Monaghan Rugby Club came from 12 points behind early in the second half to beat Donaghadee 25-17 with a bonus point at IJM Park on Saturday, 17 October, a result that leaves them comfortably inside the top three of the Ulster Championship 3 table, the Anglo-Celt reports.
How the game went
Monaghan dominated the opening ten minutes, much of it inside the visitors' 22, but could not turn that pressure into points, and struggled with handling errors in the low autumn sun. Donaghadee scored the first try about a quarter of an hour in, through Matthew Stockton according to the visitors' own match report, and led 5-0 at half-time. Monaghan's Dick Carleton was sin-binned for a high tackle in the 36th minute, and Donaghadee's report says a player from each side spent time in the bin.
Just before Carleton returned, Donaghadee scored a converted try, Ryan Butler running in and Cohen Hurley converting, to lead 12-0. Gareth Graham replied with a 49th-minute try which he converted himself, but Donaghadee scored a third try in the 57th minute to go 17-7 ahead.
A strong final quarter
The last quarter belonged to Monaghan. Simon O'Connell scored out wide in the 61st minute and Jamie Sherlock burrowed over from a ruck to level the game in the 66th. O'Connell then put Monaghan in front for the first time, and secured the four-try bonus point, with a try in the 72nd minute. With three minutes left, Graham kicked a penalty from in front of the posts to make it 25-17, which also denied Donaghadee a losing bonus point. The referee was Andrew McConville.
Donaghadee's report, by Geoff Ingham, called it a disappointing result after holding a ten-point lead with twenty minutes to go, and said Monaghan had "collectively" shown "a greater will to win" in the final quarter.
Team and next game
Monaghan: Jamie Sherlock, Daniel McGregor, Richard Carleton, Ciaran McKenna, Padraic Doolan, Kieran Conlon, Liam Hamill, Will Arkell (capt); Carl Foentjies, Gareth Graham, Karl McKenna, Charlie McElroy, Simon O'Connell, Alex Lafferty, Josh Graham. Subs: Rory McKenna, Callum Madden, Shane Deery.
Monaghan travel to Belfast on Saturday, 24 October, to play old rivals BHSFP, with kick-off at 2.30pm.
