Darragh Canavan scored a first half goal for Tyrone against Monaghan. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Allianz Football League Division One
Tyrone 1-19 Monaghan 2-13
By Francis Mooney at O'Neill's Healy Park
Monaghan’s decade-long presence in Division One will come to an end as time finally caught up with Gaelic football’s great survivors.
Relegated following this defeat to Ulster neighbours Tyrone, a disappointing campaign which started so brightly delivered the devastating hammer blow they had managed to dodge year after year.
Having escaped the drop on the last day of each of the past five league campaigns, they won’t get the chance to perform yet another Houdini act next week, their fate already confirmed with a game yet to play.
The stakes were high in Omagh, with Tyrone also needing a to win a tense Ulster derby to ease their own relegation concerns, and the relief for them was palpable.
Tyrone started brightly on a greasy surface that had to go through a late pitch inspection, racing into a three points lead, through Darren McCurry, Darragh Canavan and Kieran McGeary, but they were undone by a counter-attack that saw Micheal Bannigan tee up a goal for Jack McCarron, finished low and accurately to the net on five minutes.
The wind-assisted Red Hands were looking vulnerable to the break from deep, and survived another Bannigan effort that smacked off a post.
McCurry nudged them two ahead, and a long range Ben Cullen effort cancelled out a Bannigan score.
The Farney were content to soak up the pressure, even when it meant conceding, confident they could respond on the break, with Conor McManus keeping them to within two points at the end of the opening quarter.
Another veteran, Darren Hughes, battled for possession around the middle as the visitors showed all the passion that their plight demanded, but it was Tyrone who moved four clear as Canavan landed a difficult free on 23 minutes.
And as Monaghan committed extra bodies to the attacking effort, Canavan grabbed a brilliant breakaway goal, collecting on halfway from goalkeeper Niall Morgan to race clear before smashing the ball past Darren McDonnell.
Monaghan picked themselves up with a couple of scores in response from Conor McCarthy and McCarron, but Canavan conjured another piece of magic to bring his tally to 1-4, McCurry on 0-4, as they Tyrone turned around with a 1-11 to 1-6 lead.
A magnificent display of finishing by 36-year-old McManus led Monaghan’s heroic push for salvation, even after Tyrone had stretched the advantage out to seven points through Ciaran Daly.
The Red Hand injury crisis eased with the arrival of Mattie Donnelly for a first appearance of the season, another returnee, Cathal McShane, hit the target.
McManus kept Monaghan in touch with a couple of wonderful scores, but there was no stopping Canavan at the other end as he kept daylight between the sides.
Monaghan lost defender Ryan O’Toole to a black card, but the numbers were instantly evened up as Tyrone midfielder Brian Kennedy also saw black less than a minute later.
And it was the men in last chance saloon who struck a major blow with a 58th minute goal, punched home by Killian Lavelle from an Andrew Woods assist.
Darren Hughes, Micheal Bannigan and Conor McCarthy drove the Farney challenge as they sensed the opportunity to survive, with McManus adding another couple to his tally, bringing his side to within a point with five minutes to play.
But Tyrone found another flourish for McCurry and Joe Oguz to push them clear.
Scorers for Tyrone: D Canavan 1-7 (3fs), D McCurry 0-7 (4fs, 1m), B Cullen, A Donaghy, K McGeary, C McShane, J Oguz 0-1 each.
Scorers for Monaghan: J McCarron 1-4 (4fs), C McManus 0-6 (1f, 1m), K Lavelle 1-0, C McCarthy, C McNulty, M Bannigan 0-1 each.
Tyrone: N Morgan; C Devlin, P Hampsey, C Quinn; B Cullen, K McGeary, N Devlin; B Kennedy, A Donaghy; C Daly, S O’Donnell, J Oguz; D McCurry, D Canavan, K McGeary.
Subs: M Donnelly for McGeary (41), R Canavan for McShane (56), A Clarke for Hampsey (64), L McGarrity for Daly (70+5).
Monaghan: D McDonnell; R Wylie, K Duffy, R O’Toole; J Irwin, K Lavelle, C McCarthy; M McCarville, D Hughes; D Ward, M Bannigan, R McAnespie; C McManus, J McCarron, C McNulty.
Subs: K O’Connell for Irwin (HT), G Mohan for McCarville (44), A Woods for McNulty (50), J Wilson for McAnespie (56), D Garland for Ward (68),
Referee: J Henry (Mayo).