All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final Group Stage Phase 2
Monaghan v Kerry, Sunday, 4.00, Clones
Monaghan’s home game in the new ‘Super 8s’ series sees them welcome Kerry to Clones this Sunday.
Having beaten Tyrone in the Ulster quarter-finals, Monaghan then lost to Fermanagh, but they got their championship campaign back on track with comfortable qualifier wins over Waterford, Leitrim and Laois and they held off Kildare at Croke Park last weekend to start the group on a positive. Kerry won a sixth straight Munster title via comprehensive wins over Clare and Cork, but they lost out to Galway last time out.
Monaghan have enjoyed some good days against Kerry in recent Allianz NFL meetings, most recently this year in Inniskeen, but the county still awaits a first championship victory over the Kingdom, having fallen to a few memorable narrow defeats.
Monaghan will be looking for the likes of Conor McManus, Rory Beggan, Darren Hughes, Karl O’Connell, Fintan Kelly and Ryan McAnespie to lead the way, with Kieran Hughes and captain Colin Walshe among the subs. Malachy O’Rourke has named an unchanged starting team, while Éamonn Fitzmaurice makes three changes to the Kerry side, with Ronan Shanahan, Mark Griffin, Tom O’Sullivan replacing Jason Foley, Brian Ó Beaglaoich and Gavin Crowley in their defence.
A bumper crowd is expected at St. Tiarnach’s Park for this highly-anticipated clash.
Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Kieran Duffy, Drew Wylie (Vice-Capt.), Ryan Wylie; Dessie Mone, Vincent Corey, Karl O’Connell; Niall Kearns, Darren Hughes; Ryan McAnespie, Shane Carey, Owen Duffy; Conor McCarthy, Fintan Kelly, Conor McManus.
Subs: Conor Forde, Conor Boyle, Barry Kerr, Colin Walshe (Capt.), Neil McAdam, Kieran Hughes, Thomas Kerr, Dermot Malone, Paudie McKenna, Jack McCarron, David Garland.
Kerry: Shane Murphy (Capt.); Ronan Shanahan, Mark Griffin, Tom O’Sullivan; Paul Murphy, Peter Crowley, Gavin White; David Moran, Jack Barry; Kevin McCarthy, Sean O’Shea, Stephen O’Brien; David Clifford, Paul Geaney, James O’Donoghue.
Subs: Brian Kelly, Kieran Donaghy, Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Micheál Burns, Barry John Keane, Anthony Maher, Darran O’Sullivan, Donnchadh Walsh, Tadhg Morley, Fionn Fitzgerald, Gavin Crowley.
TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Senior Football Championship Group 2 Round 2
Cork v Monaghan, Saturday, 3.00, Birr
Monaghan face Cork in the Ladies SFC in Birr on Saturday.
Having lost to eventual back-to-back Ulster champions Donegal in the provincial series, Monaghan started their Group 2 campaign with a draw against Armagh, while Cork saw off Kerry to regain the Munster title. Cork got the better of Monaghan in the 2008, 2011 and 2013 All-Ireland finals and they also knocked the Farney county out in a 2017 qualifier. The Monaghan team named by Annmarie Burns shows two changes from last week, with Eva Woods and Jane Drury replacing Hazel Kingham and Muireann Atkinson, while Cork have named an unchanged team.
Monaghan will need big performances from experienced players such as the McAnespies, the Courtneys and Ellen McCarron. Cork can call on the likes of Ciara, Áine and Doireann O’Sullivan, Orlagh Farmer and Orla Finn, with Eimear Scally and emerging star Saoirse Noonan being held in reserve for the start.
Cork: Martina O’Brien; Chloe Collins, Róisín Phelan, Melissa Duggan; Máire O’Callaghan, Shauna Kelly, Emma Spillane; Ashling Hutchings, Hannah Looney; Ciara O’Sullivan, Libby Coppinger, Orlagh Farmer; Áine O’Sullivan, Doireann O’Sullivan, Orla Finn.
Monaghan: Linda Martin; Josie Fitzpatrick, Fiona Courtney, Rachel McKenna; Aoife McAnespie, Sharon Courtney, Eva Woods; Eileen McKenna, Eimear McAnespie; Rosemary Courtney, Jane Drury, Cora Courtney; Ciara McAnespie, Niamh Callan, Ellen McCarron.
By cshalvey Sat 21st Jul
