Allianz Football League Division One, round four: Tyrone v Monaghan (Healy Park, 7pm tonight)
MONAGHAN'S players could only be happier travelling away from home if they got mileage expenses for their journeys to matches.
Tonight's trip to Tyrone wouldn't boost their bank account by too much but Malachy O'Rourke's men will have no fear heading into Healy Park.
Monaghan have won six of their 10 away games since their return to the top flight of the League in 2015, starting in Omagh when they put Tyrone's lights out with a convincing seven-point comeback success in that season's opening round.
They've added the scalps of Kerry (twice), Mayo, Donegal, and Roscommon. Two of their four defeats have come against Dublin, and both were only by the minimum margin, including in the 2015 semi-finals. There have been only two bad losses, with Cork winning by seven points last year and Mayo by a whopping 13-point margin in 2015, albeit only after the visitors had had two men sent off in Castlebar.
So they certainly shouldn't worry about going to Tyrone, who are notoriously dodgy at home, eh?
Well, in fact the Red Hands have been quietly building an unbeaten run at Healy Park since a controversial one-point loss to Cork due to a dubious Colm O'Neill score in round five of the 2015 League.
Since then Mickey Harte's side have gone seven matches without loss, including the rare treats of a couple of home Championship games in 2015 against Limerick and Meath.
Yet Tyrone do generally tend to make hard work of recording home wins. Even the opening round victory over Roscommon was much less comfortable than the six-point margin suggested as the visitors carved out several clear goal chances before the break. Only Derry have been despatched easily, by nine points last year. Armagh got a draw in 2016, albeit after Tyrone had already secured promotion.
Monaghan undoubtedly represent the toughest opposition to come to Omagh since this seven-game streak started with a dramatic draw against Kerry in round seven of Division One in 2015.
Even the normally cautious O'Rourke conceded that their defensive display during the county's first win in Killarney for 30 years was impressive. That was almost all anyone connected with Monaghan conceded in Fitzgerald Stadium, with Kerry registering just two points from play.
Monaghan achieved that despite losing captain Colin Walshe to a hamstring injury before the half-hour mark, while former skipper Darren Hughes was also forced to go off, at the interval, due to concussion, so he too may be doubtful for tonight. Hughes's replacement Owen Duffy did not last long, suffering a hamstring problem too.
The upside for Monaghan is that O'Rourke has been developing the depth of his panel, and the likes of Jack McCarron, Shane Carey, and Conor McCarthy add much-needed scoring support to the brilliant Conor McManus, who was restricted to just two points in the Kingdom. James Mealiff started at centre half-back in Killarney although Neil McAdam came on for Walshe and is expected to line out tonight.
Tyrone have even more options, to the extent of releasing a panel of 29 rather than 26, with subs including Mattie Donnelly and Sean Cavanagh. However, Harte has stuck with the same side which – at least in terms of what has been named - was due to line out against Cavan before that game was water-logged off last Sunday. The team has just one enforced change from the draw away to Dublin, Ronan O'Neill in for the suspended Mark Bradley, while at the other end the goalkeeper rotation policy continues, Mickey O'Neill coming in for Niall Morgan.
This is unlikely to be an exciting encounter as both teams tend to pull almost all their players back into their own half when without the ball and then try to counter-attack at pace when they win back possession.
Tyrone are excellent at doing that; their problem remains converting enough of the many chances that they create. Sixteen points or more should win this game.
It seems that something has to give in terms of Monaghan's fine away form going up against Tyrone's good recent home record, but a draw could keep both those going.
Another away win for the Farneymen would certainly not surprise greatly, but the talent on the Tyrone bench may just swing this match their way.
Tyrone: M O'Neill; P Hampsey, R McNamee, C McCarron; T McCann, Justin McMahon, A McCrory; C Cavanagh, D McClure; C Meyler, N Sludden, P Harte; D McCurry, C McShane, R O'Neill. Substitutes: N Morgan, R Brennan, F Burns, S Cavanagh, M Donnelly, C McCann, HP McGeary, K McGeary, R McHugh, P McNulty, J Monroe, C McCullagh, M Cassidy, H Loughran.
Monaghan: TBC
Referee: Padraig Hughes (Armagh).
Allianz: for more information visit www.allianz.ie
