Monaghan opened their Ulster minor football championship campaign with a comfortable 3-17 to 1-10 victory over Down at Clones.
Matthew Carolan’s goal on ten minutes saw Monaghan lead 1-3 to 0-0. Down replied with four successive points but failed to score for the remainder of the half.
Matthew Finn registered Monaghan’s second goal on 26 minutes as the Farney men led 2-11 to 0-4 at half-time.
Down started the second half well. Rian Magorrian’s penalty goal made it an eight-point game on 44 minutes.
Down failed to reduce the margin any further thereafter. Max McGinnity added another goal two minutes from time as Monaghan ran out convincing winners.