Ulster SFC semi-final
Derry v Monaghan
Saturday, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 5pm
Live on GAA+

By Michael McMullan

FORMER Derry manager John Brennan had a phrase he’d roll out from time to time – the league is for playing in.

As a multi-championship winning manager in different counties, he’d tell players to book any holidays before the championship spice was added to the training. After that, the season was real.

In a sense, Westmeath have typified that. All the headlines were about Meath breaking into the top bracket and now they’re gone. Donegal the same.

On the weekend Westmeath turned the tables, Monaghan brought back key players from injury in victory over Cavan.

Before that, Gabriel Bannigan’s side were like 2025 Derry, scratching around, looking for a league victory that never came.

When Derry gave Cork an unmerciful hiding, it raised eyebrows all over the land. The Clones magic of 2022 and ’23 was on its way back but Gavin Devlin’s Louth poured a bucket of water over that fire.

Win or learn is another well-used term in sport. In that regard, Ciarán Meenagh needs to preach the Westmeath, Down and Louth examples this week.

While championship is about so much more, the top six inches dictates a lot.

The emotion needed for a championship battle needs built up over days. It’s not a light switch moment.

By the time Cavan found themselves on the end of Monaghan’s electric start, they were on a slippery slope. A damage limitation exercise even.

Derry were favourites to reach an Ulster final as soon as the balls came out of the drum. Monaghan were always going to be their likely opponents at this point.

It’s not something Bannigan or Meenagh will have spoken about much. If even at all.

Now that is here, both teams are nearing their full deck. Matthew Downey is expected to be available after a groin injury. A hamstring injury won’t clear up in time for Dan Higgins. Goalkeeper Odhrán Lynch is getting closer.

The sight of Conor McCarthy and Killian Lavelle gave Monaghan fans heart the last day out.

Bobby McCaul, who tore his ACL weeks before Derry’s James Sargent last year, got minutes against Cavan.

Fitness doubt

Ryan Wylie would be a welcome addition to Monaghan’s marking arrangements this weekend if he can declare himself fit enough.

Shane McGuigan has led the Derry scoring charge for a decade but he has more support this year than ever.

Niall Loughlin is in the form of his career. Lachlan Murray’s sheer directness leaves him a worry for any defender. Add in the two-point threat of Paul Cassidy, Brendan Rogers and Conor Glass.

One thing that jumped out from Monaghan’s win over Cavan was their keenness to kick to their inside line. When the advanced mark came in a few years back, they embraced it.

Anyone watching Derry in depth will realise Glass has been their second number six. Yes, he can get forward, but he has a natural instinct to drop back.

It allowed Malachy O’Rourke to give Ciaran McFaul a free role as Glen’s attacking number six. It was the same with Gareth McKinless in Derry.

This will be a main area of focus for Derry this week but it’s not a new one. What will need consideration will be what happens if they allow Dessie Ward to slip through the net.

He’s a top-class footballer and his imprint against Cavan won’t have gone unnoticed to Meenagh who was in Clones, with coach Luke Barrett, to see it up close.

Another will be polishing Ethan Doherty’s use of the ball. He has been Derry’s assist king in the positions he gets into.

This season, he has tended to take one extra touch and perhaps that’s down to their desire to create goal chances. Monaghan will look at how Louth always had a shadow on his cuts in the backdoor.

Precision

If Doherty can get his precision back to what it was a few years ago, it will unlock doors.

At the other end, Monaghan will have noticed how Ciarán ‘Holla’ Brady got in for two goal chances in the league game against Derry.

The main thing is Derry have been creating the chances but Monaghan have a stronger centre than Antrim and not every goalkeeper is Rory Beggan.

With Monaghan having the ability to rack up point tallies in the high 20s, Derry must take a leaf out of the St Brigid’s book. The Roscommon champions had their “code red” call to make sure they didn’t foul Scotstown in the two-point zone. Beggan is that important.

Stephen Mooney and Stephen O’Hanlon were in fine form against Cavan. Mícheál McCarville was isolated on kick-outs and it gave them a platform.

Louis Kelly and Karl Gallagher hold the keys to making this midfield a scrap. Both teams have the tools to book a place in the final, securing the added bonus of a home game as one of the top seeds in the All-Ireland draw.

The latter will be irreverent for now. As the tag line suggests, in Ulster, it matters more.Derry are favourites but this is a dangerous game for them. Monaghan have taken so much confidence from ending their unbeaten run. Derry know that all too well.

This one may come down to body language and a willingness to scrap for anything they can find, like Down did in Letterkenny.

Verdict: Derry

LAST MEETING – 2024 NFL Div 1 – Derry 3-17 Monaghan 0-13
Derry cruised to victory thanks to goals from Conor McCluskey, Paudi McGrogan and Conor Doherty.

Mickey Harte’s team were in charge throughout with McCluskey’s excellent first half effort easing them to a 1-9 to 0-6 interval lead.

While the goals caught the eye, Shane McGuigan’s contribution of 0-11 make a considerable impact.

The visitors were decimated with injuries and never looked like turning the tables on a Derry side who would later go on to lift the title.

Derry: R Scullion; C McCluskey (1-0), C McKaigue, D Baker, C Doherty (1-0), E McEvoy, P McGrogan (1-0); C Glass, B Rogers; E Doherty (0-1), C McFaul (0-2), P Cassidy (0-1); N Loughlin, S McGuigan (0-11, 6fs), L Murray
Subs: N Toner (0-2) for Murray, E Bradley for Loughlin, D Gilmore for Cassidy, E Mulholland for McFaul, M Bradley for Baker

Monaghan: D McDonnell (0-1f); R Wylie, C Lennon, R O’Toole; R McAnespie, K Duffy, T McPhillips; J Wilson (0-1), G Mohan; S O’Hanlon, C McNulty, M Hamill (0-1); M McCarville, J McCarron (0-8, 4f, 1m), J Irwin
Subs: K Loughran for McAnespie, A Woods (0-1) for O’Hanlon, S Mooney for Irwin, D Ward (0-1) for Lennon, B McBennett for Mohan

LAST FIVE MEETINGS
2024 NFL Div 1 Derry 3-17 Monaghan 0-13
2023 All-Ireland SFC Derry 0-14 Monaghan 0-14
2023 Ulster SFC Derry 1-21 Monaghan 2-10
2022 Ulster SFC Derry 3-12 Monaghan 0-17
2022 McK Cup Derry 0-12 Monaghan 0-12

SEASON SO FAR

DERRY

NFL
Derry 1-13 Meath 0-9
Derry 1-15 Tyrone 1-12
Kildare 1-18 Kildare 3-15
Derry 2-25 Offaly 0-8
Derry 1-31 Cork 0-14
Derry 0-18 Louth 1-19
Derry 1-20 Cavan 0-19

SFC
Derry 2-23 Antrim 1-13

MONAGHAN

NFL
Monaghan 0-18 Armagh 1-27
Roscommon 3-16 Monaghan 1-16
Dublin 1-18 Monaghan 0-17
Monaghan 2-11 Mayo 2-13
Kerry 1-18 Monaghan 0-7
Monaghan 2-9 Galway 1-20
Monaghan 3-15 Donegal 3-20

SFC
Monaghan 0-27 Cavan 2-14

TOP SCORERS

DERRY
Shane McGuigan 1- 52 (13f, 5tpf, 3tp)
Niall Loughlin 2- 21 (3f, 2tp, 1tpf)
Lachlan Murray 3-16 (1f)

MONAGHAN
Mícheál Bannigan 0-21 (5f, 1tp)
Andrew Woods 1-15 (2f, 1tp)
Stephen O’Hanlon 1-14 (3tp)