MONAGHAN manager Eamonn McEneaney has called for a Championship revamp ahead of his side’s preliminary round meeting with Fermanagh on Sunday.
“You only get credit for the championship but the oneoff format is a poor system,” he argued. “It’s time all teams were guaranteed two or three games.
“There could be three sections of three, ensuring two games, or two sections, with the group winners meeting in the final. All it takes is a wee bit of imagination, but that’s not forthcoming, is it?”
His wish for changes to the status quo does not sound a note fearful of defeat, in fact confidence is high in the Farney camp.
“Our lads are good enough to win the game. If we get over Sunday we’ll do very well in the championship.”
McEneaney’s upbeat mood derives from having almost a fully-fit squad.
The only doubt is over midfielder Mark Daly who suffered a recurrence of a calf injury at training on Sunday.
Fermanagh wish they could say the same. Their latest worry is over Dara McGrath, who injured his calf at training last Wednesday and doubts also remain over Tom Brewster and Colm Courtney.
JAMES McIlroy received a boost yesterday when his place in the prestigious Bislett Games in Oslo on June 30 was confirmed.
McIlroy who ran a solid 1.48.03 when placing third over two laps in Slovenia on Sunday, will run the 800m at the Grand Prix meeting.
The Ballymena & Antrim’s next outing will be in the Europa Cup meeting in Finland on June 5/6.
Meanwhile, Breda Dennehy won the Pennsylvania Avenue Mile in Washington on Sunday in a course record time of 4.36. Dennehy will compete for Ireland over 5,000m in the Europa Cup.
TIPPERARY are thought to have virtually no chance of being granted a replay following Sunday’s controversial Munster Football Championship tie against Kerry.
Prominent Munster sources indicted yesterday ruled out any prospect of the Tipp footballers having a rematch in the wake of the early Kerry ‘goal’ which TV replays clearly showed should not have been allowed.
Munster chairman Sean Kelly, who was met with a swarm of Tipperary protests during and after the Tralee clash, yesterday described the affair as “‘embarrassing” and apologised to the Tipperary county board.
IMMACULATA coach ‘Nugget’ Nugent was delighted with Kevin O’Hara’s performance against a much more experienced boxer in the finals of the National Junior Championships at the weekend.
O’Hara narrowly missed out on featherweight honours at the National Stadium in Dublin last Friday. In a titanic struggle O’Hara lost 51-38 on a countback to Francis Maughan of the local Drimnagh ABC.
“Kevin won the last round 4-1 so it shows how fit and strong he was at the end of a gruelling contest. We are delighted with him,” said coach Nugent.
Fellow ‘Mac’ lads Liam McMillen boxed beautifully to win the 39kgs All-Ireland Juvenile title and Martin Lindsay oozed class to win the 54kgs Youth title recently.
Young Conor Tohill lost a narrow decision in a Juvenile final but fought with great courage.
