Monaghan must deliver to book quarter-final spot

By Michael McMullan

MONAGHAN must beat Louth on Sunday in Castleblayney if they are to take their season into the All-Ireland Intermediate knock-out stages.

Both teams have lost to Westmeath but with their superior score difference, Louth just need a draw.

For Monaghan to take a step forward, they must right the wrong of their recent defeat to Westmeath, according to wing-back Amy Garland.

“Westmeath were a very good side but we felt like we underperformed,” she said.

“I think that was the most annoying part. We’re a good team and we just feel, within ourselves, we underperformed.

“It didn’t look like us when we went out to the field and that was a hard one to take.”

Garland is thankful that they’ve another chance this weekend with an All-Ireland quarter-final spot still up for grabs.

“We’re not done yet because we’re still on the same pathway as before the Westmeath game. There’s still a chance for us to get into an All-Ireland quarter-final,” Garland added.

A look at Monaghan’s league position in Division Two and one thing will jump out – a lowly finishing spot.

Digging deeper, however, they were competitive in many of the games, including narrow defeats to Cavan and Donegal who both finished with promotion.

On the Ulster Championship front, Monaghan came up short against Cavan in a pulsating final, as Garland recalls.

“It was a difficult one to take because we probably did feel like we were just so close coming into the ending of stages.”

“We had a two-week break before we took on the All-Ireland series.

“I think it was just about refocusing and getting back to thinking that the season’s not done yet. There’s still an All-Ireland here to be competing for.”

Out of their hands

The result of last weekend’s clash of Westmeath and Louth was out of Monaghan’s control.

Their focus was fully locked on neighbours Louth, knowing they’d need to win against a team they’ve never met in a competitive game.

“It will be very unfamiliar to me now and probably some of the other girls,” Garland said.

“In my time playing, we’ve played them in challenge matches, but never in league or championship.

“They did come out of Division Three and we played Division Two football, so next year we’ll become very familiar.”

Aside from their physical and footballing preparations, Monaghan will look at the positive aspects of their Ulster final performance.

“We know that we can perform and we have the players,” she said.

“We did show that when we took on Cavan in the Ulster final. It’s just probably harnessing into that game and how we felt during that game.

“It was an enjoyable match to play but obviously it was a gutting one at the end.

“We always felt that we were in it, so it’s probably just about tapping into that performance.”