Power NI Dr. McKenna Cup Section B

Monaghan v St. Mary’s, Sunday, 2.00, Clones

Monaghan will attempt to bounce back from last Sunday’s McKenna Cup loss to Derry when they take on St. Mary’s University in Clones this Sunday.

The Monaghan team shows seven changes from the high-scoring opener against Derry, with a debut for Emyvale goalkeeper Gerard McCaffrey and first starts for wing-forwards Pádraic Keenan and Thomas Kerr. Karl O’Connell, Conor Galligan, Shane Smyth and Pádraig Donaghy also come into the starting team as Rory Beggan, Conor Boyle, Paudie McKenna, Dermot Malone, Shane Carey, Paul Finlay and Daniel McKenna drop to the bench. Dessie Mone is by far the most experienced player in the Monaghan team this week, although Kieran Hughes, Kieran Duffy, Gavin Doogan and Christopher McGuinness all retain their places.

St. Mary’s saw their entry into this year’s competition delayed by the postponement of their fixture against Fermanagh last Sunday, but it went ahead on Wednesday night, when the Belfast teacher-training institution scored three goals to leave a foggy Enniskillen with a win. Thomas Canavan, Peter Carragher, Aidan McGarrity, Conor McCann, Emmet Bradley and Ronan Sexton should again be to the fore for St. Mary’s when they visit Clones for the third year in a row.

Monaghan have come out on top in 2012 and 2013 against St. Mary’s in the McKenna Cup and if they can tighten up defensively this weekend, they should have enough to get a first win of 2014.

Monaghan: Gerard McCaffrey; Fintan Kelly, Kieran Duffy, Ryan Wylie; Karl O’Connell, Dessie Mone, Conor Galligan; Gavin Doogan, Kieran Hughes; Pádraic Keenan, Jack McCarron, Thomas Kerr; Christopher McGuinness, Shane Smyth, Pádraig Donaghy.

Subs: Damien Lavelle, Rory Beggan, Paudie McKenna, Conor Boyle, Stephen Gollogly, Dick Clerkin, Shane Carey, Dermot Malone, Daniel McKenna, Paul Finlay, Vincent Corey.