Monaghan have made three changes in personnel for Sunday’s Dr. McKenna Cup Section B game at home to Down. Ronan McNally from Tyholland has been handed his first senior inter-county start, while Donal Morgan and 2011 Senior Footballer of the Year Owen Duffy also come into the first fifteen in place of Conor Galligan, Thomas O’Neill and Bernard O’Brien. Newcomers Karl O’Connell and Ciarán Daly, who made their debuts in the opening-round win over St. Mary’s, both get another chance to impress Monaghan manager Eamon McEneaney. Paul Finlay has been named at full-forward after his move to the edge of the square turned last Sunday’s game in Monaghan’s favour, while Shane Smyth and James Turley switch to wing-forward and midfield respectively. Down have made five changes to the team that beat Armagh, with Michael McAllister, Keith Quinn, Mark Doran, Ambrose Rogers and Conor Laverty coming in for Brendan McVeigh, David McKibben, Liam Doyle, Conor Gough and Ryan Brady.
Monaghan: Mark Keogh; Karl O’Connell, Darren Hughes (Capt.), Dermot Malone; Ronan McNally, Vincent Corey, Donal Morgan; Ciarán Daly, James Turley; Matthew McKenna, Stephen Gollogly, Shane Smyth; Ciarán Hanratty, Paul Finlay, Owen Duffy.
Subs: Rory Beggan, Conor Galligan, Bernard O’Brien, James Bellew, Thomas O’Neill, David Millar, Peter O’Hanlon, Christopher McGuinness, Fintan Kelly.
Down: Michael McAllister; Niall Brannigan, Daniel McCartan, Damian Turley; Keith Quinn, Kevin Duffin, Mark Doran; Peter Turley, Ambrose Rogers; Daniel Hughes, Aidan Carr, Don Gordon; Marcus Miskelly, Kalum King, Conor Laverty.
Throw-in on Sunday is at 2pm in Clones and regular updates from the match will be available on the Official Monaghan GAA twitter page.
By michael Fri 13th Jan
