BORD GAIS LEAGUE DIV 1 FINAL PREVIEW
MONAGHAN V CORK – SATURDAY 12TH MAY IN PARNELL PARK DUBLIN @ 4.45PM
This Saturday the Monaghan senior ladies take on the mighty Cork in the Div 1 league final. It has been 11 years since Monaghan were last in a final and during the week I talked to Gregory Mc Gonigle manager, team captain Sharon Courtney and Niamh Kindlon who was part of the team that last played in a league final. Firstly I talked to Gregory about the girl’s great performance against Dublin and asked him did he think that performance would be enough to beat Cork, or did he still believe there is more to come from this team.
Gregrory was quick to point out that the performance against Dublin was good in regards the workrate and the tenacity all over the field. He felt they still gave away a lot of possession and he still thinks Monaghan will have to improve to beat Cork.” If you make mistakes against Cork you usually get punished”. In saying that he thinks both the team and management will have taken confidence from the win over Dublin and he firmly believes that if the girls are more clinical they can beat Cork.
I asked him What impressed him most about the Dublin performance. He felt that the Work rate and the amount of turnovers Monaghan got all over the field was exceptional . The forwards worked very hard and hit some great scores while the defence as a whole and individually were excellent. He felt the playing conditions with the strong winds was very tough for both teams but he felt that Monaghan had a very attacking outlook which he believed helped.
It has been 11 years since Monaghan have reached a Div 1 league final and I asked would winning a league title be the perfect foundations for the championship?
Gregory didn’t think it would have a bearing on Championship, as teams get another chance to watch you, the real benefit is big game experience and to test ourselves against Cork…He said the team have been training hard and being in a league final won’t alter their focus from the Ulster Championship.
Looking at this Cork team who have been so successful over the past few years I asked would they still be as strong as last year and what players we should be watching out for. Gregory believes that Cork are always a great team and they have a very strong Squad. They have loads of top class inter county players, ones to watch on Sunday would be Juliet Murphy, Breige Corkery, Ger Flynn, Ciara O Sullivan and the rest of their forwards…. Gregory felt very strongly that Monaghan need a big performance from midfield to help gain more possession. Defensively he believes the team can handle their forwards ,but as a forward unit Monaghan need to play with more intelligence. He firmly believes that a big performance is coming from Monaghan and that hopefully this performance will come on Saturday . Monaghan definately have pace which hopefully will cause Cork problems but big performances will be needed from all over the field . He finished off by saying that Monaghan need to believe they are better than Cork. That self belief could make the difference on Saturday.
I also spoke to Sharon Courtney who is Monaghan’s captain and who has been in top form all year. Sharon is delighted at being in the league final and said that herself and the players are really looking forward to Saturday’s game which is a rematch of last year’s championship final . She said ” this is where every team wants to be at the start of the year, in the final. We know what Cork are like, they are the benchmark, it will be tough but we are not shying away and we are ready to take them on. ”
I also asked Sharon if she felt that after the great performance against Dublin, Monaghan were in with a real chance of taking a long awaited trophy back down the road?
Sharon pointed out that regardless of the performance against Dublin she believed Monaghan have a squad of players that on any given day are capable of beating anybody and Saturday is no exception. However, she doesn’t think the performance against Dublin will suffice as that was just a semi final, and the girls need to up it again for the final if Monaghan are to bring the cup back with then . She also felt that Monaghan took the foot off the pedal in the last 10 minutes against Dublin, and that is something they cannot afford to do that against Cork.
Monaghan lost to Cork earlier in the league and I asked Sharon does she believe Monaghan have learnt anything from that defeat.
That league game as Sharon stated was played way back in February and she would like to think they have greatly improved from then. It was a game they lost by 3 points. They started very slowly and conceded 3 goals something which Monaghan haven’t done since. She believes that defeat, but more importantly that defeat in Croke Park have had an influence on the girls. On both occassions, Monaghan made a lot of mistakes and Sharon is hoping that Monaghan will reduce those mistakes on Saturday and come out on top.
Finally I asked Sharon where she believed the battles would be on Saturday and does she feel Monaghan have reached their peak.
“I don’t believe there will be any stand out key battles” was her reply. She really believes both teams are littered with brilliant players all over the field. Both defences will have their hands full but she believes Monaghan’s forwards will need to work extremely hard to stop Cork building from the back.
As for Monaghan having reached their peak, she definately doesn’t think so. She accepts they have improved throughout the league, but still haven’t put together the perfect 60 minutes. The semi final against Dublin was “our best performance to date”, but she believes there is still a lot to come from this team.
I believe that Sharon Courtney has been an inspirational captain for Monaghan. If any player is to receive this long awaited trophy then let there be no doubt about it, Sharon Courtney is the player who deserves to get her hands on the trophy. 13 years is too big of a gap for a trophy to be brought back down the road. This group of players deserve to get silverware and let’s hope Saturday is the start of many successes for this exceptional team. Only 2 players from this current panel played in that last league final, Niamh Kindlon and Lavina Connolly. I talked to Niamh Kindlon on her memories from that last league final and how she feels now back to full form after her knee injury.
Niamh recalls the 2001 league final against Clare. It was played in very windy conditions in St Lomans Park with Monaghan losing out by a single goal 2-10 to 1-10. She remembers Slainey Murray coming on as a sub and near the end when Monaghan were piling on the pressure to get the goal,she hit the crossbar. Let’s just hope luck will be on Monaghan’s side this weekend.
Niamh has had her ups and downs since then undergoing 2 cruciate knee operations. Many a player would have given up after all that, but not Niamh. She says it was a long lonely road to recovery but she is delighted to be back in the team especially now preparing for a national league final. That determination shown by Niamh is exactly what Monaghan will need to show against Cork. Niamh like Gregory and Sharon felt the Dublin performance was very good. She believes the team showed alot of hunger and the work rate across the whole field was exceptional at times. In saying that she believes the girls will have to up it another 100% to beat Cork. It would be great for the team and the county to win the national league title, but she stated that the champinship is the big one. She is hoping Saturday’s game will give the team a chance to have another go at Cork and to make up for that disappointing All Ireland final in September. If the whole team have that Never Say Die attitude of Niamh, then I believe that trophy will be coming back to Monaghan.
To Gregory, John, Michael, Arlene, Jimmy, Fiona and the whole panel of girls, Good Luck on Saturday. The whole county is behind you on Saturday and we urge you to come out in your numbers to support this wonderful group of players. Parnell Park proved a lucky pitch in the 1999 league final against Waterford where I had the great honour to captain that winning side. There would be nobody more happy than myself to see Sharon Courtney experience that great feeling of lifting that cup especially at the hands of one of the best ladies football teams of the last 10 years.
U14 GIRLS TAKE ON THE MIGHTY TYRONE IN THE ULSTER CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
With or senior ladies out on Saturday in the league final, our U14 girls will also be flying the flag high as they take on Tyrone on Sunday evening in Lisnaskea. This team have been steadily improving all year, with a great performance against Donegal earning them a place in the Ulster final. Tyrone have been most impressive all year, winning the Ulster blitz and beating all teams including Monaghan comfortably in the earlier rounds. They will go into Sunday’s game as hot favourites and rightly so, but this Monaghan team will not be heading to Lisnaskea just to make up the numbers. If they play to their full potential, they prove to be the surprise package in this championship. Earlier in the week I spoke to Orla O Reilly, former Monaghan great and currently part of the U14 management team . I asked her What her feelings as part of the management team were going into this game?
She feels that they have a real good chance of putting it up to Tyrone. The last day they played them, she felt they didn’t play well, and that the scoreline wasn’t a true reflection on this young Monaghan team. She went on to say that to date there have been mixed performances for these girls, as it has been very difficult to get the best team out, through injuries and players being away at other sports. The Donegal game showed what the girls are capable of and another performance like that, then who knows what might happen. Talking about that game in Donegal, Orla was quick to point out, that it was the 2nd half in particular that was most impressive and that if the girls can play like that for the full 60 minutes and not let Tyrone control the game like they did the last day , they will be in with a real fighting chance. Tyrone have a very strong half forward line and the Monaghan girls will have to be on top of their game . Shauna Hetherington, Rosemary Courtney and Siobhan Keenan done an excellent job against Donegal and a repeat performance by them is what will be needed . This young team has immense talent throughout, and having worked with them,Orla believes we haven’t seen yet what this team is really capable of .Orla finished off by asking that all clubs come out and support the team.
On behalf of the county board we wish Sean, Mary, Orla and the rest of the background team and players the very best of luck on Sunday. 2 trophies would be very warmly welcomed in Monaghan this weekend.
FIXTURES
NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION 1 FINAL
Monaghan V Dublin – Parnell Park Dublin @ 4.45pm Saturday 12th May
ULSTER 14 CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Monaghan V Tyrone – Lisnaskea @ 5.30pm Sunday 13th may
U14 LEAGUE – Monday 14th May unless otherwise stated
Division 1
Emyvale V Carrickmacross
Monaghan Harps V Donaghmoyne
Scotstown V Truagh
Division 2
Killanny V Eire Og
Latton V Tyholland
Seans V Inniskeen
Aughnamullen V O Neills
Division 3
St Brigids V Corduff
Magheracloone V Killevan
Emyvale V Aghabog – Tuesday 15th May
RESULTS
Reserve League Division 1
Donaghmoyne 0-16 Magheracloone 0-4
Truagh 1-11 Emyvale 2-8
Monaghan Harps bt Aghabog
Division 2
Doohamlet 3-4 O Neills 4-5
Killanny 4-7 Seans 1-8
Aughnamullen 5-5 Latton 6-9
U16S
Division 1
Monaghan Harps 3-6 Scotstown 13-15
Donaghmoyne 9-16 Emyvale 2-5
Division 2
Inniskeen 6-2 Latton 6-18
Eire Og 4-3 Magheracloone 10-13
Seans 10-13 Truagh 3-3
Killanny 11-4 O Neills 3-4
Division 3
Aughnamullen 8-29 Killevan 0-0
Doohamlet 2-13 St Brigids 3-10
Tyholland 8-19 Aghabog 3-2
U14
Division 1
Emyvale bt Scotstown
Division 2
Tyholland 4-11 Killanny 2-6
Seans 0-2 Aughnamullen 0-12
Division 3
Magheracloone 2-7 Corduff
Doohamlet 2-8 Aghabog 0-10
Emyvale 2-3 Corduff 3-6
Could all club PRO’s e mail me the results of their games by midnight on Mondays so to ensure that I can have them included in the ladies football column. My e mail address is brendamcanespie3@googlemail.com or text me the results on 087 6152342
THERE WILL BE NO U16 GAMES TONIGHT OR RESERVE GAMES THIS WEEKEND DUE TO COUNTY TEAMS OUT ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
JOEY GARTLAN MEMORIAL CHARITY MATCH
Carrickmacross Ladies held their Annual Joey Gartlan Memorial Charity match on Sunday last in Emmet Park. The proceeds from the gate will go to the Solas Unit of St Oliver Plunkett School for Autism. We would like to thank everyone who played any part in making this a success. We want to say a special thank you to the Monaghan Ladies team of 92/95. They all turned up and some travelled long distances to be there. Some of those girls showed that they still have what it takes. They all rolled back the years to put on a great show and we really appreciate it. After the match all players were presented with a small momentum by Lily Gartlan wife of the late Joey. After some light refreshments the girls retired to the Dugout Bar for something a little stronger and to catch up on some old stories from the past some of which are not fit for print. We want to say a big thank you as always to our hard working committee who never let us down.
TABLE QUIZ
Monaghan Senior ladies are holding a fundraising Table Quiz night next Friday night, May 18th in Aughnamullen club rooms. Please support this night by entering a team.
COLAISTE OIRIALL LOSE OUT IN A THRILLER IN BERAGH
Colaiste Oiriall lost out by a single point after extra time in the U16D Kukri Ulster School final. This was a nail biting game from start to finish with the Monaghan side very unlucky not to take home their first football title. This team is still a very young team with most of their players still underage next year, and I’m sure this team will be making the headlines in the not too distant future. Thier U14 team have also reached the Ulster final, another great achievement for the school and we wish them the very best of luck in their final. Once again very well done to all involved.
Line Out
Hanna Ni Cheircin, Lianne Nic an Bhaird, Ellen Ne Bhriain, Frances Ni Chonghaile Nic Aodha, Amy Ni AMaill, Megan Ni Chasaide, Bronagh Ni Ruanai, Aisling Ni Fhearghais, Laoise Ni laoire, Carla Ni Dhochartaigh, Linda Nic Giolla Mhichil, Emma Ni Chleirchin, Bronagh Nic Cionna, Tara Ne Chiamain, Laura Ni hUallachain, Niamh Ni Chiarain, Hannah Nic Sceachain, Celine Ni Fhalaigh, Aoife Ni Roideain Aimee Ni Mhathuna, Emma Ni Mhaonaigh, Nicole Nic an Fhailigh, Stephanie Ni Loingsigh, Eadaoin Nig Uidhir Aoibhinn
By michael Tue 8th May
