It’s championship time for Monaghan’s senior and minor footballers in Cavan on Sunday.
Ulster Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final
Cavan v Monaghan, Sunday, 2.00, Kingspan Breffni Park
Monaghan start their SFC campaign with an Ulster quarter-final local derby against Cavan.
Monaghan, who ended a 25-year wait for an Ulster title in 2013 before losing to Donegal in last year’s provincial final, had another good Allianz National Football League campaign this spring, reaching the Division One semi-finals, where they lost by a point to Dublin. Cavan went into the last round in Division Two with a chance of promotion, but defeat against Meath saw them finish in mid-table.
These counties have a long-running rivalry and their most recent championship clash – a one-point Ulster semi-final win for Monaghan two years ago – was typical of that. Cavan have won their last two meetings at Sunday’s venue – a 2013 NFL match and a Dr. McKenna Cup group game this January.
The Monaghan team named for Sunday shows three changes from the league semi-final, with Drew Wylie, Dick Clerkin and Dermot Malone in for Kieran Duffy, Ryan McAnespie and Thomas Kerr. Cavan have made two changes from the Meath game, as Michael Argue and Niall McDermott get the nod ahead of Killian Brady and Brendan Fitzpatrick. The build-up to the game has been dominated by Drew Wylie and Darren Hughes battling for fitness, while injury is set to keep Cavan’s Killian Clarke out. Colin Walshe and Owen Lennon have been named on the bench for Monaghan, having missed the inter-county year so far as they recovered from long-term lay-offs.
Monaghan will be looking for big performances from players like Conor McManus, Paul Finlay, Darren and Kieran Hughes, Drew and Ryan Wylie and Dessie Mone, while Gearóid McKiernan, Martin Dunne, Martin Reilly, McDermott and Rory Dunne are among the main men for Cavan.
Cavan: Conor Gilsenan; Jason McLoughlin, Rory Dunne, Ronan Flanagan; James McEnroe, Feargal Flanagan, Damien O’Reilly; Tomás Corr, Gearóid McKiernan; Dara McVeety, Michael Argue, Martin Reilly; Cian Mackey, Martin Dunne, Niall McDermott.
Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Dessie Mone, Drew Wylie, Ryan Wylie; Fintan Kelly, Vincent Corey, Karl O’Connell; Neil McAdam, Dick Clerkin; Owen Duffy, Paul Finlay, Darren Hughes; Dermot Malone, Kieran Hughes, Conor McManus (Capt.).
Subs: Enda Duffy, Kieran Duffy, Conor Boyle, Colin Walshe, Paudie McKenna, Owen Lennon, Stephen Gollogly, Shane Carey, Ryan McAnespie, Paul Meegan, Christopher McGuinness.
Electric Ireland Ulster Minor Football Championship Quarter-Final
Cavan v Monaghan, Sunday, 12.15, Kingspan Breffni Park
Starting Sunday’s double-header is the Ulster MFC quarter-final between Monaghan and Cavan.
Monaghan, who won the Ulster title in 2013, beating Cavan in the semi-finals, failed to win a game in the Ulster Minor Football League, including a defeat against Sunday’s opponents. Cavan’s only points in Group A came via that final-round local derby win, but they went on to reach the shield final. Both teams had their campaigns restricted by the exploits of schools, with Our Lady’s, Castleblayney, Patrician, Carrickmacross and Largy, Clones all reaching latter stages of their championships, while St. Patrick’s, Cavan went all the way to a first MacRory Cup victory since 1972.
Monaghan can call on players who featured last year, such as David Garland, Barry Kerr and Micheál Bannigan, although Francis Hughes is out injured. Stephen Finnegan, Pádraig McMahon, Conor Duffy, Cian Hand, Jamie Walshe and Conor Marray should also feature on Sunday. The Cavan team features seven of the successful St. Patrick’s team – Fergal O’Rourke, Dónal Monahan, Luke Fortune, Patrick O’Reilly, David Brady, Ryan O’Neill and Thomas Edward Donohoe – as well as Robbie Fitzpatrick, who top-scored in the league game between these teams. Darragh Kennedy is Cavan’s main injury concern.
It’s also a busy weekend for Monaghan’s ladies football teams, with the Under-21s and Under-14s both also up against Cavan on Saturday in Stradone at 2pm and Sunday in Drumlane at 6pm respectively. Meanwhile, ten Monaghan seniors, namely Linda Martin, Sharon and Cora Courtney, Ellen McCarron, Ciara McAnespie, Caoimhe Mohan, Grainne McNally, Joanne Geoghegan, Cathriona McConnell and Laura McEnaney, are part of the Ulster ladies interprovincial panel defending their title in Kinnegad over the weekend.
Silver Hill Foods Minor Hurling League Final Replay
Carrickmacross v Monaghan Harps, Saturday, 4.30, Clontibret
Carrickmacross and Monaghan Harps return to Clontibret for the replay of the MHL Final on Saturday.
Carrick led for most of last Saturday’s drawn game, but after conceding the only goal to Cathal Power, they needed a late point to force a replay. Carrick went through the group stage unbeaten, including a one-point win over the Harps, who finished second and were given a walkover by Inniskeen in the semi-final. Carrick won the MHC Final between these teams last year after they shared the U-16 league and championship titles in 2013.
Carrick are set to be without star player Ronan Curran due to a knee injury, but they can still call on county minors like Patrick Bermingham and Patrick Mitchell, as well as the likes of Oisín and Aaron Wilcox and Caolán Martin. The Harps have their own injury absentee in Dylan McAree, but they have a large county contingent of Cathal Power, Conor Flynn, Reece Treanor, Ciarán Cassidy, Ruairí Forde, Mark Murphy, Nathan O’Donoghue and Anthony Greenan.
There is one game in the County Monaghan Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League on Wednesday, when Castleblayney host Truagh.
The top two in the Silver Hill Foods Senior Hurling League, Castleblayney and Inniskeen, go head-to-head on Thursday, while the winners of the game between Clontibret and Carrickmacross will join Truagh in third place.
The Platinum Tanks Reserve Football Championship O’Duffy Cup quarter-finals take place over the weekend, starting with Latton v Magheracloone in Inniskeen on Friday night. Holders Scotstown have a local derby away to Scotstown on Saturday, while Monaghan Harps and Aughnamullen host Cremartin and Emyvale respectively. There are RFC Crawley Cup quarter-finals between Doohamlet and Donaghmoyne and Killanny and Drumhowan on Saturday, with the final tie seeing neighbours Corduff and Carrickmacross clash on Wednesday night. There is also a local derby between Aghabog and Killeevan in Saturday’s McKeown Cup quarter-final. The winners of Saturday’s Platinum Tanks Reserve Football League Division 1B game (Ballybay v Castleblayney) have the chance to go joint-top, while Blackhill will lead Division 2B if they beat Truagh on Wednesday. Division Three table-toppers Clones host Toome on Saturday, with second-placed Killeevan away to Emyvale on Wednesday.
The Gerry’s Prepared Veg. juvenile competitions continue with action in the Under-16 Football Leagues, Under-14 Football Leagues and Championships, Under-14 Hurling Championship and Under-12 Football and Hurling Leagues.
By cshalvey Fri 22nd May
