MAN OF THE MOMENT
Donal O’Hare (Down)
WHAT role O’Hare plays for Down tomorrow afternoon will have a huge bearing on the Mournemen’s chances of pulling off an upset. The Burren star is understood to have picked up an ankle injury and isn’t named in the starting 15, although he is on the bench and could yet have a say on the outcome. O’Hare was Down’s top scorer during the League despite missing games against Monaghan and Kerry and, in a side that has struggled for scores, his absence is a huge blow for Eamonn Burns.
TEAM TALK
Monaghan
R Beggan; C Walshe, D Wylie, R Wylie; D Mone, V Corey, K O’Connell; N McAdam, K Hughes; S Carey, D Malone, R McAnespie; O Duffy, D Hughes, C McManus
MALACHY O’Rourke has gone for tried and tested as Monaghan begin the defence of their Ulster title.
Although there are no debutants, there are a number of changes from their last League game against Donegal in April.
Vinny Corey drops back to centre half-back from midfield, swapping with Neil McAdam, with Fintan Kelly named as a substitute. Kieran Hughes has been selected in the middle having played at centre-forward against Donegal.
Oisin Duffy and Shane Carey have also been drafted into the team while the versatile Darren Hughes has been named at full-forward, where he starred for Scotstown in the Ulster Club Championship last year.
Down
S Kane; G Collins, G McGovern, D O'Hagan; D McKibbin, A Carr, D O'Hanlon; P Turley, K McKernan; C Maginn, M Poland, J Murphy; C McGovern, C Harrison, B O’Hagan.
EAMONN Burns has named a starting 15 without the influential Donal O’Hare, who is understood to have picked up an ankle injury. Connaire Harrison lines out at full-forward, with Conaill McGovern and Barry O’Hagan either side.
Captain Kevin McKernan drops back to midfield having played much of the League at half-forward, while Bryansford’s David McKibbin keeps his place in a half-back line that also contains Aidan Carr and Darragh O’Hanlon.
Burns has gone for a hard-working half-forward line, with Conor Maginn and Joe Murphy flanking Mark Poland.
Kilcoo goalkeeper Stephen Kane starts between the sticks after a knee injury ruled Michael Cunningham out for the year.
MONAGHAN TACTICAL TAKE
DESPITE going into this game as huge favourites, Monaghan are unlikely to go gung-ho, and the team selected by Malachy O’Rourke suggests they will have plenty of men filtering back before breaking in numbers.
Shane Carey played as a sweeper at times during the League to good effect, and Vinny Corey can be expected to hold the fort when Dessie Mone and Karl O’Connell choose their moments to burst forward into a packed Down defence.
The full-back line of Colin Walshe and the Wylie brothers, Drew and Ryan, is very strong, and Walshe is also known to maraud forward on occasion.
Darren Hughes at full-forward gives them a route one option, but the objective is always to work as much space as possible for Conor McManus to wreak havoc.
DOWN TACTICAL TAKE
DOWN look set to swamp the defence with bodies as Eamonn Burns has selected several players who have the engines to carry out a counter-attacking game-plan.
In the absence of Donal O’Hare, who starts on the bench, Down will likely leave Connaire Harrison and Barry O’Hagan up top, with the aim to invite Monaghan onto them before breaking quickly through the likes of Conor Maginn, Joe Murphy and Kevin McKernan.
Conaill McGovern could be the man tasked with limiting the influence of Conor McManus, though Aidan Carr is expected to play a sweeper role and will also keep an eye on the Clontibret ace.
Conaill McGovern, McKernan, Peter Turley, Maginn and Murphy are all likely to filter back to form a red and black wall, as the Mournemen eye the first upset of the Ulster Championship so far.
KEY BATTLE
Conaill McGovern (Down) v Conor McManus (Monaghan)
HE may be named at corner-forward, but McGovern could drop back as Down attempt to curb the influence of McManus. The Monaghan game-plan is geared towards engineering space for the prolific Clontibret marksman to work in, and McGovern – most likely aided by Aidan Carr – has a big job on his hands. But the Burren man has shown himself to be an able man-marker on his day, especially when holding Dublin’s Diarmuid Connolly scoreless at Pairc Esler during the League. Down need him to have another big game tomorrow.
WEATHER WATCH
TEMPERATURES of around 20 degrees expected, with the sun attempting to force its way through the clouds’ blanket defence. Possibility of thunderstorms around throw-in time.
WHO’S THE REF?
Conor Lane (Cork)
RAISED the ire of former Derry boss Brian McIver – a one-time member of James McCartan’s backroom team in Down – with a couple of debatable decisions in the Oak Leafers’ Championship exit to Galway last summer. McIver quit in the aftermath of the defeat. Lane hasn’t refereed any of Down’s games this year, but took charge of Monaghan’s National League win over Roscommon in Kiltoom.
BETTING BOX
Monaghan 1/4
Down 4/1
Draw 10/1
Handicap
Monaghan (-3) 8/11
Down (+3) 13/10
Draw (-3) 9/1
LAST CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING
2012 Ulster SFC semi-final: Down 1-14 Monaghan 1-13
ONE of the most memorable Ulster Championship comebacks in recent times, as Down stormed back from nine points behind to pull off an unlikely victory at the Athletic Grounds.
Eamonn McEneaney’s Farneymen looked on course for an Ulster final showdown with Donegal as they hit the first three points of the game, and streaked into a 0-11 to 0-2 lead minutes before the break.
The Mournemen were struggling to get to grips with Paul Finlay and Conor McManus, but an Aidan Carr penalty in first half stoppage time proved crucial for James McCartan’s side.
Buoyed by that lifeline, they chipped away at the Monaghan lead, with Liam Doyle and substitute Benny Coulter among the scorers, before Darren O’Hagan popped up from corner-back in added time to score the winning point.
PREVIOUS CHAMPIONSHIP MEETINGS
2012 Ulster SFC semi-final (Athletic Grounds): Down 1-14 Monaghan 1-13
2007 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Down 1-15 Monaghan 2-15
2003 Ulster SFC quarter-final (at Casement Park): Down 1-12 Monaghan 0-13
1996 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Monaghan 0-9 Down 0-14
1994 Ulster SFC semi-final (Athletic Grounds): Down 0-14 Monaghan 0-8
1990 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Down 3-11 Monaghan 1-12
1989 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Monaghan 0-9 Down 1-14
1988 Ulster SFC semi-final (Breffni Park): Monaghan 1-11 Down 0-9
1986 Ulster SFC quarter-final replay: Down 3-11 Monaghan 1-12
1986 Ulster SFC quarter-final: Monaghan 0-13 Down 1-10
