Search icon

GAA

22nd Jul 2018

Rory Beggan just hit the opposition 21′ from a bloody kickout

Conan Doherty

Rory Beggan

Imagine scoring from 65 metres out and it’s not even the best thing you’ve done in the first 20 minutes of a game.

Well, that’s Rory Beggan for you.

Accepted as one of the finest goalkeepers in the country, the Monaghan number has one of the most beautiful right feet that any Gaelic footballer has ever showed off – in the last 134 years, at least.

As a kick passer, he possesses a heat-seeking torpedo that picks off targets from any distance.

As a free-taker, he glides these absolutely beautiful back-spin balls straight between the posts and they genuinely draw the appreciation of the opposition fans too.

With his kickouts? Well, he can do more than land them on a sixpence. He can land them on the f**king far 45′ if you want.

The first half of the All-Ireland quarter final in Clones brought out every best quality of Rory Beggan. He scored, he passed, he even made a stop too.

But his scoring wasn’t just your run of the mill carry on. No. It was from the wing, just inside the 65-metre line, and he just floated it over with about 20 yards to spare.

After kicking three glorious long-range frees in the first half against the Kingdom, Beggan turned provider from his own 13-metre line when he lumped one all the way over the Kerry full press but not just anywhere, right into the path of a runner.

Beggan kicked for all his worth and took out most of the Kerry team with one pass. The ball landed on the opposite 45 and bounced all the way to just outside the far 21′ and Darren Hughes was on hand to finish the move with a score

Kerry 12 men forward, Beggan sees space in behind

As Tom Parsons said on The Sunday Game, he doesn’t think he’s ever seen a kick this far.

The ball bends and bounces right in front of the run (beyond the 45) and it’s 3 on 2 for Monaghan

Contact is finally made with the ball 24 yards from the end line

Just another day in the life of Rory Beggan but, ultimately, it ended in disappointment for Monaghan who were pegged back in injury time with a goal from David Clifford.

Monaghan can still go through, even if they lose, but they will be livid that Maurice Deegan punished them for something they didn’t deserve to be punished for.

LISTEN: The GAA Hour – Klopp in Croker, flop in Kildare and the ‘worst fans’ award?

Topics:

Rory Beggan