By Michael McMullan

BALLYBAY won’t be taking anything for granted when they face Truagh in Sunday’s Monaghan SFC semi-final insist joint manager Mark Doran.

The Longstone man and Jerome Johnston are in their first year in charge of the Pearse Brothers side who lost last year’s Farney decider by 10 points.

Doran is an All-Ireland minor winner from 1999 and was part of the James McCartan’s senior squad that reached the 2010 senior final.

Ballybay finished top of their group, taking them directly through to the semi-final.

After a 3-10 to 0-10 win over Latton they had one-point wins over Clontibret and Monaghan Harps, but went under to Castleblayney.

“The number one target was to try and win the group,” Doran said of their approach to the business end of the season.

“Once we did that, we were happy enough. It was time to reset again, it was like the start to a new championship.”

Doran was an interested spectator at Sunday’s quarter-final double header in Castleblayney as Truagh pulled away for a surprise win over 2019 champions Clontibret. He was impressed with their fitness levels and manager Pascal Canavan had Truagh setup defensively.

“Truagh were really impressive in the last 15 or 20 minutes,” said Doran, who was part of Paddy Tally’s management team with Down.

“They break out of defence at pace. If you are calling a spade a spade, they probably could’ve beat Clontibret by eight or nine (points).”

Doran references the third quarter when Truagh had their opponents camped in their own defence and kicked ‘about eight’ wides.

Truagh were All-Ireland intermediate champions in 2014 and made the headlines two years ago for losing out to Scotstown in the championship after penalties

“They are probably the only team in Monaghan to have given Scotstown a game,” Doran adds.

Gary Mohan’s left peg is a dangerous weapon and they have Ryan Boyle at full-back, who was selected in the All-Ireland minor team of the year in 2019.

“They have a lot of good players, boys that have been on county panels. Padraig and Christopher McKenna are coming back after injury,” Doran added.

In their own camp, Ballybay had the three Wylie brothers – Trent, Ryan and Drew – in defence. Dessie Ward and Christopher McGuinness are in the mix too.

And there is Paul Finlay, who is still shooting the lights out in his late thirties.

“Jap (Finlay) could play football for another two or three years, he looks after himself that well.

“That’s one of the things I got my eyes opened when I came to Ballybay, was the condition of him, how well he looks after himself.

“He loves football and when you love it that much, you’ll do anything to prolong your career. It is great to have his experience and knowhow, you can’t buy that experience, it’s as simple as that.”Send To

The second part of Sunday’s Clones double-header is the showdown of champions Scotstown and Oisin McConville’s Inniskeen. There is a chance of a repeat if last year’s county final, but Doran don’t entertain it.

“Ballybay are under no illusions of what it ahead of them this Sunday,” he concluded.

“They (Truagh) play a high energy game and in the last 15 minutes they blew Clontibret away.

“If you keep Clontibret down to six points you are doing well. Conor McManus is one of the best forwards in Ireland.”

Ballybay’s Dessie Ward