Monaghan defeated Kildare in Allianz Football League Division Two on Sunday, but the game was overshadowed by a mass brawl at half-time.
The 0-17 to 0-12 win gave the Farney County their first points of the season after last year’s relegation, but it is back-to-back losses for Kieran McGeeney’s Lilywhites after an ugly day in Clones.
Twenty or more players and team officials were involved after the interval whistle as punches were thrown and those involved became involved in jostling, pushing and shouting abuse. Before the restart, having consulted with his umpires, referee Joe McQuillan saw fit to show a red card to Kildare’s Brian Flanagan, while several other offenders were booked.
Having lost the battle to have more men on the field, Kildare were always losing the one on the scoreboard as well. A brilliant point from Dick Clerkin followed up ones from David Hughes and Matthew McKenna to help the home side into a 0-5 to 0-2 lead.
Eamonn Callaghan and Eoghan O’Flaherty did their bit to try and drag Kildare, again all in green, back into it but Paul Finlay’s prowess saw Monaghan, in blue, 0-9 to 0-6 up before the half-time whistle, and all that came with it, was heard.
Hughes and Finlay maintained Monaghan’s lead as the latter continued to be the scorer-in-chief for Eamonn McEneaney’s men, while Michael Conway did his best to keep Kildare in it.
However, scores from Ciaran Hughes and Eoin Duffy took the Ulstermen into a six-point lead – 0-16 to 0-10. And, with Kildare out on their feet, James Turley added another to make late points from Callaghan and O'Flaherty mere consolation on another day that will surely be remembered not for the football on show.