Monaghan v Cavan - Breffni side stun Farney men to set up Tyrone clash

Summary

Monaghan v Cavan (16:00 BST)

Live Reporting

'It's just so easy for him'published at 16:22 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-5 Cavan 0-4
Philly McMahon
Eight-time All-Ireland winner with Dublin on BBC Sport
Our co-commentary Philly McMahon is marvelling at how easily Rory Beggan is knitting back seamlessly into the Monaghan team.
"It's just so easy for him," said the former Dublin star after Beggan stroked over another placed ball from 50 metres.
Postpublished at 16:20 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-5 Cavan 0-4
Long-range free for Monaghan with Rory Beggan standing over it. Well, you know the rest. Farney edge back ahead with 20 on the clock.
Postpublished at 16:18 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-4 Cavan 0-4
Karl O'Connell responds with a good score, using the wind to his advantage.
Jason Irwin becomes the first Monaghan man in the book with a high challenge and seconds later, Lynch kicks another free to tie it up for the fourth time. As even an opening quarter you can get.
Kildare are Division Two championspublished at 16:16 British Summer Time 7 April
Football League Division 2 Final - Kildare 2-9 Tyrone 0-12
Kildare are Division Two Champions for the first time since 2004.
Image source, Inpho
Image caption,
Football League Division 2 Final Result - Kildare 2-9 Tyrone 0-12
'We finally have an atmosphere'published at 16:15 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-3 Cavan 0-3
Orla Bannon
BBC Sport Northern Ireland at Clones
Quote Message
You know it's quiet when you can hear managers and coaches shouting instructions onto the field, not something you associate with the usual white heat of the Ulster Championship. However Beggan's explosive 60 seconds scoring a '45' and pulling off a great save from Lynch has brought the Monaghan fans to life. We finally have ourselves an atmosphere.
Lynch levels it againpublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-3 Cavan 0-3
Paddy Lynch certainly has his eye in today with his third point from a placed ball.
'Beggan already showing his brilliance'published at 16:12 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-2 Cavan 0-2
Philly McMahon
Eight-time All-Ireland winner with Dublin on BBC Sport
Quote Message
Beggan has produced a beautiful pass, kicked a 45 and now made that brilliant save. What a start he's made.
Postpublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-3 Cavan 0-2
David Garland kicks beauty from distance - the first from play of the day.
Postpublished at 16:10 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-2 Cavan 0-2
Gary O'Rourke makes a superb double save as as shot off the post drops to Kevin Loughran.
Rory Beggan nails the 45 and moments later he makes a superb save out for a 45 from Paddy Lynch who converts. What a passage of play.
Postpublished at 16:06 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-1 Cavan 0-1
Paddy Lynch brings Cavan level with a free of his own. Cagey start to this one.
'Both teams are getting men behind the ball'published at 16:05 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-1 Cavan 0-0
Philly McMahon
Eight-time All-Ireland winner with Dublin on BBC Sport
Quote Message
The pattern early on is both teams getting plenty of bodies behind the ball and employing a slow build-up. It's a carbon copy defensive structure by the teams
Postpublished at 16:04 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-1 Cavan 0-0
Cavan's Oisin Kiernan is shown yellow for a high challenge and Conor McManus adds further punishment from the free. Monaghan first on the board.
Checking the team newspublished at 16:01 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan v Cavan (16:00 BST)
Image source, Inpho
Image caption,
Rory Beggan
Throw-inpublished at 15:59 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan 0-0 Cavan 0-0
The 2024 Ulster Senior Football Championship is underway
All you need to know about the Ulster SFCpublished at 15:52 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan v Cavan (16:00 BST)
If you want to get a brief sweep at all things Ulster SFC 2024, have a quick read here.
'Proud Mary' belted out at Clonespublished at 15:49 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan v Cavan (16:00 BST)
Orla Bannon
BBC Sport Northern Ireland at Clones
The Ulster Championship starting in low-key fashion here at a blustery Clones with barely 6,000 tickets sold for this preliminary round tie.
The St Mary's Brass and Reed Band from Kingscourt kicked off the pre-match entertainment with their own special rendition of 'Proud Mary'.
Don't know what Tina Turner would have made of it, but on a gusty day like today, you'd certainly rather be playing a drum or heavy bit of brass rather than a 'wind' instrument.
Monaghan prepared for Cavan clashpublished at 15:45 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan v Cavan (16:00 BST)
Monaghan boss Vinny Corey says Sunday's Ulster SFC opener against Cavan will be a "tough battle" but believes his side can regroup from league relegation to produce another championship run.
Image source, BBC Sport
Image caption,
Monaghan boss Vinny Corey
Beggan and Loughran in for Monaghanpublished at 15:40 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan v Cavan (16:00 BST)
The 'will he or won't he?' surrounding Rory Beggan was finally confirmed earlier as his return to the Monaghan squad sees him start in goal today.
Initially,Darren McDonnell was named between the sticks by Vinny Corey, but NFL hopeful Beggan, who could be snapped up by a Stateside franchise at any time, will revert back to the round ball today, which is a boost for the Farney.
Elsewhere, Kevin Loughran comes in for Michael Hamill in the only other change to the listed 15.There is no Stephen O'Hanlon, Dessie Ward or Ryan McAnespie in the 26 due to injury, while Andrew Woods is suspended. Micheal Bannigan is named on the bench for Vinny Corey's side that, as expected, sees Conor McManus names in the starting 15.
For Cavan, Killian Clarke is out through injury, while Dara McVeety is also missing.
Breffni boss Raymond Galligan has stuck with the team named in the week and will hope for a big day from Paddy Lynch who was prolific throughout the League with 1-48.
The winner meets Tyrone in a fortnight.
Monaghan: R Beggan R Wylie, K Duffy, R O'Toole; K O'Connell, K Lavelle, C McCarthy; G Mohan, D Hughes; C McNulty, K Loughran, J Irwin; D Garland, J McCarron, C McManus.
Subs:D McDonnell, T McPhillips, S Mooney, S Jones, J Wilson, M Bannigan, D McElearney, M Hamill, B McBennett, M McCarville, C Lennon.
Cavan:G O'Rourke; C Reilly, K Brady, B O'Connell; P Faulkner, N Carolan, C Brady; J Smith, O Kiernan (Castlerahan); C Brady, G Smith, O Kiernan (Denn); C Madden, P Lynch, O Brady.
Subs:F O'Rourke, M Magee, L Fortune, C Rehill, P Meade, T Noack-Hofmann, R Donohoe, J Galligan, T Madden, Cormac O'Reilly, Caoimhin O'Reilly.
Image source, BBC Sport
Image caption,
The Championship on the BBC iPlayer
Beggan starts for Monaghanpublished at 15:36 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan v Cavan (16:00 BST)
After all the pre-match build-up, Monaghan manager Vinny Corey has made the only choice that he realistically could make by parachuting Rory Beggan straight back into the Monaghan team with Darren McDonnell dropping to the bench.
Beggan was Sateside as he attempted to secure an NFL deal as a kicker but returned home within the last 10 days and took part in a squad training camp last weekend.
That news has just come through and we'll have the full team details shortly.
Image source, Inpho
Image caption,
Rory Beggan starts for Monaghan against Cavan
Here we go........published at 15:30 British Summer Time 7 April
Monaghan v Cavan (16:00 BST)
Us old hands may never get used to it but the Ulster Championship is with us again barely only a week into April.
The big talking point from the draw back in October was the pairing of three-in-a-row seeking Derry and Donegal and all the surrounding back-to-the-future hype of Mickey Harte and Jim McGuinness facing off once again in the Ulster Championship.
But we have to wait two weeks and three ties for that one to arrive.
First up today, it's a derby clash between two teams that have under-achieved so far in 2024 as Monaghan host Cavan at Clones in front of the BBC Sport Northern Ireland cameras.
With Rory Beggan missing over the past couple of months as he chased his American dream, Monaghan's decade-long run in Division One of the Allianz Football League came to an end as they suffered a six-game losing streak following a thrilling opening win over All-Ireland champions Dublin.
Will Beggan be back today after he was named on the Farney bench? Well, we're just heard that he actually is starting as he replaces Darren McDonnell between the posts.
Cavan's Division Two campaign promised for a while only to ultimately implode as they were hammered by Armagh before losing to relegated Fermanagh in a game that was a dead rubber to them.
Raymond Galligan is in charge of the Breffni Blues now after Mickey Graham's departure and he, in his then goalkeeping role, kicked the winning point as the Cavan men snatched a last-gasp extra-time win when these sides last met in the Ulster Championship in the 2020 preliminary round as they began a shock march to the Anglo-Celt Cup.
Enjoy the ride today with us on the BBC both on in our broadcast coverage on BBC Two and iPlayer coverage and our accompanying text commentary.
Image source, Inpho
Image caption,
Raymond Galligan (right) celebrates after kicking the winning point in their last Ulster SFC meeting between Cavan and Monaghan in 2020 and he is now managing the Breffni County