Bank of Ireland Dr. Mc Kenna Cup Section B

Monaghan v Fermanagh, Sunday, 2.00, Clones

Monaghan begin their 2017 Dr. Mc Kenna Cup with a local derby against Fermanagh in Clones this Sunday.

Malachy O’Rourke has named a panel featuring ten newcomers for this competition and two of those are set to start for their debuts in round one, namely James Mealiff (Clones) at centre half-forward and last year’s county minor captain Micheál Bannigan (Aughnamullen) at top of the left. Another six players hoping to make their first senior inter-county appearances are named in the substitutes: namely Conor Forde, Aaron Lynch, Stephen Finnegan, Stephen McCabe, Niall Kearns and Mikey Murnaghan. The Hughes brothers, Darren and Kieran, are named at midfield, while Brian Greenan is in line for his first game for Monaghan in two years.

Fermanagh will be without Seán Quigley as he continues his recovery from a groin operation, but veteran defender Ryan McCluskey is included in their panel, while rising prospect Cian McManus has been called up. Eoin Donnelly, Tomás Corrigan, Aidan Breen, Michael Jones, Declan McCusker and goalkeeper Chris Snow all featured for Ulster as they won the inter-provincial football championship last month, with Donnelly captaining the team that was managed by Pete McGrath, who is now in his third year in charge of Fermanagh.

Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Owen Coyle, Fintan Kelly, Ryan Wylie; Kieran Duffy, Colin Walshe, Brian Greenan; Darren Hughes, Kieran Hughes; Karl O’Connell, James Mealiff, Gavin Doogan; Fergal McGeough, Thomas Kerr, Micheál Bannigan.

Subs: Conor Forde, Dermot Malone, Aaron Lynch, Stephen Finnegan, Stephen McCabe, Karl McQuaid, Niall Kearns, Neil McAdam, Mikey Murnaghan, Shane Carey, Niall McKeown.