The 2012 season is finally here and all the hard work and late nights trying to get everything ready will now reap rewards. Monaghan United are ready for the Premier Division. We have put in place new structures, training facilities, kit, coaching staff, pre-match meals and buses to games. Getting all this done while signing players and dealing with registration problems has been gruelling for everyone involved but we are now showing the football community that we mean business and that we are a club to be …

The countdown to the opening game of the season continues and with only 2 weeks left we are at our peak. We have spent the last 4 weeks training hard, with the lads committing every weekend without reward, so we are now going to wind things down a little as we prepare to take on Dundalk.
We have played pre-season friendlies at least once a week and while people may look at our results negatively, it doesn’t bother me at all as for me those games are a chance for …

With the 2012 Premier Division season 6 weeks away, Roddy Collins sent out a team of old favourites and newcomers to take on Newry City in the first pre-season game at the Showgrounds. The experimental nature and manager’s instructions to not worry about results and to treat the game as a training session was a factor in the 2-1 defeat.
The back four had a familiar feel with Conor McMahon back from his long layoff due to injury and he was joined by Keith Quinn, Aidan Collins and Alan Byrne …

An excellent attendance participated in Monaghan United’s AGM at the clubhouse on Thursday last. The contributions were very positive and everyone involved in United’s promotion to the Premier Division were complemented on the night. Much of the discussion on the night centered on the incoming season which is due to kick off at Gortakeegan on Friday 2nd March against Dundalk. One of the positives from the meeting was the sense to get involved and assist the club and teams by those in attendance at the meeting.
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
I would like …

There will be added zest to Monaghan United’s first game of the new Airtricity League Premier Division campaign in March following the appointment of Sean McCaffrey as manager of the Mons’ traditional north-east rivals Dundalk.
Monaghan man McCaffrey will take his new side to Gortakeegan to kick off the season following his signing of a one-year deal with the Lillywhites shortly before Christmas.
Former Republic of Ireland senior international supremo Steve Staunton was one of many names being touted as the successor to Ian Foster at the Dundalk …

Exultation and ecstasy abounded at Terryland Park on Saturday night as Monaghan United supporters celebrated their side’s triumphant return to Irish senior soccer’s pinnacle (Photo (c) Rory Geary/The Northern Standard).
A brace of goals from Declan Fabio O’Brien (pictured receiving the plaudits of the faithful) and another from Ryan Brennan sealed a 3-1 victory over Galway United in the second leg of their Airtricity League promotion-relegation playoff, sending the Mons back to the Premier Division after an exile of more than a decade on a compelling 5-1 aggregate score.
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Athlone Town 0
Monaghan United 5
Monaghan United finished off their season with an impressive 5-0 win away to Athlone Town and was also their biggest, alas it was not enough to secure them automatic promotion since Cork City defeated Shelbourne and that result meant that both of those teams are promoted. Monaghan now have to take the scenic route in the play-offs against Galway United.
Monaghan United welcomed back from suspension the Brennan brothers who started and Keith Quinn who was on the bench. It …

MONAGHAN UNITED 2
GALWAY UNITED 0
Goals early from Michael Isichei and late from Sean Brennan brought Monaghan United a long way along the stairway to heaven in their Airtricity League promotion/relegation playoff with Galway United at Gortakeegan on Tuesday night – but it’s a job that must be completed at the Terryland Park fastness of the Tribesmen on Friday if the Mons are to dine at the top table of Irish senior soccer next season, writes Peter Hughes.
That Monaghan deserve to supplant Galway in the Premier Division was well …

Monaghan United’s dream of promotion to the Airtricity League First Division can be realised at Terryland Park tomorrow, Friday night when they enter the second leg of their promotion/relegation play-off with Galway United with a two-goal advantage.
Michael Isichei and Sean Brennan struck the goals at Gortakeegan on Tuesday evening that put the Mons in the driving seat in the tie, and they will be reasonably confident – but not complacent – about completing the job over the deciding ninety minutes of the encounter, which kicks off at 7.45 …

Monaghan United 0
Limerick FC 1
A last day of the season date with destiny beckons for Monaghan United at the Athlone Town Stadium next Saturday evening after they went down to a narrow 0-1 defeat in this war of attrition with Limerick FC at Gortakeegan on Friday, writes Peter Hughes.
The promotion permutations are many, but a win for the Mons against Athlone will at the very least secure for them a play-off against Premier Division basement dwellers Galway United.
The local fans who made …