Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship Quarter-Final
Monaghan v Dublin, Sunday, 5.30, Newry
Monaghan contest an All-Ireland Minor Football Championship quarter-final for only the second time since the second chance for beaten provincial finalists was introduced when they take on Dublin in Newry on Sunday.
Monaghan have had two weeks to get over their narrow defeat to Tyrone in the Ulster final and they will hope to bounce back and go one further than the 2008 team that lost to Mayo after extra-time in the last eight.
Monaghan will once again be looking to inspirational team captain Pádraic Keenan to lead the way, but he will need greater support this time. Ryan McAnespie also has a key role to play in linking defence and attack, while Ryan Wylie and Fergal Malone will be expected to continue their impressive form in the full-back line. Monaghan will need more from their full-forwards, who were held scoreless by Tyrone, and they will seek to get the pacy Conor McCarthy more involved. James McElroy and Brian Greenan will also need to win more ball around midfield, with the help of the half-backs and half-forwards.
Monaghan face another step-up in the quality of opposition on Sunday against a Dublin team who blitzed everyone in their way in retaining the Leinster title. The Dubs racked up 9-58 in wins over Carlow, Longford, Kildare and Meath; an average of over 20 points per game.
Dublin, who are again managed by Dessie Farrell, have almost an entirely new team from the one that was pipped at the post by Tipperary in last year’s All-Ireland final – just two players started both that match and this year’s Leinster final rout of Meath, which saw them installed as favourites for the All-Ireland. One was wing-back Eric Lowndes, while the other is the undoubted star of this year’s crop, Cormac Costello. Costello, a son of Dublin GAA secretary John, scored an amazing 3-4 (all bar a point from play) in the Leinster final.
Gavin Burke, Conor McHugh and Niall Walsh are also dangerous forwards for Dublin, while Shane Carthy and Stephen Cunningham dominated exchanges at midfield last time out. David Byrne captains the team from full-back and anchors the defence along with Conor Mullaly and Lowndes.
Throw-in on Sunday is at 5.30pm and the game will be followed by the last quarter-final of the weekend between Tyrone and Meath.
By michael Fri 3rd Aug
