In conditions similar to the Mons visit to Station Road in March, United were badly beaten when Kildare County came to Kingspan Century Park last Friday night. Wind and driving rain left the teams struggling to play any kind of decent football.

Within seconds of kick off, Kildare had sent a free kick in but United’s Alvin Rouse was primed and ready and easily made the save. United turned the tables and headed for Kildare’s half with Robbie Farrell in the hunt for goal but to no avail.

Kildare won another free on well into United’s half but despite managing to get the ball around the Monaghan wall, the ball went well wide of the mark. United replied in what was an even matched contest so far but Steven Feeney’s lax pass went straight to the waiting Kildare defence. Kevin Williamson sent in a determined effort shortly after but Austin O’Neill was onto it in a flash and made it safe for the County.

United came up with some fine flowing football despite the weather when Barry Burke and Aaron Mooney hooked up and sent a ball into Willie Doyle. Doyle did well to control the ball using his head and had beaten 2 defenders but once more O’Neill was able to keep the threat at bay. Moments later a call for hand ball was ignored by the Referee as it seemed a Kildare player handled the ball in the box when Robbie Farrell was in pursuit of goal.

In the 24th minute, United let a set piece put Kildare in front when a Barry Clancy corner fell to Sean L’Estrange and the Kildare number 2 made no mistake on the far post slotting past Rouse. Kildare kept the pressure on and a series of corners were awarded to County until Philip Gorman added to the Kildare tally in the 60th minute.

Kildare still didn’t let up and Rouse was kept on his toes with the Thoroughbreds winning some frees in the danger zone. A Kildare free on the edge of the box came close to enhancing their lead even further but L’Estrange sent the ball soaring over the bar.

United kept the heads up and went back on the attack. Farrell set Finbar Heffernan up with a great cross and Heffernan’s volley bounced gleefully into the back of the net. Just before the half time whistle, Farrell almost equalised with a fine shot but the ball hit the side netting following a fluffed clearance by Kildare.

When the game resumed, there was more urgency about the United team and they won corner after corner in their attempt to find the back of the net. Paul Whelan met one of the corners with his head but the ball bounced off the inside corner of the goal post and was made safe by O’Neill. Kildare responded with their own set of corners but neither team were able to make the set pieces count.

Despite being the team on the up in the 2nd half, United were unable to find the net again and County sealed their fate when Gerard Robinson, against the run of play, struck with precision when Rouse came too far off his line and County were celebrating again.

With 5 minutes of time left on the clock, Kildare’s goalie O’Neill was red carded for his foul on Darren Meenan when he did a “clothes line” wrestling move on the incoming Meenan. Sub goalie Colin Cassidy stepped between the posts and was glad to see the Monaghan free go over the bar for a corner to allow him to catch his breath.

Despite United continuing to push, the game ended with a disappointing 1-3 scoreline in a hard fought game of many chances.

MONAGHAN UNITED: Rouse, Burke, McCluskey (Meenan 65), Whelan, Mooney, Gannon, Heffernan, Feeney, Farrell, Doyle, Williamson.

KILDARE COUNTY: O'Neill, L'Estrange, Byrne, McDermott, Stapleton, Kavanagh (Rigney h/t), McCrossan, Donnelly, Clancy (Cassidy 86); Gorman, Robinson (Barrett 84 min).
REFEREE: Conor Fitzgerald