Power NI Dr. McKenna Cup Semi-Final

Monaghan v Down, Sunday, 2.00, Armagh

Monaghan will attempt to reach the Dr. McKenna Cup final for the first time since 2006 when they take on Down at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh on Sunday.

Monaghan, who last won this competition ten years ago, have made a positive start to the season with comfortable wins over St. Mary’s University, Donegal and Fermanagh. New manager Malachy O’Rourke has taken full advantage of this month’s busy schedule to get to know his players, with 29 being given at least one start so far. The team for Sunday shows seven personnel changes from the one that beat Fermanagh on Wednesday night, with Mark Keogh, Ronan McNally, Kieran Duffy, Darren Hughes, Karl O’Connell, Owen Lennon and Conor McManus coming in for Rory Beggan, Conor Galligan, Fintan Kelly, Martin McElroy, Gerard McArdle, Shane McQuillan and Stephen Smyth. There are also a few positional switches on the starting XV, while Gavin Doogan takes his place on the bench for the first time this year after missing the group games through injury.

Down only had two games in Section B due to Queen’s University pulling out, but they topped the group after proving too strong for Cavan and Armagh. James McCartan has fielded relatively strong teams as they warm up for their Division One campaign. Monaghan native Niall Moyna is part of the Down backroom team this year, although he has been busy managing DCU in the O’Byrne Cup and preparing for their Sigerson Cup defence. Benny Coulter, Dan Gordon, Kevin McKernan, Aidan Carr, Mark Poland, Kalum King and Daniel McCartan are likely to play key roles for the Mourne men.

The teams met in the Ulster SFC semi-finals at the same venue last June, when Down came from nine points down to leave Monaghan shell-shocked. This will certainly be Monaghan’s biggest test of 2013 so far and will continue good preparation for the start of the National Football League, which is now just two weeks away. The game will be followed by the other semi-final between Tyrone and Fermanagh.

Monaghan (v Down): Mark Keogh; Ronan McNally, Drew Wylie, Owen Coyle; Kieran Duffy, Darren Hughes, Karl O’Connell; Owen Lennon, Dick Clerkin; Kieran Hughes, Pádraig Donaghy, Neil McAdam; Dermot Malone, Conor McManus, Owen Duffy.

Subs: Rory Beggan, Martin McElroy, Fintan Kelly, Conor Galligan, Paul McArdle, Gavin Doogan, Stephen Smyth, Thomas O’Neill, Donal Hahessy, Paul Finlay, Shane McQuillan.