Ulster Senior Football Championship semi-final: Monaghan v Fermanagh (tomorrow, Kingspan Breffni Park, 4pm, deferred coverage on BBC2 at 7pm)
ANYONE who has ever heard Pete McGrath address a crowded room will appreciate that he is an inspirational man.
McGrath spoke at a recent talk night that was organised by the Fermanagh supporters’ club. Brought onto the stage to reveal the team that would start against Antrim, McGrath was asked a few questions about his time with the Erne squad.
It wasn’t long before McGrath had the audience in the palm of his hand.
The double All-Ireland winning manager said Fermanagh’s fundamental problem lies with the inferiority complex which dogs some players.
Not surprisingly, McGrath doesn’t subscribe to this theory. He stated with unequivocal certainty that Fermanagh could win an Ulster title.
He said his boys were as good as any other players in Ulster.
It needs to be stressed that McGrath wasn’t merely trotting out superficial clichés designed to keep the sponsors happy.
It was obvious that he meant every word he was saying. There was fire in his belly. He spoke with absolute conviction.
The supporters were spellbound. Rounding up his oration, McGrath quoted Nelson Mandela: “It always seems to be impossible until it is done,” he said.
Cue the loudest cheer of the night.
The Fermanagh players are a privileged bunch of men. By the time they leave the changing room in Kingspan Breffni Park tomorrow afternoon, it can by assumed they will not have a doubt in their mind that they can beat Monaghan. Pete will have them convinced.
Sport needs men like Pete McGrath. For 23 long years the Sam Maguire Cup was a stranger in Ulster. McGrath, with his belief in the possible, helped to end that separation.
And maybe McGrath will pull off another miracle in Breffni Park, but it’s difficult to envisage how it will happen.
The occupants of the Fermanagh dressing room are probably the only people who will truly believe that the Ernemen can reach the Ulster final.
Nearly everyone else would contend that Fermanagh are facing an impossible task.
Whichever way the game is assessed, it’s difficult to present a case for a Fermanagh victory.
Monaghan hold all the trump cards.
Consider Fermanagh’s last match against Antrim.
The Saffrons were missing Michael McCann, Tomás McCann, Kevin Niblock, Niall McKeever, Kevin O’Boyle and Brian Neeson.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Antrim were reduced to 14 men when Sean McVeigh received a red card in the 31st minute. Yet, despite Antrim’s extensive problems, Fermanagh still laboured to a most unconvincing victory.
In terms of their attack, Fermanagh lacked a cutting edge. Midfielder Ryan Jones was the only player who provided a measure of dash and class. The bulk of Fermanagh’s play was dogged and workmanlike. There was no sparkle.
A safety first manager, it can be assumed that Malachy O’Rourke will double-team Sean Quigley. If Quigley is removed from the equation, Fermanagh are going to struggle to score.
Ruairi Corrigan has the potential to cause problems, but he is struggling with a hamstring injury and it remains to be seen if he will get through the entire game. Fermanagh are not going to outscore Monaghan.
Of course, Fermanagh could try to out-defend Monaghan. Again, in a defensive battle, the Oriel County are well-equipped to beat Fermanagh.
The loss of Drew Wylie from the full-back line is an undoubted blow but Vinny Corey is still tailor-made for Sean Quigley. Monaghan have also been boosted by the return of Colin Walshe. While Walsh won his Allstar for a series of excellent man-marking displays, he is equally comfortable in the half-back line.
In Corey, Walshe and Dessie Mone, the Monaghan defence has three pillars of strength.
Fermanagh’s rearguard doesn’t boast the same solidity.
For starters, the Ernemen don’t have a specialist man marker. Johnny Woods hasn’t been replaced. Reports indicate that Marty O’Brien will be given the task of shadowing Conor McManus. Although O’Brien has incredible pace, he’s not a natural stopper.
Even though O’Brien will receive assistance from Ryan McCluskey, McManus will not be overly bothered. Cavan had two men on him at all times, and he still produced a man-of-the-match performance.
Tighter in defence, and superior in attack, Monaghan also have a better bench.
It was the introduction of Colin Walshe and Dick Clerkin which turned the tide against Cavan. If Malachy O’Rourke needs to recalibrate his line-up tomorrow, he can call on a list of quality footballers. Owen Lennon, Dick Clerkin, Owen Duffy, Stephen Gallogly and Christopher McGuinness are all viable replacements.
Pete McGrath doesn’t enjoy the same strength in depth. Both of the substitutions he made against Antrim were enforced by injury. When Fermanagh had tight League games (Sligo and Tipperary), he used two subs.
Even when the Ernemen were bossing games, McGrath usually only ran his bench in the last 10 minutes.
Stating that Fermanagh have no chance against Monaghan is not a denunciation of Pete McGrath’s brave ambition. Nelson Mandela was right. But, in this situation, the truth of Mandela’s words can be demonstrated by looking at Monaghan.
When Malachy O’Rourke took over the senior team, they were in Division Three and 25 years had passed since a Monaghan man had lifted the Anglo-Celt Cup.
During O’Rourke’s tenure, Monaghan have lost just one game in Ulster - last year's final to Donegal. If Monaghan beat Fermanagh, they will qualify for their third Ulster final in a row.
The last time that happened was when the county reached four successive finals between 1921 and 1924.
A few years ago, reaching three finals in a row would have seemed like an implausible dream to Monaghan supporters. Under Malachy O’Rourke, it is Monaghan who have come to believe in the art of the possible.
