Football

Monaghan have enough experience of relegation rumbles to get the job done

<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">Clontibret sharpshooter Conor McManus proved how important he remains to the Monaghan cause with a sublime performance after coming off the bench at half-time during last week's defeat to Kerry. Margaret McLaughlin</span>
Clontibret sharpshooter Conor McManus proved how important he remains to the Monaghan cause with a sublime performance after coming off the bench at half-time during last week's defeat to Kerry. Margaret McLa Clontibret sharpshooter Conor McManus proved how important he remains to the Monaghan cause with a sublime performance after coming off the bench at half-time during last week's defeat to Kerry. Margaret McLaughlin
By Neil Loughran

Allianz National Football League Division One: Monaghan v Meath (tomorrow, 2pm, Clones, deferred coverage on TG4/Live on TG4’s YouTube channel)

WITH their winner-takes-all Ulster Championship derby date against Cavan just a week away, having a live relegation battle to negotiate might not be the ideal spot for Monaghan to be in tomorrow.

But then Division One is rarely straightforward. Just look at the six campaigns since the Farney pushed up into the top tier as they have gone back and forth between narrow relegation escapees to League challengers.

Crucially, though, they have always managed to stay where they are.

The greatest Houdini act of them all came four years ago when, having trailed Donegal by seven points in a must-win final League game in Castleblayney, they reeled Rory Gallagher’s men in before Colin Walshe popped up with the winner at the death.

Tomorrow Monaghan find themselves pulling up a stool in the last chance saloon once more, though such D-day drama is unlikely to be required.

As it stands, their fate is very much in their own hands. Defeat already-relegated Meath at St Tiernach’s Park and they stay up. Having lost all six of their games so far, few would be picking the Royals to crash the party.

However, coming out on the other side of a seven month hiatus, pinning where county teams are compared to where they were in the spring is a thankless task. All we know is that Andy McEntee’s men put up a strong enough showing against Dublin last weekend to give Monaghan supporters some cause for concern.

Meath were competitive for long spells in that four point defeat and, with their Leinster Championship quarter-final against either Wicklow or Wexford not until November 8, there may be more of an onus on stepping up match intensity than keeping their powder dry.

Debutants Eoin Harkin and Cathal Hickey both impressed against the Dubs and could be rewarded with another crack against a Farney side with room for improvement after last week’s defeat to Kerry.

Boss Seamus McEnaney might have preferred to hold Conor McManus in cold storage until the Cavan clash but, after 35 minutes in Inniskeen, it became clear he was not about to be forwarded that luxury.

Conor McCarthy was the man who made way, seemingly due to an injury which had rendered him a peripheral figure in the first half.

McManus came on and plundered three wonderful points from play; even at 33 his ability to conjure something from nothing remains so crucial to his county. It would be a surprise if he doesn’t start tomorrow.

Christopher McGuinness also impressed off the bench, giving the previously toothless Farney a bit more bite as they carried the fight to the Kingdom. Midfielder Niall Kearns was watching on in Inniskeen but wasn’t in the 26, and it remains to be seen whether he plays any part against the Royals.

Given what is at stake, you would expect that Monaghan have enough experience of these kind of situations to get the job done – they just might need to weather a few storms along the way.