That’s how to do it.
Rory Beggan’s right boot is a weapon and his Monaghan teammates are making the most out of it. The Farney Army have the most threatening kick-out strategy in the whole country as a result.
On Sunday, Malachy O’Rourke’s men got the better of Tyrone in their Ulster quarter final and their attention to detail on the Beggan restart had a huge part to play in that.
SportsJOE’s Colm Parkinson was in Omagh and what stood out for him about Monaghan’s kick-outs was the tactics employed by forward Kieran Hughes.
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The Scotstown club man lined out in the full forward position but often roamed out to the half forward line on Sunday. For Beggan’s kickouts, he would sit deep, far back from the ball’s landing zone, before absolutely galloping hell for leather to meet it at full pace on its drop.
Meeting the ball with venom and power, Tyrone didn’t know how to cope with it.
“Kieran Hughes was very interesting from those kick-outs. He starts his run at centre forward, you should see the aggression when he’s trying to make up ground to make it to those kick-outs.
“Beggan will stick them one side or stick them the other side and he’s sprinting for that ball like his life depends on it.
“You know the way a midfielder will take six or seven steps and glide up, well he’s sprinting almost 30 metres to get this.
“Then, even if he doesn’t get it, he’s hitting the group of people like a wrecking ball that none of them will get it anyway.”
Cian Ward was also impressed with Hughes’ tactics, which paid off even more in the second half with the wind at the men in blue’s backs.
“Often it was Hughes getting onto that in the second half, he was winning it, it was even bouncing into his chest, and then he had runners flying off him.”
Indeed, this was a tactic that a number of Monaghan’s players used throughout the day.
“In the first half when he was kicking against the breeze, the ball was hanging that bit longer. Beggan kicks it with a bit of backspin, which means that it’ll hang in the air. Monaghan runners had to come with aggression, because if you were standing underneath the ball, it was probably a scary place to be.”
It’s an awful lot better than standing under the ball and getting gobbled up. Overall, Ward feels that Monaghan’s kickout strategy is refined and incredibly effective.
“In the second half, when Beggan was hitting them they were carrying further. Monaghan are so clever the way they set themselves up. Their movement, the way they isolate a player.
“It could be a wing forward on the opposite wing, when Beggan kicks the ball, he hasn’t even made his run, he’s making his run as Beggan is striking the ball. Beggan is hitting the pocket of space and the Monaghan players know who’s responsible for getting into that zone.
“Be wary of doing the full press on Monaghan, because Beggan is so good,” concluded the Meath man.
You can listen to this discussion and much more from Monday’s GAA Hour Show right here.
