Football

Monaghan big two Clontibret and Scotstown set for titanic battle

Scotstown's Darren and Kieran Hughes are big players for the reigning Monaghan champions, but titles are not won by big names alone, insists manager Mattie McGleenan <br />Picture by S&eacute;amus Loughran
Scotstown's Darren and Kieran Hughes are big players for the reigning Monaghan champions, but titles are not won by big names alone, insists manager Mattie McGleenan
Picture by Séamus Loughran
Scotstown's Darren and Kieran Hughes are big players for the reigning Monaghan champions, but titles are not won by big names alone, insists manager Mattie McGleenan
Picture by Séamus Loughran

THEIR traditional brand of football brought them all the way to the Ulster club final last season and Scotstown are not about to change, assures manager Mattie McGleenan.

The north Monaghan club are appearing in their fourth consecutive county final and, along with Sunday's opponents Clontibret, have won seven out of the last 10 Monaghan senior titles. McGleenan is looking forward to what is sure to be a battle royal in Castleblayney.

"I am mad looking forward to it - can't wait," said the Eglish man.

"The attitude of the players has been absolutely magnificent. The work that they have put in to achieving what they have achieved has been absolutely phenomenal. I can’t have enough praise for them - their effort, their commitment to the club, the training that they have done in terms of preparing for this and preparing over the last three or four years has been outstanding."

When it is put to him that his team play a game which can be easier on the eye than a lot of what is seen up and down the country, the Eglish man warms to the theme immediately: "I would have to say we don’t do blanket defence," he added.

"The only way we can play football is stay up the football field and play and I think that’s when they play their best. That’s what they train for, that’s what they play for. People come to see and watch us because, if you are at other levels, it’s very much set defensively in terms of 14 or 15 men behind the ball. 

"Players don’t want to do that and, as a coach, I don’t want to do that. I think the template has been set by the likes of, certainly, Mayo and Dublin over the last couple of years. Stay up the football field and play ball. That’s what winning teams do."

Scotstown's last championship outing was against Ballybay - a game which they could easily have lost. Their opponents led by two points at half-time and it took a strong display in the second-half, when they scored seven without reply, including four from Kieran Hughes, to overhaul an impressive Pearse Brothers outfit.

McGleenan is glad to have such stellar performers to call upon, but insists Scotstown have much more in their armoury than a few big names: "You’re not going to win it with just your big players turning up," he said.

"In the likes of the Ballybay game - we needed Kieran Hughes, but you had Seanie Mohan come up and scored a point. You had Rory Beggan, who kicked a couple of important frees. Every player must turn up on Sunday. If we’re going to beat Clontibret - all the Scotstown players must turn up and play.

"If you had said to us before the game that Shane Carey would score a point, Darren Hughes would only score a point - who would be a couple of our main scorers - and that you are still going to go on and win the game - that’s a huge tribute to the rest of the players."

Clontibret will pose a serious challenge to Scotstown's ambitions to retain their title. McGleenan paid them a handsome tribute: "Go through the main crux of their team," said McGleenan

"Conor Boyle was corner-back two-years-ago and he kicked the winning point and that’s the danger of Clontibret - that they have a match winner in various different locations. Vinny Corey is an outstanding leader for them. Mansie is the best forward in Ulster in my book, without a shadow of a doubt so, if we’re going to beat them, those boys have to be curtailed. But the problem is that leaves maybe spaces open for other players to exploit us and that's what happened the last time.

"It says a hell of a lot about the character of their players that they continuously go back each year and get to a final and win it or get to a final and lose it - whatever the case may be. So they bring a lot to the table on Sunday."