Sunday is a defining day for the fortunes of Monaghan’s senior and minor footballers in 2012, as Clones hosts a double-header of Ulster championship matches. All support for the Farney men will be needed, so make home advantage count and be seen and heard. Nothing beats being there!
Ulster Senior Football Championship First Round
Monaghan v Antrim, Sunday, 3.30, Clones
Monaghan take on Antrim in the Ulster championship for the first time since 1990 in Clones on Sunday.
After a second successive relegation in the National Football League, Monaghan will hope that a return to their home venue, where they picked up their only two wins of that campaign against Kildare and Louth, will help them turn their fortunes around, but news has not been good in the run-up to the game.
Monaghan will be without their captain Darren Hughes to a worrying injury which has seen a double dead leg turn into calcification in his right thigh. His loss comes on top of the absences of Tommy Freeman, who tweaked a hamstring in a challenge against Louth, Owen Lennon, who hurt his ankle against Armagh, and Neil McAdam, who has injured a tendon in his hand. The Monaghan team named by Eamon McEneaney includes three SFC debutants – Karl O’Connell, Pete Dooney and Matthew McKenna – while James Turley makes his first championship start and Christopher McGuinness gets a first start in the Ulster SFC.
Paul Finlay, who captains Monaghan on the day, will shoulder the main scoring burden, although the return from injury of Conor McManus is a boost and Christopher McGuinness will also be expected to contribute on the scoreboard. Vincent Corey and Dessie Mone are set to backbone the defence, while Colin Walshe has also been passed fit after his injury troubles.
Antrim have had better news on the injury front, with team captain Aodhán Gallagher overcoming a wrist problem to be selected at midfield alongside Michael McCann, who could also feature at full-forward. Corner-forwards Paddy Cunningham and Tomás McCann will provide most of the scoring power, while Justin Crozier and rising star make up a strong spine to the defence. Perhaps the key man for Liam Bradley’s side, however, is James Loughrey, a pacy player who has been named at wing-back but is also a threat at wing-forward.
Antrim started their league campaign with wins over Sligo, Tipperary and Offaly, but defeats against Roscommon, Longford and Wexford ruled them out of the promotion race, although they finished on a high note with a 4-6 to 0-12 win away to Cavan. The Saffrons beat Cavan in Clones on their way to an Ulster final appearance in 2009 and they will be eyeing up another upset here.
A close game is on the cards and Monaghan will need to produce a big performance to get back to winning ways.
Monaghan: M Keogh; D Morgan, V Corey, C Walshe; K O’Connell, D Mone, K Duffy; P Dooney, D Clerkin; M McKenna, S Gollogly, J Turley; C McGuinness, P Finlay (Capt.), C McManus.
Antrim: C Kerr; A Healy, R Johnston, K O’Boyle; T Scullion, J Crozier, J Loughrey; M McCann, A Gallagher (Capt.); C Murray, M Sweeney, M McAleese; P Cunningham, M Magill, T McCann.
ESB Ulster Minor Football Championship First Round
Monaghan v Antrim, Sunday, 1.45, Clones
Monaghan’s minors also put their Ulster championship hopes on the line against Antrim at St. Tiernach’s Park on Sunday afternoon.
Monaghan will be fancied to get over this hurdle after the counties had contrasting fortunes in the Ulster Minor Football League, but as ever at this level, nothing can be taken for granted. Wins over Down and Armagh meant Monaghan finished top of Group A, despite losing their last group game against Cavan. Progress ground to a halt when Monaghan lost to Derry in the semi-finals, but the management team – where Noel Marron has joined last year’s duo of Colin McAree and Mattie McGleenan – have put that defeat behind them. A recent challenge match against Donegal gave a chance to a number of fringe players, which should boost the panel ahead of the Antrim game.
Antrim, meanwhile, finished bottom of Group B after losing to Tyrone, Fermanagh, Derry and Donegal. They appeared to be getting closer to the mark as the campaign went on, however, giving Donegal a scare in the final round, before giving Fermanagh a comprehensive defeat in a recent challenge match.
Monaghan can call on eight of the team that started last year’s championship defeat against Tyrone: Conor Forde, Fergal Malone, Ryan Wylie, Pádraic Keenan, Brian Greenan, Conor Lavelle, Killian Rudden and Fergal McGeough. Conor McCarthy and Barry Hanratty are also likely to play key roles. Dermot McAleese, Matt Fitzpatrick, Eoin Fleming, Stephen Gorman and Ruairí Wilson should be to the fore for Antrim.
Monaghan have been preparing for this date since the year started and will be quietly confident that they can book their place in the provincial semi-finals.
Monaghan: D Kirk; B Hanratty, S Conlon, R Wylie; F Malone, F McGeough, P Keenan (Capt.); M Magee, D McAlister; J McElroy, B Greenan, S Buckley; C McCarthy, A Treanor, R McAnespie.
Antrim: T Hughes; C Quigg, S Gorman, C O’Rawe; M Fitzpatrick, R Wilson, J Hannigan; M Cummings, R McCaffery; D Doherty, M Lappin, D McAleese; E Fleming, D Trainor, P McAleer.
By michael Fri 25th May
