came close to getting his 2nd league goal of the season when, having passed the ball to Doyle, he received it back but he overshot and Kildare found themselves with a goal kick. As Kildare came back into things, Cooling danced around before passing to Eoghan Carew. Carew send the ball onto Donnelly who in turn found Byrne on the other side of the pitch. Byrne sent the ball goalward but the ever vigilant Rouse made a fine save.
Paul Whelan showed the prowess that has earned him a place on the Irish Colleges team when he harried the Kildare defence and managed to make it look easy when he sought out Meenan. His subsequent ball in was sent out for a corner. D’arcy stepped up to take the corner but the ball went to Kildare.
A Kildare throw saw a resurgence in their form Stapleton and Byrne passed the ball back and forth between them before Stapleton won a free. Byrne’s free came to nothing but Kildare had another shot wide within moments. Shortly after Kildare had another shot saved by Rouse and they kept the pressure on the defence when they won the ball back in midfield.
Burke managed to stop the attack and sent the ball back to Meenan who found a waiting Gannon further up the pitch. Gannon’s shot fell easily to O’Neill however, but United kept him busy by pushing forward and wining a corner. The corner didn’t yield any joy for United but Don Tierney battled hard in the midfield and won the ball. Williamson received Tierney’s ball before passing it to D’arcy.
As United seemed to be building again Doyle sent the ball across the pitch in the hope of finding a team mate but County managed to intercept the pass and Gorman went on the run. United’s defence stood up to the onslaught and soon Meenan was in control of the ball at the other end. He sent in what looked like a perfect cross but the ball just went wide.
United’s determination to score was undented and Doyle was deprived of a first half goal despite working well. Williamson coolly collected the ball from a Kildare player and having nutmegged an oncoming player, was taken down. The resulting free was sent across the pitch but Kildare won it back. Burke put in a textbook tackle to free the ball up and Whelan collected it. United moved swiftly up the pitch and once more Doyle was unlucky not to score when he the ball went narrowly wide bouncing off the side netting having taken a deflection. Mons came close with the corner but O’Neill again managed to get to it before United could put it into the back of the net.
In the dying moments of the half, Williamson sent a tentative long ball in but O’Neill was prepared and caught it without too much bother leaving the scoreline 0-0.
