Monaghan and Armagh target winning start

By Shaun Casey

SO much has happened since Armagh and Monaghan last clashed. That was, of course, the famous All-Ireland quarter-final of 2023, when the Farney men edged out their Ulster rivals via a penalty shootout.

Armagh have since won the All-Ireland and Monaghan were relegated to Division Two, but made a swift return to the top flight, a landscape they are very familiar with.

Just shy of three years on, the two teams that line out against each other on Sunday at St Tiernach’s Park will have a much different look and feel about them.

Killian Lavelle and Kieran Duffy were in the last line of the Monaghan defence back then. Karl O’Connell and Conor Boyle were in the half-back line. Darren Hughes lined out at midfield. Conor McManus and Kieran Hughes both came off the bench to help their side over the line. None will be involved here.

For Armagh, Conor O’Neill and Ciaran Mackin started the game, as did Stefan Campbell and Rian O’Neill, but all four won’t be available for selection this weekend. Callum Cumiskey and Shane McPartlan also made appearances off the bench.

Come Sunday, there’ll be plenty of new faces in both camps and a few big names who will miss out through retirement, injuries, or extended breaks. Nevertheless, this weekend’s tie could be crucial in the wider scheme of things.

For both Monaghan and Armagh, survival is the ultimate target. Two points picked up at Clones on the opening day will go a long way in securing that ambition for the victor.

Both Gabriel Bannigan and Kieran McGeeney will have selection dilemmas, particularly for the number one jersey at either end of the field.

Blaine Hughes started Armagh’s most recent McKenna Cup clash with Down while Ethan Rafferty came on in the full-forward line during the second period. A sign of things to come this season perhaps?

With the Scotstown players unlikely to feature so soon after their All-Ireland Club run, Monaghan could be without arguably their most important player in Rory Beggan. He dictates so much of what makes them tick, so his absence could be crucial.

Although the McKenna Cup isn’t the be all and end all, the form of Oisin O’Neill and Michéal Bannigan cannot and should not be ignored. Both men will have big roles to play for their respective sides.

It’s too early in the year to talk about season-defining games, but Sunday’s showdown will be hugely important to both changing rooms. The winner will improve their chances of avoiding the drop, while the loser will be fighting an uphill battle right away.