Tight but Tyrone experience to tell

THIS is a fascinating encounter, not least because while Monaghan haven’t won an Ulster title in 22 years, they are far from being new kids on the block.

This team is six years in the making under Seamus McEnaney. While there were suspicions that they had taken a couple of steps back after going so close to beating Tyrone in the 2007 final and pushing Kerry to a point in the All-Ireland quarter-final, the progress has been very noticeable this term. At their press night the week before last, Paul Finlay, Owen Lennon and McEnaney all placed the credit for that firmly at Paul Grimley’s door.

Much as he did with Kieran McGeeney in Kildare, the Pearse Óg man has worked on releasing the shackles of fear and this is a side that now plays with a relative abandon that confirms their confidence. Where once they were set up to try to prevail in a dogfight, now their philosophy is that they will just outscore the opposition. Despite the upheaval surrounding the goalkeeping situation on the morning of the Armagh game, they recovered from an uncertain start to blitz the Division 2 league champions.