It’s a big weekend for Monaghan county teams, with the senior footballers putting their Division Two status on the line, the minor hurlers chasing silverware and the minor footballers seeking to continue their winning start.
Allianz National Football League Division Two
Tyrone v Monaghan, Sunday, 2.30, Omagh
Monaghan travel to Healy Park on Sunday to take on a Tyrone team who have been arguably the form team in the country so far this year with 11 wins from 11 games; six in the league.
Monaghan need to win to guarantee their survival in Division Two, although defeats for Louth and Westmeath against Meath and Derry would most likely keep Eamon McEneaney’s side up even if they lose.
Monaghan’s league campaign has been very mixed, with impressive wins over Louth and Kildare undone by defeats at the hands of Meath, Derry, Westmeath and Galway, leaving the Farney men rooted in another relegation battle. Tyrone, on the other hand, secured promotion with two games to go after beating Kildare, Derry, Louth, Westmeath and Galway and they proved there will be no let-up when they crushed Meath in their last game.
Tyrone have held the upper hand against Monaghan in recent years, including Ulster final victories in 2007 and 2010 and last year’s Ulster first-round win, although Monaghan did edge the result in their last NFL meeting two years ago.
Monaghan need to provide more support to Paul Finlay up front, while Darren Hughes, Owen Lennon, Vincent Corey, Dick Clerkin and the in-form Dermot Malone will also have to be on top of their game. Gary McQuaid and Colin Walshe have joined the injury list, while Tommy Freeman is still doubtful as he recovers from his hamstring strain.
Tyrone have one of the league’s form players in Peter Harte, who has been in superb form at centre half-back, scoring five goals in six games, while Martin Penrose, Cathal McCarron, Owen Mulligan, Kyle Coney and Stephen O’Neill have also been going well for Mickey Harte’s side, who have huge options on their panel after the returns of Seán Cavanagh, Conor Gormley and Ryan McMenamin.
Monaghan will need to produce a performance above and beyond anything they have shown to date, but with their backs to the wall, it could be time for McEneaney’s men to up their game and finish a difficult campaign on a positive note.
Monaghan NFL scorers 2012:
Paul Finlay 1-27 (0-16f, 0-1 ‘45)
Owen Duffy 0-10 (5f)
Christopher McGuinness 2-4
Darren Hughes 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-1f)
James Turley 1-4
Dick Clerkin, Tommy Freeman, Kieran Hughes 0-4 each
Ciarán Hanratty, Stephen Gollogly, Owen Lennon 0-3 each
Dermot Malone, Matthew McKenna 0-2 each
Gary McQuaid, Shane Smyth, David Hughes, Donal Morgan, Vincent Corey, Neil McAdam 0-1 each
Ulster Minor Hurling League Division Two Final
Tyrone v Monaghan, Sunday, 12.30, Omagh
In the curtain-raiser at Healy Park on Sunday, Monaghan take on Tyrone in the Ulster MHL Division Two Final for the second year in a row.
Tyrone battled to a hard-earned win in last year’s decider and will be confident of retaining their title after topping the group, but Monaghan will take heart from their performance in beating Tyrone last time out to book their place in the final. Tyrone beat Fermanagh and Cavan to secure first place, while Monaghan drew with Fermanagh and lost narrowly to Cavan, before getting one over on Sunday’s opponents in Clones.
Monaghan, who are managed by former senior county mentors Frank Brady, Arthur Hughes and Alan Ryan, will need big performances from Niall Garland, Jamie Guinan, Cormac McNally, Donal Meegan, Liam Savage and Brendan McQuaid, while Duibhir Marshall, Ciarán McCrudden, Matthew Mulgrew and Kevin Gormley are key players for Tyrone.
If the fare on offer when these sides last clashed is anything to go by, supporters should make every effort to get to Omagh in time to witness what promises to be an entertaining and closely-contested final.
Ulster Minor Football League Group A
Monaghan v Cavan, Saturday, 12.00, Clones
Monaghan’s minor footballers will aim to finish their Group A campaign with a third straight win when they take on Cavan on Saturday.
Monaghan are already through to the semi-finals after defeating Down and Armagh in the last two weekends, but they will be keen to keep their momentum going against a Cavan side who drew with Armagh before losing to Down.
Adam Treanor, Fergal McGeough, Conor McCarthy, Killian Rudden, Ryan McAnespie, Pádraic Keenan and Ryan Wylie have been in good form for Monaghan, while Ulster minor champions Cavan, whose underage resurgence continued on Wednesday night when their Under-21s reached a third successive Ulster final, will be looking for big performances from Liam Buchanan, Gerard Smith, Liam Goldrick and St. Macartan’s College student Tom Hayes.
At club level, the countdown is on to next Wednesday’s opening round of the Drumlin Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League and the Monaghan Electrical Intermediate Football League, as well as the continuing Eurotech Junior Football League, but there is plenty to get through before then.
The second round of the Silver Hill Foods Development Hurling League takes place on Thursday, when Inniskeen, Truagh and Fermanagh side Knocks entertain Castleblayney, Carrickmacross and Monaghan Harps.
There is action in all four divisions of the Platinum Tanks Reserve Football League on Saturday. In Division One, leaders Scotstown are away to Clontibret, while Magheracloone travel to Monaghan Harps, Tyholland take on Castleblayney and Truagh face Latton. Division Two front-runners Cremartin are away to Donaghmoyne, while Corduff and Ballybay have home advantage against Drumhowan and Killeevan. Carrickmacross and Doohamlet face each other on Friday evening. Emyvale, Inniskeen and Rockcorry all have home games in Division Three against Aughnamullen, Oram and Seán McDermotts respectively. The fixtures in Division Four are Truagh v Aghabog; Clones v Killanny; Éire Óg v Blackhill and Toome v Fergal O’Hanlons.
Scotstown and Castleblayney, who both have two wins under their belts in the GRM Minor Football League Division One, go head-to-head on Tuesday, while Clontibret and Killanny play hosts to Carrickmacross and Monaghan Harps respectively. Two teams who won minor silverware in 2011 clash in the opening round of the MFL Division Two when Truagh play Rock Sarsfields, while the other games see Magheracloone host Donaghmoyne, Cremartin tackle Seán McDermotts and Latton go to Emyvale. Two amalgamated teams square up in Division Three when Cúchulains play St. Tiarnach’s, while St. Patrick’s, Corduff and Inniskeen have home games against Tyholland, Doohamlet and Blackhill respectively.
At juvenile level, there are games in the Gerry’s Prepared Veg. Under-14 Football Championship Division One and the Under-14 Hurling League over the bank-holiday weekend.
There is one game involving a Monaghan club in the Táin Hurling League, as Castleblayney take on Lisnaskea in Division 3B on Saturday.
By michael Thu 5th Apr
