Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship Quarter-Final

Monaghan v Cork, Sunday, 6.00, Tullamore

Monaghan’s minor footballers will bid for an All-Ireland MFC semi-final place when they take on Cork in Tullamore on Sunday evening.

Monaghan will be hoping to make it through to the last four for the second year in a row, having beaten Kildare at this stage last year before losing to five-in-a-row champions Kerry at Croke Park. Mark Counihan’s side retained the Ulster title a fortnight ago – becoming the first male team from the county to win back-to-back championships since the minors of 1939 and 1940 – setting up a clash with Munster runners-up Cork.

Monaghan saw off Down and Antrim, Tyrone and Donegal to set up a rematch with the Red Hand County in the Ulster Final, where they claimed a two-point win. Having lost to Kerry in round one of the Munster MFC group phase, Cork overcame a battling Clare side to qualify for a first decider in three years, where they fell to a narrow defeat against Kerry.

Monaghan can call on three central starting players from last year in Karl Gallagher, Shane Hanratty and captain Jason Irwin. Darragh Dempsey, Liam McDonald, Kyle Connolly, Ronan Boyle and Eoin Duffy should also play key roles. Cork will be looking for big performances from the likes of Ryan O’Donovan, Connor Corbett, Patrick Campbell, Kelan Scannell, Daniel Linehan and Neil Lordan.