Football

In-form sides Monaghan and Galway all set for Pearse Park showdown

Damien Comer has scored 1-7 in four League games this season
Damien Comer has scored 1-7 in four League games this season Damien Comer has scored 1-7 in four League games this season

Allianz Football League Division One round five: Galway v Monaghan (Pearse Stadium, tomorrow, 12.30pm, live on TG4)

HOSTS Galway and visitors Monaghan are two of the three in-form teams in the top flight and tomorrow’s meeting in Salthill could well decide which one meets top dogs Dublin in this year’s Division One final.

Galway go into the game on the back of a clean sweep that has seen them take full points from four outings including workmanlike wins on the road in Donegal and Kerry backed up by comfortable victories on home soil against Tyrone (by four points) and Mayo (by five).

Meanwhile, Monaghan have recovered from a luckless loss to Mayo in their first game to win their last three. All three have been nip-and-tuck affairs, but the Farneymen emerged on the right side of a one-point win in Kildare before taking full points from their home games with Kerry (they won by two points) and Tyrone (one).

That ability to come out on top when the chips are down will have been very pleasing for manager Malachy O’Rourke especially since he has started double Allstar forward Conor McManus just once so far.

McManus missed the game against Mayo and was sprung from the bench to good effect in the wins against Kildare and Tyrone. The Clontibret clubman is well aware of the task facing Monaghan when they board the bus for their trip to the west coast.

“We had a bit of bad luck in our first game or we could have potentially got two points there as well,” said McManus who has contributed 1-7 to Monaghan aggregate of two goals and 50 points.

Jack McCarron is the leading scorer with 11 points while Scotstown frontman Conor McCarthy has missed the last two games after a bright start that yield 1-4.

“It’s a competitive League and you have to be performing well to win any game and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

McManus added: “If we don’t win in Galway, there’ll be no League final.

“We’ll go down and try and perform and if that leads to two points then we can possibly start thinking about a final. But we’re just looking at going away from home against the team at the top of the table and we can look any further than that.”

Galway have always had talented footballers and the recruitment of former Tyrone and Down coach Paddy Tally was seen by some as a sign that they were keen to add some steel to their style in 2018.

Tally’s coaching seems to have had an immediate impact defensively.

At this stage last year, Galway had conceded three goals in Division Two but they have yet to concede a goal in the top flight in 2018. The only other team to boast such defensive security are their opponents tomorrow and manager Kevin Walsh is in no doubt that Monaghan will be a tough nut to crack.

“They have only dropped two points so far in the league and that was down to a late point that caught them against Mayo,” said Walsh.

“They are always a very strong, fit team and well organised so it is going to be tough to get over the line. But, look, for ourselves, we have gone four games unbeaten and it is not a bad place to be.”

There won’t be a lot between these defensively well-organised sides. Both have shown an appetite for battle but Galway hold the physical edge in the middle third and the scoring power of Eamon Brannigan, Barry McHugh and Damien Comer should get them over the line on home soil tomorrow.