By Shaun Casey

THE league finals in Monaghan will be played before the championship and this weekend, the two teams that contest the title will be decider.

The two semi-finals take place on Friday evening with Scotstown taking on Castleblayney while Magheracloone lock horns with Latton.

Reigning champions Magheracloone were joint top of the league table after 12 rounds of action, along with Scotstown, seeing the pair advance straight through to the last four, while Castleblayney and Latton came through the quarter-finals.

Three second half goals, all arriving in the final quarter of their encounter with Carrickmacross, left Latton 3-20 to 0-18 up at the full-time whistle.

Magheracloone were crowned league champions last season and with former Louth boss Wayne Kierans in their dugout this season, they’ll be keen to retain that title.

They are without two of their star players, however, with Monaghan defender Dylan Byrne and Patrick Doogan Burke spending the summer in America, while Aaron Mulligan of Latton is doing likewise.

Paul O’Connor’s ‘Blayney had a closer examination in their quarter-final and they edged out the 2026 SFC finalists Inniskeen by four, with Senan Hanratty striking the all-important major early in the game.

Canice Murphy and Max McGinnity, both stars of O’Connor’s Monaghan U20 that reached the Ulster final this season, are back in the fold for ‘Blayney.

Castleblayney, top of the roll of honour in the Farney County, won the Intermediate League title last season, and are back up again competing against the big hitters.

They take on the biggest challenge in Monaghan club football as Scotstown lay in wait in the league semi-final.

They reached the decider last year, which was played after the championship decider, and lost out to Magheracloone.

David McCague’s Ulster champions will have their eyes firmly fixed on the Mick Duffy Cup as chase a fourth consecutive county title and an 11th in 14 years.

There is also a relegation playoff at the bottom of the table with both Corduff and Cremartin aiming to retain their senior status.

Cremartin, managed by former Armagh player Alan O’Neill, lost out to Clontibret in the relegation quarter-final while Corduff tasted defeat against Truagh.

The Mooney brothers, Stephen and Jamie, who both lined out against Louth in the All-Ireland quarter-final at Croke Park, are the main men from a Cremartin perspective.

Corduff, who reached the Ulster Intermediate Championship final in 2022, have been knocking on the door of the big prize over the last few years.