Monaghan hammer Truagh to grab fourth Monaghan SHC title in-a-row

AM Hurleys Monaghan Senior Hurling Championship final: Castleblayney 2-22 Truagh Gaels 0-8

CASTLEBLAYNEY recorded a mammoth 20-point victory over Truagh Gaels to capture their fourth Monaghan SHC title in succession.

Truagh were beaten by 10 in last year's county final and any optimism they felt going into yesterday's final at St Tiernach's Park in Clones was soon snuffed out by a ruthless Castleblayney display.

The defending champions were already 16 in front by half-time, on a score-line of 2-12 to 0-2, thanks to a string of Fergal Rafter points and goals from himself and Mark Treanor.

Fergal Rafter picked up where he left off in the second-half, keeping the scoreboard ticking over with a series of well-placed balls, while Niall Gartland and Patrick Finnegan also contributed with some accurate shooting.

Pearse McKenna did his level best to put a veneer of respectability on the scoreboard for the challengers, but his was a lonely and unrewarding task.

For Truagh manager Shane Feeney, it's back to the drawing board while Castleblayney can savour their 30th Monaghan Senior Hurling title and a period of almost complete dominance for the club.