Fireworks expected

Monaghan v Armagh – Saturday 4th July @ 7pm

The date of this first round qualifier match has an association with fireworks but you can expect them on the field in Clones as Ulster neighbours and rivals Armagh and Monaghan do battle for championship survival.

The first shot at championship glory eluded both teams in different circumstances. Monaghan lost a bruising non football contest to Derry 1-10 to 0-10 while Armagh were beaten by Tyrone 2-10 to 1-10 in one of the better championship matches played to date.  A line of form through the two games can be gauged by looking at how easily the current All-Ireland champions Tyrone dismissed the Derry challenge in the Ulster semi-final makes Armagh’s performance all the more credible.

Given the 16 teams in this first round qualifier draw, the Ulster rivals have drawn the short straw by being pitted together in the tie of the round which will be covered by a live TV broadcast.  Respective managers Seamus McEnaney and Peter McDonnell can pass it off that it will be an easy task to motivate their players but deep down both would have wanted an easier start to the back door route to championship glory.

The teams met in the national football league last March at the Athletic Grounds where Monaghan emerged victorious 1-13 to 0-14. The Armagh team for that league match showed 4 changes for the championship with Paul Hearty, Brendan Donaghy, Kieran Toner and Paul Duffy the players introduced for the Tyrone game. Monaghan for their part started 13 of their championship team in that league win with Gerry McQuaid and Raymond Ronaghan coming into the team in place of Greg McEnaney and Michael Downey.  So there will be a lot of familiar faces in Saturday’s teams as both managers seem reluctant to wholesale changes unless injuries or otherwise decree.

The big news from the Monaghan camp is the loss of All-Star Tommy Freeman through suspension. The ace forward is taking his 8 week’s suspension arising from the Derry game to a last appeal, with all Monaghan fans anxiously awaiting the outcome.

Armagh manager Peter McDonnell expects team captain Ciaran McKeever to have recovered from a recent injury and is doubly boosted by the availability of recovered from injury Charlie Vernon. Charlie played in Friday night’s challenge game win and came through with flying colours.  Introduced second half substitutes against Tyrone, Stefan Forker and Tony Kernan, also caught the eye as did veteran defender Enda McNulty in the win of the Royal County.

Stephen Kernan, who also came on in the Tyrone game, has undergone a knee operation and will be out of action for the duration of the championship.

Midfielders Kieran Toner and James Lavery did nothing wrong against Tyrone but will face a far more difficult outing against Dick Clerkin and Eamon Lennon, which makes one think that Vernon will be accommodated on the team probably at the expense of Paul Duffy. There will also be a close call for the corner forward berth with Kevin O’Rourke who started very impressively against Tyrone under pressure from Forker and Tony Kernan. A vote of confidence will probably be given to the sextet of defenders who performed credibly against Tyrone.

The loss of Freeman will greatly diminish the Farney scoring threat, although the lively Rory Woods and Paul Finley know where the posts are.  Monaghan have relied on good midfield service when they are going well as a team. Their midfelders always seem to start like a house on fire then fade late on in matches. How you cope with the early onslaught can often determine your fate.

Armagh have enough big men around the middle to make sure of an even enough split getting enough ball to the dynamic duo of Clarke and McDonnell.  Stevie will hardly adopt the role of playmaker this time out as his link in the inside line with Ronan make them a far more potent force. When Armagh were direct and purposeful against Tyrone in the second half when they could just as easily have capitulated, they looked far more potent and menacing. A full seventy minutes of the last 20 against Tyrone will have us eagerly awaiting the second qualifiers draw on Sunday night to see who the Orchard County draw in the second round of qualifiers.

July 4 will give one of two outside title contenders the independence to get on with their own domestic championship as their summer journey will have come to an end.  Can the Orchard apples survive to ripen in the Autumn given that there is a severe weather warning coming in the shape of a Monaghan Clones Cyclone? Peter McDonnell believes his team needed and wanted a tough draw to full focus them. The manager believes that it will bring the best out of his team. He has got his wish now all he needs is his squad to deliver.  Armagh are not as far down the pecking order as people might think and will go on to show this on Saturday by grinding out a win when the odds are pitted against them.

minors

Armagh minors who defeated All-Ireland champions Tyrone last time out 2-8 to 01-9 will have to be up to the task again on Saturday when they take on Monaghan at 5pm in Clones.  Monaghan were 1-12 to 0-10 winners over Derry in the last round.

The winners of Saturday’s match will have high noon date with Down in the Ulster final on July 19.