3 key points to watch for in the GAA this weekend
By Peter McNamara
Dublin overawed and tormented Monaghan in the All-Ireland quarter-final at Croke Park last season.
In fact, the tie was so lop-sided Jim Gavin’s men won by 17 points, 2-22 to 0-11, but actually had another gear or two available if required.
If one had said to the Farney Army at that point they would be challenging at the summit of the Allianz NFL Division 1 in 2015 a few quizzical glances would have been aimed at your direction.
However, that is exactly the case with Malachy O’Rourke’s side an eye-catching dark horse throughout the campaign.
Monaghan have won four of their six league outings and lost the other two ties.
Yet, on those occasions, there were genuine pluses to take from the loss to Cork and excuses for their hammering at the hands of Mayo.
The northerners were excellent against the Rebels and succumbed by one point while, of course, O’Rourke’s team had two dismissed in Elverys MacHale Park, Castlebar and subsequently collapsed which can happen any team in the circumstances.
Dublin will test their solid defensive model – Monaghan have kept Tyrone, Derry and Kerry at bay in goalscoring terms – but recent evidence suggests O’Rourke’s charges are becoming a force to be reckoned with by the big guns.
Monaghan’s attacking sextet, named to start in Clones tomorrow, comprising of Dessie Mone, Paul Finlay and Owen Duffy in the half-forward line with Dermot Malone, Kieran Hughes and Conor McManus in the full-forward line, are equally capable of hurting Dublin.
Old foes Tyrone and Kerry cross paths in Healy Park, Omagh tomorrow with a lot at stake.
The result will be all-important to both counties for obvious reasons but the presence of Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper within Éamonn Fitzmaurice’s squad represents a timely and calculated boost to the All-Ireland champions.
Of course, a certain Paul Galvin will also be taking his place on Kerry’s substitutes’ bench but to have Cooper back among their group will act as a welcome tonic, especially for those younger panel members that look up to him.
The presence of both of those aforementioned experienced performers, especially Galvin, will stoke this titanic tussle even more and it would not be at all surprising to witness a host of cards dished out by referee Joe McQuillan.
In fact, the greater number of cool heads in such a pressurised situation should win the day.
Mayo have Barry Moran and Tom Parsons named in midfield for their meeting with Donegal while Martin McElhinney and Christy Toye have been stationed in the same domain by Rory Gallagher.
Obviously, just because this quartet of operators have been selected at midfield for their respective units does not necessarily mean they will compete in the middle-third but if they do, supporters at Elverys MacHale Park could be in for a treat of top-class high-fielding.
In a week whereby the death knells were sounded for the code in some quarters, lest we forget that specific skills such as producing wonderfully executed aerial fetches are still prevalent and should be appreciated.
The goalkeepers, Mayo’s Kenneth O’Malley and Donegal’s Michael Boyle will have major roles to play in the west with their restarts given the physical presences that will be situated in the middle-third, the crucial sector.
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