Sammon Seals It For City In Mons Friendly

Monaghan United’s pre-season preparations continued with a match against Premier Division side Derry City at the Brandywell on Saturday evening last. The wet windy weather inhibited play somewhat with the wind catching the ball and curling it in all directions on many occasions. Derry came out victors with a 3-2 result in their favour but United can take heart from a at times inspired performance from the team.

Early in the game it looked like Derry might register a score when a not fully cleared corner landed for Eoin Morrison but he shot over the bar. New signing Eoin Lannigan showed great potential with a fine solo run up the pitch but slightly overhit the ball and the tight knit Derry defence shut him down before he could correct his error.

Mons held Derry in the middle of the pitch for some time in the first half with every man working hard to stunt Derry’s progress. United were to come close again when Don Tierney switched the ball but Lannigan just missed out as he was beaten to the ball by Aaron Callaghan.

Conor Sammon demonstrated his quality and why there is such hype about him when a crafty flick of the ball to Kieran Martin almost resulted in a goal. Martin’s shot went wide but was kept in by the wind and Derry had another stab at goal but Brendan Kennedy stood solid and caught the incoming ball.

Paul Whelan once more consolidated his reputation as a fine local player when he made life difficult for Sammon and Morrison. The pair were passing the ball between then as they closed in on the Mons box but “Whealo” had other ideas and a perfectly timed tackle put an end to the attack.

As Mons went on the counter attack Lannigan was knocked off the ball in front of the linesman but no concession was given. Stephen McCrossan, having stepped up a gear, cleverly dispossessed Kevin McHugh and sent the ball to an energetic Darren Meenan. It was clear that the City players saw Meenan as a major threat and he was the target of much zealous tackling. One such tackle led to a free for United but Derry net minder Darren Quigley got to it before McCrossan could get a toe to it.

Mons deprived Derry of an opener when Whelan bravely took on Morrison again and won the ball. Aaron Mooney cleared the ball far up the pitch but the wind caught it and it went out for a goal kick.

It looked like Derry’s duck would be broken when moments later Sammon sent in a cracking shot. Mons goalie Kennedy managed to block the ball but Derry kept the pressure up and as United’s defence struggled to clear, Sammon had another clear cut chance but somehow missed the target and headed the ball wide.

Derry got the much desired goal when McHugh rolled the ball over the line with the Mons defence in disarray. United came back into the game and a free awarded for Meenan being taken down again looked like a perfect scoring opportunity. James Hand stepped up to take the free from the edge of the box. Unfortunately, aided by the strong winds, Hand’s ball curled around the wrong side of the far post.

Aaron Callaghan took off down the wing with the ball from the goal kick before passing to Morrison. Rory Higgins was the next to receive the ball and sent it in for Sammon to put away, but Kennedy had other ideas and was perfectly placed to catch the ball.

City were not finished scoring though and Sammon got his much deserved first goal when the ball, caught by the wind, changed direction leaving Kennedy committed in the wrong position and bounced in off the post.

The game returned to the midfield for much of the remainder of the half but Lannigan, with great speed, ran onto the ball and looked like he may just make something of it. Derry’s defence reacted quickly and his run was ended. As the ball came back out Wayne Byrne tried to chip it over the goal keeper but he was off the mark and the ball went wide.

Meenan’s skill shone through as he pushed for on for Mons. His shot was on target but Quigley saved with ease. United won two throws in quick succession and put Derry’s defence under pressure. A cool and calm Meenan nutmegged his marker but Whelan and Byrne were caught on the hop and the ball went out. The first half ended 2-1 to the home team.

Manager Mick Cooke, eager to get as many players a game as possible, substituted Lannigan and Hand at half time and brought Robbie Collins and Philip Sheppard into the game. His Derry counterpart, Steven Kenny, likewise brought on Gareth McMenamin to replace Stephen Grey.

As the players tried to settle into the 2nd half, there was a comedic goal mouth scramble while the wind whipped the ball around in the Monaghan box. Whelan was able to eventually get to the ball and cleared by hitting the back of a Derry players head before the ball finally went out.

Byrne and Sheppard combined well as they sought a goal but despite his best efforts, “Shep” watched helplessly as his shot was blown wayward by the increasing wind. Kevin Williamson danced effortlessly around the Derry players as he progressed up the pitch but Tierney, making his only mistake of the day, mistimed his run and the ball was back in City’s possession.

McHugh was almost celebrating a brace moments later. Having rounded the Mons defence his shot hit the side netting leaving him frustrated as he had only the keeper to beat. Meenan made a joke of Niall McGinn by once more sliding the ball between his marker’s legs. He was taken down as he rounded McGinn to gather the ball and United were awarded a free. This free went wasted but things were on the up for Mons when another free was awarded for a hand ball.

Cooke sought to liven things up a bit with fresh legs he brought on new signing Darragh Hanaphy to replace Wayne Byrne while the ball was out of play. The free was then taken and Meenan was only too happy to slam the ball into the back of the net having left Quigley stranded with his powerful strike.

Derry fans were on their feet celebrating when Kennedy was well beaten and the ball was in the back of the net once more, but their jubilation was short lived as the goal was disallowed for off side.

Paddy McCourt took to the pitch for the first time in the game as he was substituted on for McHugh. His presence seemed to lift the Derry team again and Sammon did what he does best and put City 3-1 up when the linesman failed to flag a clear off side.

Justice was served within minutes when McGlynn, assisted by Whelan, brought United back into things by scoring an own goal. United made another change and brought Ciaran O’Reilly on for the hard working Tierney giving O’Reilly his first game in the Mons colours.

Sammon was still in pursuit of goal when a Derry free, missed by the Mons defence, landed for him. He managed to get a toe to it but the ball rolled across the line for a goal kick. Cooke then made the decision to bring on Danny Woods for Brendan Kennedy and Woods was called into action straight away when McGinn combined with McCourt to send in a shot but Woods was ready to go and saved the ball without difficulty.

Meenan again was targeted by Derry and shoved off the ball when he went on a goal seeking run. The Referee didn’t see the foul and the game continued. Kevin Deery limped off the pitch as United were trying to revive their game and he was promptly replaced by Eddie McCallion. Ex Kildare County Player Hanaphy finally found his feet and played some clever football before passing to Meenan. Meenan crossed the ball in front of the goal but there was no one there to pick up on it and the attack died off.

Mooney was called upon to do what he does best and illustrated why he won Player of the Year for the 2007 season with some wonderful defending which kept Derry’s goal hungry strikers at bay. He sent the ball back up the pitch and Hanaphy latched onto it and was away like a shot. As he looked on for goal, he was taken off the ball and may have deserved a penalty but the ref waved the game on.

Derry took the chance and went off down the pitch again but had another goal disallowed due to off side. As Derry stepped things up again, Collins had to think quick and just avoided scoring an og as he tipped the ball back to Woods.

United weren’t ready to lie down yet and won a corner due to their unending persistence. O’Reilly got his chance to shine but his shot was too soft and Quigley scooped it up.

The game continued to present chances to Derry but the linesman called offside as yet again Derry rattled the back of the Monaghan net. The game died off a little and neither teams looked like adding to their tally. Time ran down and Derry left the pitch winners but United were content with a much improved 2nd half performance and a good training exercise to boot.

DERRY CITY: Quigley, Hutton, Grey (McMenamin), Higgins, Martin, McHugh (McCourt), Sammon, Callaghan, Deery (McCallion), McGinn, Morrison. Subs not used: Doherty, Harkin, Sharkey

MONAGHAN UNITED: Kennedy (Woods), Whelan, Mooney, Williamson, Malone, Tierney (O’Reilly), Meenan, McCrossan, Lannigan (Sheppard), Byrne (Hanaphy), Hand (Collins).