Football

Monaghan-Down script has yet to be written: Malachy O'Rourke

Monaghan laboured to a narrow NFL win over Down back in February
Monaghan laboured to a narrow NFL win over Down back in February Monaghan laboured to a narrow NFL win over Down back in February

MONAGHAN manager Malachy O’Rourke is hoping none of the constant talk of his side breezing past Down in Sunday’s Ulster SFC quarter-final will stick in his players’ heads.

Although Monaghan managed to preserve their Division One status with a last-gasp win over Donegal on April 3, the Mourne men were all but condemned to Division Two midway through a disastrous NFL campaign for them. Monaghan are 1/4 to progress to the provincial semi-finals on Sunday, while Down - who lost all their NFL games this season - are 4/1.

O’Rourke is wary of complacency seeping into the heads of his players and recalled the struggles they encountered in overcoming Down in their league meeting on February 7: “Players are only human at the end of the day, it’s human nature,” he said.

“If people keep saying to you: ‘Ah, youse will win’, and ‘Down’s not going well’, some of that sticks. Players just have to be mentally prepared, so they don’t let things like that affect them and that they don’t filter that information. You just want them to focus on their own jobs.”

O’Rourke is banking on his squad’s deep reservoir of experience in dealing with the favourites' tag on Sunday: “One thing about these boys is that they’re fairly experienced at this stage," he added. 

"They’ve come through a lot of these things before, so we’re just hoping that will stand to them. The game starts at nil-all, there’s no script written, you don’t know what way the game will go and it’s up to us to put our imprint on the game from the start and to make sure it goes our way.”

After being mauled by Donegal on the first weekend of the NFL season, Down showed plenty of resolve against Monaghan eight days later and, only for Connaire Harrison missing a handy free in stoppage-time, the Mourne men could have snatched a draw in Clones.

“That league game against us would give them confidence,” said O’Rourke.

“They came up that day after taking a couple of beatings, whereas we’d started off well, we’d won our first game in the National League. Down were probably unlucky that they didn’t beat us. Again, all those things will help Down’s preparations.

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“The last time they played Monaghan in the Championship [2012 Ulster semi-final], they won. So little things like that will give Down confidence and Down, by their very nature, are confident because of their history and tradition.

“They are masters of coming in under the radar and producing a big performance, so we’re aware of all that. But it’s very much down to us to get a big performance on the day and we feel, if we do that, we’re in with a great chance.”

Down’s only competitive win in 2016 came against St Mary’s in the Dr McKenna Cup. Eamonn Burns, in his first year as Down boss, took the squad to Carlton House earlier this month to prepare for their Ulster entrance. Burns has drafted in U21 ’keeper Mark Reid of Bryansford due to Michael Cunningham’s absence through injury, with Kilcoo’s Stevie Kane expected to assume the number one jersey this weekend. 

Shea McArdle, Kevin McKernan, Paul Devlin and Malachy McGee are all nearing fitness, which should boost Burns’ options.