Vinny Corey relishing fortnight of knock-out football (2024)

Substitute Barry McBennett's 1-2 haul in Cavan helped Monaghan to secure a win at the tenth time of asking.

The 2023 All-Ireland semi-finalists have not won a match since beating Dublin in Round One of the league at Croke Park in January.

They were relegated from Division One afterwards and were then dumped out of the Ulster SFC by Cavan.

But Corey reckons they've finally stopped the rot after drawing with Louth in Group Four and beating Meath.

They should have won by more and a terrible last 10 minutes cost them second position in the table and a home preliminary quarter-final next weekend.

Louth eventually finished second thanks to their superior scoring difference - they were three points better off - and grabbed the home preliminary quarter-final fixture.

Corey said he isn't overly concerned about that aspect and is moreso excited about what his group can do over the next two weeks.

"On this day in two weeks, there's going to be just four teams left in the competition - it's what you do in the next two weeks that counts," said Corey.

"And other teams haven't played a knockout Championship match yet. We have. We've played our first and we won it. So we'll take that and advance on."

Ryan O'Toole was taken off clutching his arm and is an injury doubt for next weekend while Joel Wilson suffered a head injury. Corey clarified that captain Kieran Duffy (hamstring) and Karl O'Connell (groin), who didn't feature in Cavan, are 50-50 too.

There was also the disappointment of seeing a nine-point lead at the hour mark turn into a two-point game late on.

But Corey refused to stick the boot into his players for coughing up the opportunity to play at home next weekend.

"We missed some very simple scores so it didn't have to be as close as it was in the end," he said. "That's the disappointing thing moreso than worrying about where you'll play the next match. Big Championship games, knockout Championship games are usually played in neutral venues anyway so we'll travel anywhere."

Meath's season is over after their fourth defeat in a row and while Colm O'Rourke guided them to last year's Tailteann Cup title, he could come under pressure.

The Royal County legend said he intends to stay on to continue his rebuilding job with a young group in 2025.

"I think it's going to take several years to build a team here," said O'Rourke. "It might take five years so I think I'll go to the county board and ask them to give me five years as a minimum thing because I think it's going to take certainly two or three (more) years.

"We will be better next year, we'll be in contention for promotion from the second division and then by the following year we'll be in contention with all the big teams."

Meath conceded the Monaghan kick-out in the first-half and came armed with a clear plan to pounce on the break.

It paid off, to an extent, as they got Monaghan chasing backwards on four separate occasions in the first-half. Monaghan goalkeeper Rory Beggan was way off his line most of the time as he played his sweeper 'keeper role.

Monaghan were badly caught out in the 22nd minute when Cathal Hickey pinched a turnover goal. Jason Irwin kicke a pass away to Meath's Jordan Morris and with Beggan miles off his line, the Royals got a lightning fast move going that ended with Hickey hitting the net.

But favourites Monaghan finished the half well to lead 0-8 to 1-4 at the interval. All-Star Conor McCarthy was influential again, Jack McCarron drilled three first-half points from frees and McBennett opened his account after coming on as a blood sub.

Monaghan carried that momentum all the way through to the hour mark to lead 1-16 to 1-7, McBennett rifling their goal following a Micheal Bannigan through ball.

And that should have been pretty much that. But a Meath side inspired late on by James Conlon and captain Ronan Jones, and now pressing the Monaghan kick-out aggressively, forced them all the way with seven late points in a row.

Suddenly Monaghan weren't as concerned about the scoring difference as whether they'd simply win at all.

But veteran talisman Conor McManus settled them when he clipped over a 75th minute free that the excellent McBennett had won.

Scorers for Monaghan: B McBennett (1-2); J McCarron (0-4, 3 frees); M Bannigan (0-3, 2 frees); C McCarthy, S O'Hanlon (0-2 each); A Woods (1 mark), K Lavelle, C McManus (1 free), J Irwin (0-1 each).

Scorers for Meath: M Costello (3 frees), E Frayne (2 frees) (0-4 each); C Hickey (1-0); R Jones, J Conlon (0-2 each); B Hogan (45), C O'Sullivan (0-1 each).

MONAGHAN: R Beggan; J Irwin, K Lavelle, R Wylie; R McAnespie, R O'Toole, C McCarthy; G Mohan, J Wilson; M Hamill, M Bannigan, S O'Hanlon; A Woods, J McCarron, C McNulty.

Subs: B McBennett for Wilson (2-6 blood); McBennett for Wilson (29-f/t blood); T McPhillips for O'Toole (51); D Garland for McNulty (55); C McManus for McCarron (59); M McCarville for Hamill (67); S Mooney for Woods (71).

MEATH: B Hogan; D Keogan, A O'Neill, R Ryan; C Caulfield, D Campion, S Coffey; C Hickey, C Gray; S Ryan, C O'Sullivan, B O'Halloran; J Morris, M Costello, E Frayne.

Subs: R Kinsella for Ryan & C McBride for O'Sullivan (h/t); R Jones (0-2) for Gray (49); J Conlon for O'Halloran (55); D McGowan for Hickey (62).

Ref: J McQuillan (Cavan).