Cooke’s Coup In Signing Premier Division Duo

Monaghan United’s Manager Mick Cooke has pulled off a stunning double Premier Division signing in the forms of Sligo Rover’s Jason McCartney and St Patrick’s Athletic’s Luke Fitzgerald.

Twenty year old McCartney has just been released by Sligo Rovers where he was a regular on the Premier Division squad and the talented winger, who has come up through the ranks at Rovers, is eager to make an impression at Monaghan United.

Midfielder Luke Fitzpatrick is a major signing for United and was being sought by other teams including a Premier Division team. Fitzpatrick came on as a substitute in St Pat’s heartbreaking penalties defeat to Derry City in the 2006 FAI Cup Final and was a regular on the bench for the Premier Division team in the past few years. He was also the winner of the Under 21 Player of the Year award at the club in 2005.

These 2 signings show Mick Cooke’s determination to bring this team further up the table.

CAT’S NEXT ON HITLIST
Monaghan United’s next FAI eircom League of Ireland game is this Friday at Kingspan Century Park against bottom of the table Kilkenny City. United will be well up for this match on the back of their 1-1 draw in Kildare last week and their 2-0 defeat of Wexford Youths at home the previous week. United’s recent form has been bolstered by the arrival of new signings Don Tierney and Wayne Burns and it is hoped that the arrival of more signings including former Sligo Rovers player Jason McCartney and Luke Fitzpatrick from St. Patrick’s Athletic, who both signed for United on Tuesday, will strengthen the squad further.

United will be eager to continue their movement up the table and hope that a good home crowd against Kilkenny will spur the team on as they try to gain all 3 points. If they can achieve this, they will face into the toughest of their two games, against Finn Harps away and Dundalk at home, with spirits raised.


UNDER 21’S AT FOYLE CUP INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
This week sees the Monaghan United Under 21’s side take part in the Foyle Cup in Derry. This is a week long International Tournament and United will be hoping to go one step further than last year when United finished runners up to IFK Gothenburg from Sweden. The schedule for the week sees United play Derry City followed by TUS Altenberge from Cologne in Germany and finally they play the Ulster University Select side.

This will be a very difficult assignment but United will travel in a confident mood and all the squad reported fully fit following Sunday’s final training session. The side is managed by John Heffernan and coached by United Head Coach Thomas Heffernan.

Manager John Heffernan stated that the players are looking forward to the challenge and are determined to go all the way this time. However, he pointed out that only 6 of the this squad were at the Foyle Cup last year and he hopes the young players will benefit from the experience of living like professionals for one week. It is important for a club like Monaghan to be part of these International events and to help our young players develop.

United will include 6 players under 18 in the squad and the experience will be invaluable to them. The United squad and their sponsors are as follows:

Goalkeepers:
Ronan McGann (Monaghan Shopping Centre)
Finbar Prunty (Toal’s, Smithboro)

Defenders:
Tommy Toal
Patrick Finnegan (Finnegan Electrical)
Tiarnach McGinnity
Anthony Breslin (Acheson & Glover)

Midfielders:
Stephen Finnegan (Pure Spring Water)
Dermot Malone
Gerard Reilly (Elliott Construction, Cavan)
Khalid Hussain (First Active, Monaghan)
Kian Mackey

Attackers:
Blaine Nugent
Mark O’Connor (First Active, Monaghan)
Jimmy Fallon (Moffett Engineering)
Shane Reavey (Conlan’s Coaches Clones/ Riverside TSP, Clontibret)

Coach:
Thomas Heffernan (Aairex Engineering)

MONS INTO SEMI’S OF NORTH EAST CUP
Monaghan United Ladies returned to winning ways when they gave Park Villa of Navan a trouncing on Wednesday last. United Ladies, in an effort to redeem themselves after last week’s shock cup exit in the WFAI Junior Cup, attacked from the kick off and were a goal up after two minutes when an Orla Callan shot was deflected into the Park Villa net. ON the 19th minute United went two up when Charlene Graham’s shot came back off the post and she then coolly slotted the ball home at the second attempt. Six minutes later Caroline Griffen, who had moved to Centre Forward from her regular Centre Half position, fired an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner of the net in which the Park Villa ‘keeper was unable to hold. Half time 3-0.

United continued where they left off in the 2nd half with another 2 goals within 4 minutes. Firstly Orla Callen gained her second of the night when under pressure from 2 defenders she flicked the ball to her left and volleyed it into the top left corner of the net. Charlene Graham then had her shot bounce off the post and into the net to make it 5-0.

Two minutes later Park Villa pulled one back when a 25 yard free kick sailed over everyone’s head into the roof of the net. However, on the 63rd minute, Charlene Graham grabbed her hat-trick with another fine shot past the ‘keeper hitting the post as it went in.

On the 75th minute Orla Callen got her hat-trick when she brought a pass from Nikita Cassidy under control to hit a cracking shot into the roof of the net. With 8 minutes to go Caroline Griffen gained a brace when her header from a Charlene Graham corner found the back of the net making it 8-1 to United.

United made 3 substitutions bringing on Nwanneka Chukwuemeka, Devon Aughey-Evans and Orlaith Gillanders on to replace Mary Croarkin, Sharon McAree and Donna Toal.

LADIES NOTES:
Bon Voyage!
All at Monaghan United wish goalkeeper Deirdre McAleer all the best as she emigrates to America this week. Good luck in your new career Deirdre and don’t forget to keep up to date on all the goings on at United via www.monaghanunited.ie !

Training:
Ladies training takes place this Friday evening at 6.15 sharp at Kingspan Century Park.

Next Match:
Monaghan United Ladies are away to Trim Celtic next Monday leaving Kingspan Century Park at 5pm.

Player of the Month:
Congratulations to Centre Half/Forward Caroline Griffen on winning Monaghan United/ESPRIT Ladies Player of the Month award for June.


MONAGHAN UNITED FUN FOOTBALL CAMP IS BACK!
Following the success of Monaghan United’s Fun Football Camp in early July, it has been decided, at the request of many parents, to run another week of football. The camp will run from 20th until the 27th August and will consist of a week of coaching and an Astro Park Futsal Blitz.

The cost of the camp is €50 and each child will be given a football to take home. Booking early is advised to avoid disappointment. Contact Colm on 087 2544682 or Thomas on 086 1081572 for bookings and more information.

FAI SUMMER CAMPMonaghan United hosted the recent FAI Summer Camp at Kingspan Century Park this week and once more it was great to hear the sounds of children filling the ground.

Congratulations to Tom Mohan and all involved in running the successful week of football.

All children who signed up for the Monaghan United Free Pass are reminded that they can use this pass at any FAI eircom League of Ireland game at Kingspan Century Park including this Friday’s game against Kilkenny City. Kick off at 8pm, all children must be accompanied by an adult.

SYMPATHY
Monaghan United FC extend their sympathies to Steward and Fan James McCaffery and his daughter Denise on the recent death of James’ uncle Paddy McMahon.