Allianz National Football League Division One
Monaghan v Mayo, Sunday, 2.00, Clones
For the second year in a row, the start of Monaghan’s Allianz NFL campaign pits them against the previous year’s All-Ireland runners-up Mayo, this time at home.
Having claimed a first ever NFL win on Mayo soil, Monaghan will be bidding to again take points off their battle-hardened opponents, who are set to start with 11 of the team that fell just short of dethroning Dublin at Croke Park last September. The additions are Eoin O’Donoghue, Michael Hall, Jason Gibbons and Evan Regan and although there is no place in the starting 15 for 2017 Footballer of the Year Andy Moran and captain Cillian O’Connor, that duo could feature at some stage.
Lee Keegan, Chris Barrett, Dónal Vaughan, Séamus O’Shea, Tom Parsons and Keith Higgins are to be absent for Mayo, while Conor McManus, Kieran Hughes, Dessie Mone and Vincent Corey are not part of the Monaghan panel for this game, which also comes too soon for the returning Barry McGinn.
Monaghan have hit the ground running in recent NFL campaigns, winning four and drawing one of their last five opening-round fixtures, but they face a tall order given the absence of several experienced campaigners. There are NFL debuts for Barry Kerr, Páraic McGuirk, Niall Kearns and David Garland, with fellow league rookies Shane Garland, Stephen Finnegan and Darren Freeman among the substitutes. There is also a return to this stage for Conor Boyle, while Drew Wylie, Colin Walshe, Neil McAdam, and Dermot Malone are among the experienced names kept in reserve.
Monaghan lost two of their three games in the Bank of Ireland Dr. McKenna Cup, during which they featured ten debutants, while Mayo mainly fielded experimental teams in the Connacht FBD League, where they drew with Leitrim, lost to Galway and Roscommon and finished off with a win over Sligo.
Last year’s win was only Monaghan’s second against Mayo since 1986, but these teams have played out some keenly-contested games and despite the early arrival of this fixture, less than a month into 2018, another competitive encounter will be expected in Clones on Sunday.
Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Ryan Wylie, Conor Boyle, Barry Kerr; Fintan Kelly, Kieran Duffy, Karl O’Connell; Darren Hughes, Niall Kearns; Owen Duffy, Páraic McGuirk, Ryan McAnespie; Conor McCarthy, Jack McCarron, David Garland.
Subs: Shane Garland, Drew Wylie, Colin Walshe, Stephen Finnegan, Neil McAdam, Thomas Kerr, Dessie Ward, Paudie McKenna, Dermot Malone, Darren Freeman, Micheál Bannigan.
Mayo: David Clarke; Brendan Harrison, Ger Cafferkey, Eoin O’Donoghue; Colm Boyle, Michael Hall, Paddy Durcan; Jason Gibbons, Stephen Coen; Kevin McLoughlin, Aidan O’Shea, Diarmuid O’Connor; Jason Doherty, Evan Regan, Conor Loftus.
Allianz National Hurling League Division 3A
Longford v Monaghan, Sunday, 2.00, Glennon Brothers Pearse Park
There is also a much earlier than usual start for Monaghan’s hurlers, who begin their Allianz National Hurling League Division 3A bid away to newly-promoted Longford on Sunday.
Monaghan just missed out on reaching the final last year, having won each of their first four games, while Longford came up after winning the 2017 Division 3B title. Division 3A will now consist of six teams, with Roscommon, Tyrone, Warwickshire and Louth also in the mix. Four of those sides will also face each other in Group One of the restructured Nicky Rackard Cup (now the fourth-tier championship) this year, with Monaghan having been paired with Louth, Warwickshire and Longford.
By cshalvey Sat 27th Jan
