All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Qualifiers Round 3

Leitrim v Monaghan, Saturday, 2.30, Carrick-on-Shannon

Monaghan are on the road once more this Saturday for another novel SFC pairing in their Round 3 Qualifier against Leitrim at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada.

Having beaten Tyrone in the Ulster quarter-finals, Monaghan then lost to Fermanagh, but they got their championship campaign back on track with a comprehensive win away to Waterford last weekend. Leitrim beat New York in the opening game and although they couldn’t match Roscommon in the Connacht semi-finals, they made it two wins this summer when they convincingly knocked Louth out.

Malachy O’Rourke has named a Monaghan team showing two changes from Round 2, with Kieran Duffy coming in for Barry Kerr and Ryan Wylie returning in place of his brother, Drew. Monaghan will be looking for Conor McManus, Rory Beggan, Karl O’Connell and Ryan McAnespie to lead the way, while Leitrim will need big performances from the likes of Emlyn Mulligan, Damien Moran, Jack Heslin, Darragh Rooney, Ryan O’Rourke and Brendan Gallagher.

Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Kieran Duffy, Conor Boyle, Ryan Wylie; Vincent Corey, Colin Walshe (Capt.), Karl O’Connell; Darren Hughes, Niall Kearns; Ryan McAnespie, Dermot Malone, Fintan Kelly; Conor McCarthy, Jack McCarron, Conor McManus.

Subs: Conor Forde, Drew Wylie, Barry Kerr, Dessie Mone, Neil McAdam, Paudie McKenna, Dessie Ward, Owen Duffy, Thomas Kerr, David Garland, Shane Carey.

Electric Ireland Ulster Minor Football Championship Semi-Final

Cavan v Monaghan, Sunday, 5.15, Athletic Grounds

After a six-week break for exams, the Ulster MFC resumes with a semi-final double-header in Armagh on Sunday.

Monaghan lost to Derry in extra-time in the first round, but wins over Antrim, Donegal and Down have kept them in the running. Monaghan beat Cavan by six points in the Ulster Minor Football League back in March on their way to winning the Jim McGuigan Cup, but a much-improved Breffni side have since taken the direct route to the semi-finals by defeating Derry (also after extra-time) and Fermanagh.

Monaghan will hope to have big performances from Brendan Óg Ó Dufaigh, Aaron Mulligan, Andrew Moore, Seán Jones, Jordan McGarrell, Karl Gallagher, Lochlainn Power and Jason Irwin, while Emmett Boylan, Ryan O’Reilly and Caoimhán McGovern lead the threat from Cavan.