Football

Karl O'Connell impressed by Monaghan's new recruits as McKenna Cup semi-final berth beckons

Karl O'Connell has been impressed by Monaghan's new players this year
Karl O'Connell has been impressed by Monaghan's new players this year Karl O'Connell has been impressed by Monaghan's new players this year

Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup Section B: Monaghan v St Mary's (tonight, Inniskeen, 8pm)

KARL O’Connell has every faith in the young players who have stepped up to Monaghan’s senior ranks this season - but acknowledges bigger tests lie ahead as their NFL campaign draws closer.

Monaghan are well placed to reach the Dr McKenna Cup semi-finals after hammering a makeshift Antrim side by 17 points in Glenavy last Sunday.

Bolstered by the best scoring average [1.79] in the competition, the Farneymen are odds-on to top Section B and go automatically through to the last four by defeating St Mary's in Inniskeen this evening.

And it won't come as good news to Paddy Tally's side that Monaghan's Allstar forward Conor McManus is likely to see some game-time after sitting out his side's wins over Fermanagh and Antrim.

A host of Monaghan’s new recruits performed well last weekend but the road is expected to get much steeper for them as they prepare for their Division One opener against Mayo on Saturday February 4.

Scotstown ’keeper Conor Forde, a club-mate of Rory Beggan’s, Barry McGinn, Conor McCarthy and Michael Brannigan all did well at the weekend.

O’Connell was full of praise for the new players and those who have been around on the Monaghan panel since last term.

“We have some excellent young players,” said O’Connell, who played 55 minute against Antrim.

“Conor McCarthy is a great player; Ryan McAnespie is another, and we have Michael Brannigan as well. We’ve got a number of players coming up from the U21s – Mikey Murnaghan, Conor Forde in goal who did very well.

“I think there’ll be a lot of places up for grabs ahead of the first League game; everybody is pushing to get onto this panel on Wednesday [against St Mary’s].

“So all those boys will be vital over the next few years and it’s important to get them game-time. We want them to improve every game.

“The group is very strong. Training is going well, but there are going to be bigger tests to come. We have Mayo in our first League game which is going to be very tough.

“They’ll be looking just as good a start as ourselves.”

With the departures of Eoin Lennon, Dick Clerkin and Paul Finlay, O'Connell is now one of the more experienced players on the team.

Now 28 and in his sixth year on the Farney panel, the Tyholland clubman couldn't have timed his own arrival on the inter-county stage.

The flying wing-back has been a key player in Monaghan's provincial rise which has yielded two Ulster titles under boss Malachy O'Rourke.

But O'Connell doesn't take the good times for granted.

“I was watching the team when it was dark days for Monaghan, when there was not much hope," he said.

"Seamus McEnaney came in and then Eamonn [McEneaney] after that and now Malachy [O’Rourke].

"He’s brought us to the next level along with Leo [McBride], Ryan Porter and Finbar Fitzpatrick who just left last year.

“A lot of it has been good times for me.”

Given Monaghan's impressive trajectory, last year's All-Ireland Qualifier defeat to Longford was a bitter pill to swallow for the two-time Anglo-Celt medallist.

“Losing to Longford last year was disappointing, especially the way we've played over the last three years. We were improving on each year.

"To come down the way we did against Longford was disappointing. I thought we did okay – it was just Longford were very good. The scores they got were unbelievable. They deserved to beat us and we had to take it on the chin.

“It was one of those years and one of those games. But we have a chance to turn it around this year and make 2016 easily forgotten."

St Mary's have been very competitive in their two games to date - defeating Antrim and matching Fermanagh for long stretches before losing by six points - but given O'Rourke's options Monaghan are expected to make it three wins out of three and leave it to Fermanagh to fight over the one semi-final play-off slot available.