Allianz National Football League Division One
Roscommon v Monaghan, Sunday, 2.00, Kiltoom
Monaghan start their NFL campaign with a sold-out fixture in Kiltoom, Roscommon Sunday.
Experimental teams made an early exit from the Dr. McKenna Cup, but a more experienced side will take to the field on Sunday. Conor McManus has been named for his first start of 2016 and there are first county appearances of the year for Rory Beggan, Ryan Wylie, Darren Hughes, Ryan McAnespie and Thomas Kerr. Barry McGinn and Mark Thornton, who have yet to make NFL debuts, are listed in the substitutes.
Roscommon are now backboned by the players who led their U-21 teams who won Connacht titles in the last two years and also in 2010, 2012, as well as reaching All-Ireland finals in 2012 and 2014, only to run into formidable opposition from Dublin on both occasions. Kevin McStay and Fergal O’Donnell’s reign started with a run to the FBD League Final, where they lost to Galway
Roscommon have plenty of scoring power in the shape of players like Diarmuid and Ciaráin Murtagh, Cathal Cregg and Senan Kilbride. Enda Smith, Cathal Shine and Niall Daly are other key players for the 2015 Division Two winners.
Roscommon: Darren O’Malley; Seán McDermott, Neil Collins, Niall McInerney; David Murray, Niall Daly, Ronan Stack; Cathal Shine, Ian Kilbride; Fintan Cregg, Enda Smith, Ciaráin Murtagh; Diarmuid Murtagh, Senan Kilbride, Cathal Cregg.
Subs: Geoffrey Claffey, Brian Murtagh, Cathal McHugh, Cian Connolly, Conor Devanney, John McManus, Niall Kilroy, Ronan Daly, Scott Oates, Tom Featherston, Ultan Harney.
Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Colin Walshe, Drew Wylie, Ryan Wylie; Dessie Mone, Fintan Kelly, Karl O’Connell; Neil McAdam, Darren Hughes; Kieran Duffy, Dermot Malone, Owen Duffy; Ryan McAnespie, Thomas Kerr, Conor McManus.
Subs: Mark Keogh, John McCarron, Conor Boyle, Vincent Corey, Mark Thornton, Pádraic Keenan, Shane Carey, Stephen Gollogly, Conor McCarthy Daniel McKenna, Barry McGinn.
Under-21 Shamrock Cup
Louth v Monaghan, Friday, 8.00, Darver
The 2016 Shamrock Cup gets underway on Friday night when Monaghan travel to Louth’s Centre of Excellence.
With Monaghan not taking part in the Hastings Cup this year, their involvement in the Cremartin tournament takes on extra significance for Finbarr Fitzpatrick and his U-21 side, who lost to Tyrone in the 2015 final. Monaghan can call on several of the players who helped end a 68-year wait for an Ulster MFC title in 2013, although Barry McGinn is likely to be involved with the senior team on Sunday.
Lidl Ladies National Football League Division One
Monaghan v Armagh, Sunday, 2.00, Emyvale
Monaghan’s senior ladies begin life under new manager Paula Cunningham with a home game against Armagh on Sunday.
Cunningham has only been in the role for a couple of weeks and has admitted to playing catch-up with a Monaghan team that is currently shorn of some of their key players. Monaghan defeated 2014 winners Armagh in the Ulster semi-finals last year, but were unable to regain the title in the final against Donegal. Armagh are newly promoted to the top flight after winning Division Two last year.
Emyvale is also the venue for Friday’s MacRory Cup play-off, where St. Macartan’s College, Monaghan put their hopes on the line against St. Ronan’s, Lurgan.
By cshalvey Fri 29th Jan
