Tyrone 1-18 Monaghan 2-17: Farney men snatch dramatic Ulster win over Red Hands

Ryan O'Toole's last-gasp goal earned Monaghan a stunning 2-17 to 1-18 win over Tyrone as the Ulster Championship came to life at Healy Park.

Tyrone looked in control as Darragh Canavan's 1-4 haul helped them lead 1-10 to 0-8 at half-time.

But Monaghan were a changed team in the second half and Stephen O'Hanlon's goal put them ahead in the 56th minute.

Tyrone looked to have won as two Darren McCurry points put them one up deep in injury-time before O'Toole's strike.

It was an audacious finish by the Scotstown man with a fisted equaliser looking the obvious option as he cut inside from the right flank but instead his low shot whizzed underneath Niall Morgan to put Monaghan ahead in the sixth and final allotted minute of added time.

• Relive Monaghan's dramatic Ulster win over Tyrone

There was still time for Tyrone to produce late pressure but Monaghan held on to clinch a thoroughly deserved win.

And their celebrations at the finish suggested that the Ulster Championship does indeed still matter.

Monaghan also trailed by five at half-time in the 2021 Ulster Final at Croke Park before launching a second-half comeback which ultimately came up short as the Red Hands clinched a 0-16 to 0-15 victory on the way to securing the All-Ireland title.

It looked like history was going to repeat itself in injury-time as McCurry's 73rd-minute free, which looked a very soft decision, and his point from play a minute later seemed to have earned victory for the Red Hands.

But Monaghan refused to lie down as championship debutant O'Toole's astonishing finish sent the Farney fans in the 10,067 crowd into raptures as they set up a semi-final meeting with holders Derry on 29 April.

Conor McManus' 0-9 - which included eight frees - was crucial to Monaghan's win with his six first-half points keeping the Farney men in the game despite Tyrone's domination.

The Red Hands played with the wind in the first half but despite the elements, their five-point half-time lead still appeared to have them in firm control.

Canavan and McCurry combined to run the Monaghan defence ragged in the opening half as the Farney men seemed to have no answer to Tyrone's dynamic duo.

Darragh Canavan's 11th-minute goal helped Tyrone lead 1-10 to 0-8 at half-time in Omagh

McCurry kicked Tyrone into an immediate first-minute lead and while O'Toole strode up from half-back to level two minutes later, Tyrone were 1-4 to 0-2 up by the 11th minute as Canavan lashed to the net after being set up by Kieran McGeary.

A Jack McCarron point and McManus' only score from play on 16 minutes had just a kick of the ball between the teams but Tyrone were soon five up again as Conor Meyler pointed from the play and Canavan got on the scoreboard once more.

Monaghan corner-back Thomas McPhillips was the unfortunate defender tasked with trying to curb Canavan early on and he was replaced by Shane Carey just before half-time after O'Toole had been deployed on the Errigal Ciaran star from the 24th minute.

As Tyrone continued to dominate before half-time, another Meyler point and Mattie Donnelly's second score had the Red Hands six up before McManus fired his sixth point in first-half injury-time.

At that stage, it seemed difficult to envisage any route back for Monaghan but we should have recalled their bravery at Croke Park two years ago as they tore into Tyrone following the resumption.

Monaghan's high press on Niall Morgan's previously impeccable kickouts started to give them a foothold back into the contest while the runs from deep of Conor McCarthy, who had switched from the half-forward line to the half-backs just before half-time, and Karl O'Connell also breathed life into the Farney men.

They looked unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty straight after the restart as debutant Karl Gallagher appeared to be fouled in the square but they maintained their momentum as a typical Kieran Duffy point from play and a McCarron free left only three in it by the 42nd minute.

By the 49th minute, Tyrone's lead was down to one after a cracking score from Micheal Bannigan was followed by another McManus free.

Conn Kilpatrick's fisted point at the other end, when he had more time to consider a goal option, seemed a steadying score for the Red Hands but instead they were behind for the first time in the 56th minute as O'Hanlon's stunning goal, as he took a pass from Gallagher, before cutting inside to lash to the net, put Monaghan ahead for the first time.

Monaghan moved two up in the 60th minute as substitute Carey curled over a sensational score in a move started by keeper Rory Beggan's leap to prevent a Frank Burns shot from going over for an equaliser.

As was the case in the Ulster Final two years ago, Beggan charged out towards centrefield on numerous in the second half which seemed to rally the Farney men still further.

But Beggan also did his job between the post - notably a 61st-minute save which pushed away a pointblank Ronan McNamee goal attempt.

The Monaghan keeper's opposite number Niall Morgan pointed the resultant 45 and Tyrone were level again after Canavan notched his only second-half score.

The frantic conclusion to the match saw Monaghan lead by one on three occasions - which included a sensational McCarthy point - only to be pegged back each time before Tyrone seemed to have stolen victory as McCurry's 74th-minute score put them ahead.

But then came O'Toole's moment and how the Farney faithful enjoyed it.

Tyrone: N Morgan (0-1); M McKernan, R McNamee, P Hampsey; C Meyler (0-2), P Harte, C Quinn; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick (0-1); F Burns, M O'Neill, K McGeary; D McCurry (0-5), M Donnelly (0-3), D Canavan (1-5).

Subs: R Canavan for Donnelly 62, M McGleenan for Burns 64, C McShane, C Munroe for McKernan 71, D Mulgrew, J Oguz for O'Neill 45, N Sludden (0-1) for McGeary 61.

Not used: B Gallen, N Devlin, Rory Donnelly, N McCarron, D Mulgrew

Monaghan: R Beggan; T McPhillips, K Duffy (capt) (0-1), R Wylie; C Boyle, K O'Connell, R O'Toole (1-1); D Hughes, K Lavelle; S O'Hanlon (1-0), M Bannigan (0-1), C McCarthy (0-2); J McCarron (0-2), K Gallagher, C McManus (0-9)

Subs: S Jones for McCarron 54, F Kelly for O'Toole 77, S Carey (0-1) for McPhillips 34, K Hughes for D Hughes 32.

Not used: D McDonnell, A Mulligan, D McAlarney, F Hughes, K Loughran

Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh)