AS a late call up for the irrepressible Benny Tierney, I am conscious of the fact I have big trousers to fill this week. It seems the Mullaghbawn maestro has no time to put pen to paper, as he embarks on the final leg of training ahead of his first Iron Man competition later this month.
It just goes to show you folks, genetics and athletics may sound good together, but they are no substitute for a big heart. The big man is nobody’s fool and that’s for sure.
As I look forward to the final round of National Football League fixtures, here’s what I believe lies in store for Ulster representatives:
Donegal v Monaghan
Division One is proving an absolute Rubik’s Cube of permutations to determine who will be relegated and who will fill the semi-final places.
The big clash between Donegal and Monaghan will not be for the faint-hearted as the top status survival of Malachy O’Rourke’s team hangs by a thread.
In short, Monaghan need to beat Donegal and hope that Kerry do them a favour in Tralee by beating Cork. This is their only chance of survival as Mayo are extremely unlikely to slip up against an already relegated Down.
With potential head-to-heads such as Vinny Corey and Michael Murphy, Ryan McHugh and Dessie Mone and Neil McGee and Conor McManus to look forward to, this is just what the doctor order ahead of the Ulster Championship.
Monaghan go into this fixture on the back of four successive defeats which must be a worry for Malachy O’Rourke. But it will be the manner of the last two defeats which will be most disconcerting. After losing by seven to Cork, this was followed by an eight-point defeat to Kerry at home last weekend.
Donegal still have a chance of making the semi-finals and the prospect of relegating their biggest rivals in the process will add to the motivation.
Donegal’s campaign has looked significantly more solid but they are on the back of three consecutive defeats themselves. This will be a typical Ulster derby and you can expect no shortage of talking points on Monday morning.
Losing to Monaghan in last year’s Ulster final will be still be hurting Rory Gallagher and the Donegal players. Any opportunity to set a marker down for Championship and wound a big rival in the process is one to be relished. Last weekend’s defeat to Kerry was in Clones, but Sunday’s game is Castleblayney. Will this make much of a difference? I am not so sure.
Verdict: Donegal
Neil Loughran and Cahair O'Kane analyse all the semi-final and relegation permutations in Division One
WITH five Ulster teams involved in Division Two, and Tyrone already promoted, Cavan enter their last game to Galway in a great position to make the League final. There seems to be a renewed vigour and confidence about what is happening in Cavan at the minute and the noises coming out of the camp are extremely positive.
Armagh and Fermanagh are both in serious danger of relegation with Derry just about guaranteed safety after a disappointing finish to the campaign.
Armagh can beat Derry and still do down should Meath beat Laois and Fermanagh win or draw against Tyrone. The good thing from a Fermanagh viewpoint is that they have their destiny in their own hands.
Cavan v Galway
In an interview this week Killian Brady said: “Everyone is there for the good of Cavan football so it is great to see it now.”
Using words such as ‘unselfish’, ‘mantra of the group’, ‘fighting for each other’, and ‘no fear factor’ he portrayed the image of a Cavan team on a different journey this year.
Perhaps the return of a more mature, once considered ‘maverick’, Seanie Johnston has signalled a new intent and buy-in within the Breffni camp, that is reaping dividends.
But more than that, it seems like Cavan are finally starting to find their attacking ‘mojo’.
In the same interview, Brady spoke about how their defensive strategy has remained the same but it is the transition to attack and getting more runners ahead of the ball that has improved. A point will do them, but they come against an up-and-coming Galway team that are capable of producing on their day.
Home advantage may just see Terry Hyland’s men competing in Division One next season.
Verdict: Cavan
Tyrone v Fermanagh
Pete McGrath’s men have had a decent League campaign and can count themselves very unlucky to be the position they are in. Convincing victories over Meath and Laois, and a good point away to Galway most likely won’t be enough, should they fail to get at least a draw in their final game against Tyrone.
Apart from the mathematics of it, the worst thing to happen Fermanagh last weekend was Armagh grabbing a draw away to Tyrone. Mickey Harte will have fired a shot across the bows to his players about consistency of performance and nailing a starting place ahead of a League final and Championship.
I get the feeling Tyrone won’t be in complacent mode this weekend as they make Fermanagh pay for their own momentary lapse in standards last weekend.
Verdict: Tyrone
Derry v Armagh
When things started to wrong for Roy Keane in management, they got progressively worse, largely down to his own nature as a fiercely driven, successful individual, who found it hard to empathise when sometimes a softer approach may be needed. In a strange way, some of his greatest strengths as a player became his greatest weaknesses as a manager.
I feel there may be parallels to be drawn between Keane and Kieran McGeeney both on the field and in the changing room. The unavailability of Ciaran McKeever, Aaron Findon, and Jamie Clarke have been massive losses to deal with so far this season but Armagh just look like a team really struggling to find any sort of identity.
Derry looked good through the Dr McKenna Cup and the early stages of the League, but in the last few games they have looked very porous defensively.
It makes poor reading when you consider in their last four games they have conceded 5-10 to Laois, 2-12 to Meath, 2-15 to Tyrone and 1-18 to Galway.
This game is a hard one to call but with home advantage and their Division Two status at stake, Armagh may just sneak the win.
Verdict: Armagh
The only two dead rubber games involving Ulster sides this weekend are in the top and bottom divisions, where Down face Mayo and Antrim entertain Louth, in a dress rehearsal of their Division Four final.
Mayo need the points to guarantee their top flight status and, at odds of 1/25, they look nailed on.
Antrim and Louth will want to keep their powder dry so both will likely use the game to give fringe players the opportunity to impress ahead of their Croke Park date later in the month.
To their credit, Antrim cruised through Division Four and the vibes coming out of the camp are very positive.
I feel this is the best panel of players Antrim have had at their disposal since at least 2009, and the physically strongest team in quite a long time, so the signs are good from a Saffron
viewpoint.
