Allianz National Football League Division Three
Cavan v Monaghan, Saturday, 7.00, Kingspan Breffni Park
Monaghan will be looking to build on their positive start to the NFL when they make the short trip to Cavan on Saturday evening.
Fresh from reaching the final of the Dr. McKenna Cup, Monaghan started their league campaign impressively with a big win at home to Meath last Sunday. Meanwhile, Cavan, who lost to Down and beat Armagh in the McKenna Cup, finished on the wrong side of a two-point game away to Antrim in their NFL opener. Despite being close neighbours and rivals, Monaghan and Cavan haven’t met in a competitive senior match since 2008, when the Farney men ran out comfortable winners at Breffni Park.
Malachy O’Rourke has kept faith with the starting fifteen that put Meath to the sword, meaning Tommy Freeman is again on the bench, although he is likely to make an appearance at some stage with a couple of weeks training now behind him. There should be plenty of firepower in a full-forward line of Paul Finlay, Kieran Hughes and the in-form Conor McManus, which Monaghan will need to break down a defence-orientated Cavan side. New captain Owen Lennon and Dick Clerkin will need to be on form at midfield, while Darren Hughes, Dessie Mone and Colin Walshe are among the main men in defence.
Cavan’s mainly youthful team is backboned by experienced campaigners like Mark McKeever, Martin Reilly and Cian Mackey, alongside up-and-coming players like Gearóid McKiernan, David Givney, Jack Brady and the free-scoring Martin Dunne.
This game has all the makings of a competitive local derby, which should attract a good crowd. If Monaghan can match their performance against Meath, they should pick up a second win.
Monaghan (v Cavan): Mark Keogh; Kieran Duffy, Fintan Kelly, Colin Walshe; Dessie Mone, Darren Hughes, Neil McAdam; Owen Lennon (Capt.), Dick Clerkin; Gavin Doogan, Pádraig Donaghy, Owen Duffy; Paul Finlay, Conor McManus, Kieran Hughes.
Subs: Rory Beggan, Conor Galligan, Sam Dooney, Martin McElroy, Karl O’Connell, Peter O’Hanlon, Tommy Freeman, Shane McQuillan, Stephen Smyth, Pete Dooney, Jack McCarron.
Cavan: Alan O’Mara; Killian Brady, Rory Dunne, Oisín Minagh; Damien O’Reilly, Alan Clarke, John McCutcheon; Gearóid McKiernan, Tomás Corr; Cian Mackey (Capt.), Niall McDermott, Mark McKeever; David Givney, Martin Dunne, Jack Brady.
Ladies National Football League Division One
Monaghan v Mayo, Sunday, 2.00, Inniskeen
Monaghan’s ladies are also chasing a second win in a row when they host Mayo in Inniskeen on Sunday.
Reigning champions Monaghan were in Páirc Grattan for their league opener last Saturday and they hit the ground running when they beat all-conquering Cork, while Mayo also got off to a good start with a six-point win over Tyrone the following day. These counties have crossed paths regularly in recent years, most recently in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final, which Monaghan won by seven points, while many players from both sides were also involved in the recent All-Ireland club final, where Monaghan’s Donaghmoyne got the better of Mayo outfit Carnacon.
Cathriona McConnell looks to have brought her prolific 2012 form into the new year, as she hit 1-3 against Cork, while Sharon Courtney, Ciara and Aoife McAnespie, Christina Reilly and new captain Ellen McCarron also remain important players for Monaghan. Cora Staunton is still the key player for Mayo, having hit 2-6 against Tyrone, with Fiona McHale, Deirdre Doherty, Martha Carter and Claire Egan other key players. With confidence high after taking full points from the All-Ireland champions, Monaghan are well placed to maintain their winning start to their defence of the league title.
Thomas Devlin Motors Ulster Club Under-21 Football Championship First Round
Emerald Sarsfields v St. John’s, Sunday, 12.30, Creggan
Emerald Sarsfields will bid to become the first Monaghan team to qualify for the Ulster Club Under-21 FC semi-finals when they take on Antrim champions St. John’s at Creggan on Sunday. The Blackhill/Oram amalgamation, who won the Monaghan Under-21 Division One title in style last July (beating the likes of Monaghan Harps, Scotstown and Truagh along the way), will need big performances from forwards Pauric Graham, Ryan McGuinness, Philip Donnelly and Michael Geehan, midfielder Ciarán Courtney and defenders Cathal Crowe and Donal and Anthony Courtney. Their opponents, Belfast side St. John’s, whose main players include Locky McCurdy and Patrick McBride, battled past host club Creggan to win the Antrim championship. Monaghan clubs have made little impact in the Kickhams tournament to date, but Emerald Sarsfields will be determined to put that right on Sunday. The game will be followed by the last quarter-final between Naomh Cónaill (Donegal) and Ballinderry (Derry).
The Ulster club leagues are also up and running. Monaghan’s only representatives in the Ulster Club SFL, Castleblayney, host Annaclone from Down on Sunday. Truagh, who started off with a comfortable win over Carndonagh, have an away game against Ballerin (Derry) in the Ulster Club IFL, while Aughnamullen, whose opening game against Silverbridge finished in a draw, have the weekend off. Truagh’s hurlers enter Division 5A of the Táin Club Hurling League with a game against St. Fechin’s (Louth) at Darver on Saturday.
After all that, St. Macartan’s College put their Danske Bank MacRory Cup hopes on the line on Wednesday night when they take on St. Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon in the quarter-finals in Emyvale. Please note change of venue due to unplayable pitch in Armagh.
The Sem needed a remarkable second-half comeback to edge out St. Pat’s, Armagh in a play-off and qualify for the last eight, in contrast to Dungannon, who secured their place with two group games to spare thanks to comfortable wins against Armagh and St. Mary’s, Magherafelt. The Monaghan lads will go in as underdogs, although the spirit shown last time out means that they can’t be written off, especially with players of the quality of Ulster Colleges All-Star Fearghal McMahon, Conor McCarthy, Micheál McCarville, Kevin Loughran and Lorcan Smyth. The Academy have their own All-Star in Ruairí McGlone, along with the likes of Deasún Quinn, Philip Donnelly and Stephen McGrath.
It’s a busy time for the Sem, whose centenary gala ball takes place on Saturday week (February 16), celebrating 100 years of Gaelic games at the north-Monaghan school.
Our Lady’s, Castleblayney are also in Ulster Colleges action when they fly the Monaghan flag in the MacLarnon Cup quarter-finals against St. Patrick’s, Downpatrick in Newry on Saturday, in what is tipped to be a close-run battle for a place in the last four. Both sides have 100% records in the competition to date, but Ulster Colleges All-Star Ruairí Wells and Down minor Conor McGrady may tip the balance in favour of Downpatrick.
By michael Fri 8th Feb
