NFL Division 2: Louth 1-21 Monaghan 1-27
When Rory Beggan saw Sam Mulroy’s penalty dribble past him, the totemic shot-stopper dusted himself down and did not panic.
There were two minutes remaining, but no alarm bells rang in the Scotstown man’s ears, just pure focus, despite the delirium in front of him.
Louth had whittled Monaghan’s lead from 17 points down to a frenzied three. In the midst of that chaos, Louth crossed the line to leave only two players up.
The punishment for the demeanour, a 13-metre free, was an easy out to halt Louth’s 1-9 to no score run.
However, Beggan never blinked, marched up the field and brought the ball back beyond the arc and closed out the game in that unassuming style of his. Clutch indeed.
Plenty of NFL practice last March was paid back when needed most for Gabriel Bannigan’s side.
Beggan’s absence last season may have been a key reason for their relegation from the top tier, but he is one of the main reasons why they now look set for a swift return.
Louth on the other hand were looking like a team in the division below in that one-sided opening half that saw them completely outplayed 1-19 to 0-7 at the turn.
Beggan’s Scotstown club mate Conor McCarthy was his devastating best in a first half where the Farney men only kicked one wide.
Pushing right up the field, McCarthy had the whole left flank to himself at times, his outside-of-the-boot effort had the stand in awe.
Andrew Woods, Micheál Bannigan and Stephen O’Hanlon were brilliantly accurate but McCarthy was the catalyst.
Punishing a forced Louth attack before half-time, McCarthy nestled home a goal Louth so badly needed.
Ger Brennan read the riot act before the half-time team talk with a quadruple substitution and the ploy worked.
Louth were transformed in the second half, one of those replacements Paul Mathews had four points in the third quarter alone. Mulroy’s placed kicks had Monaghan rattled, but not Beggan.
LOUTH: N McDonnell; D Nally, D Campbell, D McKenny; L Grey, P Lynch, L Jackson, T Durnin (0-0-1), C Byrne; C McKeever (0-0-1), S Mulroy (1-3-6; 1-0 pen, 3tpf, 4f, 1′45), C Grimes (0-0-1); D McConnon (0-0-1), K McArdle, R Burns (0-0-1).
Subs: P Mathews (0-1-2) for Byrne, T McDonnell for Jackson, P Grimes Murphy for McConnon, S Reynolds for McArdle (all 30 mins); T Jackson for Grimes Murphy (68).
MONAGHAN: R Beggan; R Wylie (0-0-1), K Lavelle, D Byrne; K Duffy (0-1-0), R O’Toole, C McCarthy (1-1-2); M McCarville, G McPhillips; S O’Hanlon (0-1-2), M Bannigan (0-0-3; 1m), C McNulty (0-0-1); A Woods (0-0-4), J McCarron (0-0-2; 1f), D Garland (0-0-1).
Subs: B McCaul for McPhillips (44 mins), J Irwin for McNulty (55), G Mohan for Garland (60), D Hughes for Irwin (65-68, blood), Hughes for McCarville (68), S Mooney for McCarron (71).
Referee: S Mulhare (Laois).
