Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final: Cavan v Monaghan
Sunday, 2pm, Kingspan Breffni, live on RTÉ2 and BBC2 NI
IN a time where Monaghan dream of slaying the bigger beasts, they would still know better than discount the next door neighbour that would always love to scorn them for half a rood of rock or less.
Think of 1987. The script was supposed to run that Monaghan would win a second Ulster title in three years. They were regarded as one of the best teams in Ireland.
Cavan were as far off as 20/1 to win Ulster but Monaghan hadn’t beaten them in Championship football for 66 years.
Those Monaghan dreams of maybe another shot at Kerry after leaving 1985 behind lay scattered on the Breffni Park turf. A two-point loss. Year over.
And Cavan cared not whether they won Ulster or All-Ireland or whatnot thereafter (they didn’t), so long as they’d beaten the upstarts from Monaghan, the lads with no All-Irelands.
Thirty years on and there are more than passing similarities ahead of the latest instalment of a rivalry that stretches back to their first meeting in 1888.
Monaghan still have no All-Irelands but as with that 1980s generation, they have half an eye on burying a few Croke Park demons later in the year.
This is the kind of test that a team with serious ambitions of pressurising the top bracket would pass. Cavan are a good side, a Division One side, but at this point in their development would you see them beating Dublin or Mayo or Kerry?
But then they might not care quite so much for beating any of those three.
Two years ago at this venue, Monaghan found themselves behind for most of the full hour before they displayed their summer pedigree by pulling it out of the fire.
Conor McManus and Colin Walshe kicked late points as they squeezed mouse-like through the doors of Kingspan Breffni, as it is now. With the neighbours accounted for, Monaghan went on to win a second Ulster title in three years.
That was the first real hard knock on the door by Cavan in a while. They’ve spent the two decades since Martin McHugh’s time looking in through the window. It’s alright looking in at Tyrone or Armagh or Donegal. But not Monaghan. Anyone but them.
The under-21 success has dried up but has left an indelible print on the squad that Mattie McGleenan is now trying to remould. 15 of tomorrow’s 26-man squad, ten of them starters, come with Ulster under-21 medals.
They are approaching an age now where success is starting to become imperative to the team’s development. The 2014 crop, the last of that four-in-a-row Ulster winning batch, are all 23.
Interestingly, that final team provides the largest number for tomorrow’s squad, with nine progressing including Conor Madden, who missed the bulk of that under-21 year with injury.
With Raymond Galligan, Cian Mackey and Martin Reilly operating as the elder statesmen, the iron is heating.
The curve is starting to level off and it needs the spike of a significant Championship victory before the window of opportunity starts to swing shut.
This will be one of those afternoons that is two parts tactical, two parts grit, one part luck and one part pure nerve.
People will always look at the Monaghan team as stronger on paper because of the presence of such notable scoring forwards.
But as the 0-7 apiece draw in Inniskeen in February was a precursor for what is on the agenda tomorrow. The ice has thawed and it will be that tiny bit more open but anyone heading to Cavan expecting something resembling the first half of Down and Armagh will be sorely disappointed.
That makes it no less intriguing. Their 2015 meeting was neither open nor free-flowing but it was exhilarating all the same.
It followed the pattern of this rivalry’s Championship history. There’s been an average winning margin of two points across their last nine meetings – yet just one draw. Someone usually finds a way.
There have been just two goals in the last four meetings as well and with Cavan’s difficulties in that regard over recent years, any money being laid there would surely be on messrs McManus or McCarron.
Killian Clarke comes to face Conor McManus with form. He kept Paul Geaney and Cillian O’Connor both scoreless from play at the tail end of the League.
Padraig Faulkner, though useful further out the park as well, is set to mark Jack McCarron. His deep positioning for long swathes against Fermanagh was notable.
With Paul Finlay retired there is something missing in terms of the ability to kick scores from distance and so that may well be something Monaghan repeat throughout the year.
The away side are likely to reshape defensively from the numbers on their back. Neil McAdam will go to midfield on Gearoid McKiernan and will be aware of the Cavan talisman’s ability to time the run from deep.
Karl O’Connell will revert to wing-back while Fintan Kelly is likely to come out and take his pick of Cian Mackey and Martin Reilly, with Colin Walshe on the other.
It was interesting to hear O’Rourke’s observations after that League meeting four months ago.
“Our penetration wasn’t good enough, our use of the ball wasn’t good enough, we weren’t getting enough pace in our moves. There were too many times when our last pass wasn’t right or we ran into tackles.”
They have shown their ability to unpick mass defences in numerous victories over Donegal across the last five years, and the blueprint will be broken out again as they mix patience with pace to try and break Cavan down.
That is easier said than done. Their concession rate from the League may not look great at a glance, but despite relegation they kept five clean sheets and conceded just two goals in the top flight.
A clean sheet here would go a long way.
In Mayo especially, there were signs of the development in Cavan’s attacking game that McGleenan strives for, with a constant rotation and movement creating space and ultimately victory.
They may have been relegated but they took enough from the second half of the League to relish summer.
And there will never come a day where they won’t cherish the prospect of their neighbours coming to town.
Monaghan held their nerve two years ago and through their battles with Donegal and Tyrone, they have the experience of repeating that.
But every young team like this Cavan side eventually stumbles upon an afternoon where they put all the pieces of hurt together and find a way to finally win.
Tomorrow just looks set up to be that day.
**
Man of the moment
Killian Clarke
LONG has run the debate over where best to employ Killian Clarke. From full-forward against Tyrone last year to regular slots around midfield and half-back, there has always been an element that have felt he is best on the edge of his own square. His man-marking displays against two of the best finishers in the game in Mayo’s Cillian O’Connor and Kerry’s Paul Geaney during the League have edged him towards a permanent home manning the very centre of the defence. In Conor McManus he will face possibly the ultimate test in the modern game, but it’s one he will relish.
Team talk
Cavan: R Galligan; P Faulkner, K Clarke, N Murray; J McEnroe, C Moynagh, G Smith; L Buchanan, G McKiernan; C Mackey, C Madden, M Reilly; N Clerkin, N McDermott, S Johnston
Subs: J Farrelly, J McLoughlin, F Reilly, T Corr, C Brady, T Galligan, R Connolly, J Dillon, C O’Reilly, J Hayes, D McVeety
MATTIE McGleenan hands out two Championship debuts in his first inter-county station along the line with Cavan. Corner-forward Niall Clerkin and centre-forward Conor Madden both start after featuring heavily in the League campaign. Gearoid McKiernan is named at midfield and looking at the rest of their line-up, it seems likely that he will play there. Dara McVeety makes the 26 despite an injury worry but Rory Dunne is ruled out.
Monaghan: R Beggan; F Kelly, D Wylie, R Wylie; C Walshe, V Corey, N McAdam; K Hughes, K O’Connell; G Doogan, S Carey, D Ward; C McCarthy, J McCarron, C McManus
Subs: C Forde, K Duffy, J Mealiff, D Mone, B Greenan, D Hughes, D Malone, O Duffy, R McAnespie, T Kerr, M Bannigan
NO change for Malachy O’Rourke’s side from the starting team that saw off Fermanagh – not yet, at least. Darren Hughes’ inclusion on the bench will lead to a ‘will he, won’t he’ guessing game right up until throw-in. Despite another impressive display off the bench three weeks ago, Owen Duffy has to be content with a seat in the Gerry Arthurs Stand again. Ryan McAnespie stays benched as O’Rourke goes with a workmanlike half-forward division.
Cavan tactical take
THEIR new manager spoke of wanting to impart a more offensive style when he first entered the building but ending Division One with the lowest scoring total in the four divisions of the National League was not the dream start. They did show signs of improvement in that regard towards the end and in a battle of wills rather than skills, that may not a deciding factor. Gearoid McKiernan’s stationing at midfield will see him attack the Monaghan line from deep, something that he did to good effect last summer. Killian Clarke stays at full-back after fine displays in there against Kerry and Mayo. A crafty half-forward division will look to pull the Monaghan defence out of shape.
Monaghan tactical take
WHILE many – not least Mattie McGleenan – are expecting Darren Hughes to play from the start, it would still be a surprise. Neil McAdam has picked up Gearoid McKiernan in recent meetings and will move to midfield, with Karl O’Connell going to wing-back. If Darren Hughes is to start, either he or his brother Kieran will be pushed into attack. Monaghan looked like a side not that keen to show its hand against Fermanagh, with Jack McCarron in a deeper roving position than was expected. Kieran Hughes went to full-forward on their first attack and it would be interesting to see if they repeat that tactic.
Key battle
Neil McAdam v Gearoid McKiernan
WHEN these two last met in the Championship in 2015, the expectation was that Dick Clerkin would pick up Cavan’s talisman. But it was McAdam’s brief and after a solid start, it was McKiernan who took control of the battle and went to drag his side to within a head of crossing the finishing line first. When they met in the League, McKiernan made his comeback from injury and played at full-forward. McAdam didn’t face him there. But with the Swanlinbar man likely to play closer to the middle tomorrow, the Monaghan Harps defender will most likely be asked to do a curtailing job. Whether he succeeds in that will be pivotal to the end result.
Weather watch
A MIXTURE of sunshine and showers is expected overhead, with the promise too of a fairly significant wind that could have a telling impact. It was a testing breeze that threw both sides’ shooting radar off in their icy league meeting back in February, and with packed defences expected at both ends, whoever gets the wind first could carve out enough to do.
Last championship meeting
2015 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Cavan 0-15 Monaghan 0-16
FOR long periods of this engaging quarter-final the formbook was in danger of being shredded by underdogs Cavan.
One glance at the two panels was enough for the vast majority of pundits to write off Cavan’s chances of an upset. And yet, they almost pulled it off.
The Breffni management team of Terry Hyland, Anthony Forde and Liam McHale devised a meticulous plan that frustrated the life out of Monaghan on what looked and felt like a dog day afternoon for the Farneymen.
It took the 2013 Ulster champions 61 anxious minutes to finally reel their hosts in. Kieran Hughes, who’d assumed free-taking duties from the right side after Paul Finlay’s substitution, found the target with nine minutes left of normal time to put Monaghan 0-14 to 0-13 ahead.
But there was still one last rage in Cavan when the wonderfully nimble Martin Dunne split Monaghan’s posts five minutes later.
The Breffnimen had a few more chances in the dying embers – notably a long-range free and a 45, both missed by ’keeper Raymond Galligan – but Monaghan were far more clinical when the Championship temperature reached boiling point.
Man-of-the-match Conor McManus edged the visitors ahead again with a sublime finish in the 67th minute before substitute Colin Walshe grabbed the insurance point deep into stoppage-time.
There was still time for Dunne to tag on another score for Cavan before Monaghan could celebrate clinching their semi-final berth.
Last 10 Championship meetings
2015 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Cavan 0-15 Monaghan 0-16
2013 Ulster SFC semi-final: Monaghan 1-10 Cavan 0-12
2001 Ulster SFC semi-final: Monaghan 0-11 Cavan 0-13
1995 Ulster SFC semi-final: Monaghan 0-10 Cavan 1-9
1994 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Cavan 1-12 Monaghan 3-10
1993 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Monaghan 2-9 Cavan 0-15
1993 Ulster SFC quarter-final replay: Cavan 2-8 Monaghan 3-10
1988 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Monaghan 0-16 Cavan 0-14
1987 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Cavan 0-12 Monaghan 0-10
1972 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Cavan 3-9 Monaghan 0-6
Who’s the ref?
Paddy Neilan (Roscommon)
DIDN’T referee a single game in Division One of the National League during the spring until he was the surprise choice for the final between Kerry and Dublin. Drifted into relative obscurity during it and was praised for allowing the game to flow, though Jim Gavin did say some weeks later that his appointment was “unfair” on the official himself. He dealt with the pressure well. This is the biggest Championship appointment of the Roscommon man’s career and the option of letting it flow may not apply so readily.
Betting box
Cavan 2/1
Draw 7/1
Monaghan 1/2
Handicap
Cavan (+2) 10/11
Draw (+2) 17/2
Monaghan (-2) 11/10
First goalscorer
No goalscorer 7/2
Conor McManus 13/2
Seanie Johnston 9/1
