By Shaun Casey

THE Monaghan Senior Football Championship gets underway this weekend, and a number of sides will be eyeing up a tilt at the title. Of course, taking down Scotstown will be the main focus, as it usually is in the Farney County.

But that’s for the knockout stages and first and foremost, the clubs will have to deal with the round-robin series. Two groups of five, the top team heads straight to the semis, second and third are through to the quarters while it’s a relegation battle for the bottom two.

All the action gets up and running on Saturday evening with both of Group Two’s games taking place. Inniskeen host Ballybay while Latton will enjoy home advantage when they take on Aughnamullen, while league finalists Magheracloone have a bye this weekend.

Ballybay, the last team outside of Scotstown to get their hands on the Mick Duffy Cup, are in a relegation playoff through the league having finished bottom of the pile in Division One, winning just one of their nine games.

John McEntee’s Inniskeen won’t be taking them lightly however and his side are aiming to get back to the decider, the Grattan’s last there in 2023. Inniskeen haven’t won the championship since 1948.

Latton were moving well in the league and were just pipped by Magheracloone at the semi-final stage. They’ll face their chances against Aughnamullen, who will be led by Monaghan captain Micheál Bannigan.

Paul Rouse’s Truagh face Cremartin in the opening round of Group One, with that game taking place on Sunday afternoon. League positions would suggest there’s little between these sides and both will be aiming to get off the mark with a win.

Probably the biggest game of the weekend sees Clontibret host Corduff on Sunday evening. Both sides would have realistic targets of ending Scotstown’s stranglehold on the championship and claiming the throne themselves.

Clontibret, led by Burren duo Paul McCartan and Neil Coulter, had that opportunity themselves last season when they reached the final, but the An Bhoth men halted their aim of a first county title since 2019.

Corduff have rose through the ranks since winning the Intermediate title in 2022. Seamus McEnaney’s side are one of the top contenders and with Donegal midfielder Jason McGee returning to club action, they’ll firmly believe they can go all the way.

Current champions Scotstown are also in that section, which looks to the be cliched ‘Group of Death’. They have been afforded a bye in the opening round and will begin their title defence against Clontibret in round two.