Gabriel Bannigan says football’s new rules are just fine by free-scoring Monaghan who are on the brink of a return to Division 1.
The Farney are two points clear at the head of Division 2 and will be promoted next weekend if they pick up a draw or better at home to Down.
A defeat might even suffice depending on results elsewhere though it’s hard to imagine them losing if they repeat this performance.
Captain Micheal Bannigan led the scoring with eight points but they had threats all over the pitch.
They slotted six two-pointers in all including two from sub Jack McCarron while Andrew Woods struck their goal.
Stephen O’Hanlon was terrific too and goalkeeper Rory Beggan even got in on the attacking, continuing his roving goalie role despite the latest rules tweak.
Boss Bannigan said: “The new rules suit more attacking football and we have plenty of good attacking players.
“When we get them all on the pitch at the same time, you’re seeing that cohesion. You’re looking for pace, movement and plenty of cohesion and that’s probably the thing I was most pleased about.
“We didn’t change the way we approached the game even though we were coming up against a team with more big men. We focused on getting the ball down and playing with our pace and our power and it worked well.”
Ryan McAnespie burst clear to set up Woods for Monaghan’s 21st minute goal and they followed it up with three pointers in a two-minute blitz.
By half-time the 2023 All-Ireland semi-finalists were 1-20 to 0-8 clear. It made a mockery of pre-match predictions that in-form Meath might score a landmark win to move closer to promotion themselves.
Meath can still go up but need to beat Louth next weekend, away, and hope results elsewhere are kind.
Meath manager Robbie Brennan said of Monaghan’s six two-pointers: “We didn’t defend well enough. We were sitting too deep in the arc and they put them over without much pressure on them really.”
Meath were without regulars Mathew Costello, Shane Walsh, Adam O’Neill and Ronan Jones. Brennan said they currently have around 10 panel members nursing hamstring injuries.
Things got a little better for Meath after the restart. Aaron Lynch lent punch to their attack when he came on, passing across to captain Eoghan Frayne for a 37th minute palmed goal.
Lynch also scored two points and Ruairi Kinsella, another sub, drilled over two two-pointers.
But a comeback win was never on the cards and between O’Hanlon, McCarron and the excellent Bannigan, Monaghan had enough quality to keep themselves in the clear.
The decision to keep using Beggan as an attacking player in the opposition’s half was interesting too.
“Teams now have to drop a player back if their ‘keeper crosses the half-way line, making it not worth the gamble in most cases.
But Beggan got forward to set up two points in the first-half alone and Monaghan even kept All-Star Conor McCarthy back at one stage in the second-half to allow Beggan up the pitch.
Boss Bannigan said: “Rory will come up the field and add value to our attack. He just has to be more selective now in terms of when to do it.”
Monaghan 1-29
Meath 1-20
Monaghan: R Beggan 0-4, 2 tpf; D Byrne, K Lavelle, R O’Toole; L Kelly, R Wylie, C McCarthy 0-2; G Mohan 0-2, tp, M McCarville; R McAnespie 0-1, M Bannigan 0-8, 1 tp, 2f, 1m, C McNulty 0-1; D Garland, A Woods 1-0, S O’Hanlon 0-4.
Subs; K Duffy for Lavelle 6, J McCarron 0-7, 2tp, 2f for Kelly 18, D Ward for McAnespie 52, J Wilson for Garland 62, D Hughes for Mohan 67.
Meath: B Hogan; D Keogan, S Rafferty, S Lavin; E Harkin, S Ryan, C Caulfield; J Flynn 0-1, B Menton 0-1; K Curtis, J Kinlough 0-2, C Duke; J Morris 0-4, 1f, C McBride, E Frayne 1-6, 0-3f, 1 tpf.
Subs: B O’Halloran for Ryan h/t, A Lynch 0-2, 1m for McBride h/t, R Kinsella 0-4, 2 tp for Curtis 47, S Walsh for Harkin 64.
Ref: A Nolan (Wicklow).
