McArdle sets sights on semi place

THREE teams are vying for the one qualification spot and a direct step into the Monaghan SFC semi-finals by topping Group One and Scotstown captain Damien McArdle hopes his side are the team to land that prize.

Scotstown are currently top of the pile on score difference but take on Corduff this weekend in the final round of the group stages series. A win for Corduff will see them leap over Scotstown and they can finish top, but only if Clontibret lose to Cremartin.

Should Scotstown and Clontibret, who currently sit on five points each, both win on Sunday afternoon then it’ll come down to score difference since those sides drew their second-round meeting.

David McCauge’s side currently hold the upper hand in terms of scoring. It’s all on the line this weekend for the three teams chasing automatic entrance to the last four and McArdle believes that’s what championship is all about.

“With the group system, it’s good when you have games like this to look forward to and they aren’t dead-rubbers,” said the Scotstown skipper. “When you have something to play for, we can go straight to a semi-final, and we’d like to take that route if we can.”

Taking on the challenge of Séamus McEnaney’s Corduff is one that Scotstown have grown used to over the past few seasons and as recently as July the two teams crossed paths in the league semi-final, which Scotstown edged by the minimum of margins.

Scotstown also gained the upper hand in round four of the championship group stages last season, seeing them through to the semi-finals, with six points the difference that day.

“We went up there in the league semi-final and we had a slow start that day, but the game was nip and tuck,” McArdle added.

“We came out of it with a one-point win, and I’d say the game will be no different this weekend. Corduff are well drilled and well set up.”

On the championship campaign to date, Scotstown have been happy with their displays against Clontibret, where the sides finished all square, and their most recent victory over Cremartin where they bagged six goals.

However, in their round two triumph over Truagh, they didn’t reach those same heights.

“Our first two games were two tight tests and we would have been happy with the way we played against Clontibret but the Truagh game, we wouldn’t have been as happy with that.

“The boys that came in off the bench against Cremartin added a lot of energy. When it came to half time the game was still tight enough that day.

“Things are a lot more open; there’s a lot more space (with the new rules). I don’t mind the defending side of things but with the three-up rule, you can’t really go, you’re left defending, and you can’t go attacking as a corner-back or a full-back.”