Monaghan were relegated last season and saw ace attacker Conor McManus depart the inter-county scene. Michael McMullan took at look at their championship story this season ahead of Saturday’s return to Croke Park…

IMAGINE Conor McManus under the new rules. It’s hard not to think what Monaghan’s hand could’ve looked like.

His body just said no. Karl O’Connell and Darren Hughes stayed on to help guide the next crop. As Gabriel Bannigan said this week, two out of three isn’t bad.

Aside form their warriors, driving the standards, they’ve plenty of quality and with Andy Moran as part of the coaching ticket, there is variation on how they get the ball from back to front.

Taking out a jotter, a delve into their four championship games reveals they’ve an average of 43 attacks per game. The Clare total of 50 takes the average up a notch.

In terms of scores, Monaghan have a 49 per cent strike rate every time they go across the halfway line to press go on an attack.

Once across the halfway line, Monaghan’s attacking efficiency is up there. They’ve a 76 per cent conversion rate.

Captain Mícheál Bannigan leads the way with 1-16, a point ahead of Jack McCarron who made his only championship start against Clare. The third top scorer, with 0-16 to his name, is Rory Beggan.

It’s what Monaghan get from elsewhere that packed the overall punch that saw them qualify top of their group.

The All-Ireland group stages…

Louth 4-8 (4-1-6)Monaghan 1-23 (1-3-17)

MONAGHAN bounced back from their Ulster defeat at the hands of Donegal with a ruthless attacking display.

They had 1-8 on the board before Gary Mohan’s 13th minute wide. It was the variation in their attack that stood out in difficult conditions in Newbridge.

With the return from injury of Killian Lavelle, Conor McCarthy was pushed forward as an extra cutting edge. His playmaking role allowed Mícheál Bannigan to play as an inside forward with licence to switch.

It was McCarthy that cut in to make the goal for Stephen O’Hanlon. Pace cut Louth open and it was in the same number 13 corner – the right corner of the attack – they used nine times during the game. More than any other.

There was a Ryan McAnespie kick pass to the make the second score, a point for Dessie Ward.

The other pattern was Monaghan’s patience. As Louth defended deep, Ryan O’Toole and O’Hanlon were the runners through the middle channel.

Having players like Stephen Mooney, Bannigan and O’Hanlon on the end of the things was something Louth couldn’t handle.

Monaghan’s eighth point came from a different avenue. Two kick-passes. Dylan Byrne and then O’Hanlon with Andrew Woods applying the finish. The fact O’Hanlon had seven direct assists – fists, kicks and runs – added to his overall impact.

Of the 22 attacks in the first half, Monaghan got a shot away 17 times. Creditable given the conditions.

Monaghan’s two blots were both goals. One of their five unsuccessful attacks ended up with Tommy Durnin nabbing a second goal.

Louth’s first goal was a thing of beauty. Durnin’s pass found Mulroy who made no mistake.

You’d wonder was it something Conor Laverty honed in on. Their use of two kick passes and Ryan McEvoy made John McGeough’s goal.

Monaghan: R Beggan (0-4, 2tpf); R Wylie, K Lavelle, D Byrne; D Ward (0-3), R O’Toole, K Duffy (0-1); M McCarville, G Mohan; R McAnespie, S O’Hanlon (1-3), C McCarthy (0-1); M Bannigan (0-6, 1tp, 1f) , A Woods, S Mooney (0-3)
Subs: C Mulligan for Beggan, J McCarron (0-2, 1f) for McAnespie, C McNulty for Woods, D Garland for Mooney, D Hughes for McCarville, K O’Connell for Ward, J Irwin for O’Hanlon

Monaghan 1-25 (1-3-19) Clare 1-16 (1-2-12)

SO much for Clones and home comforts. Playing into the wind, Monaghan found themselves seven points down at half time.

In the slippery conditions against Louth, Monaghan failed to get a shot away eight times across 70 minutes.

In this game, it was nine in the first half alone. The 12 shots from 21 attacks in the first half would’ve lit a fire in the Monaghan dressing room.

In terms of kick-outs, Rory Beggan had less than a 50 per cent success rate. He retained all five in the second half.

The half-time messages worked. The wind would’ve helped but it was a crisper looking Monaghan.

If Dessie Ward and Stephen O’Hanlon were the collective heartbeat against Louth, Jack McCarron was their man this time.

In the first half, it was Gary Mohan that ploughed the main Monaghan furrow. Mooney was there too, but it was McCarron in the second half that made all the difference.

They had the rub of the green on a decision at for his first two-pointer. It was enough to shave Clare’s lead back to five with the wind blowing into the Roslea end.

Monaghan’s problem was missing four of their first five shots. The saying “the breeze never wins a game” would’ve been nestled in the minds of the Farney faithful. Worse still, they lost Gary Mohan to an injury as he made one of his incisive runs.

That’s why McCarron was so, so important. While he scored 0-8 in all, he was directly involved in six of Monaghan’s first eight attacks.

Monaghan’s variation returned. When their goal came, it was the full package. An interception in defence. Micheál McCarville’s kick pass took them upfield quicker. Ryan McAnespie had energy when it was needed.

After breaking the second line, he was the man to play the final pass to Conor McCarthy who drove to the net. As part of his celebration, his gesture for the crowd to turn up the volume told you it was a turning point.

David Garland had lost his place with McCarthy pushing forward but he came to lay his fingerprints all over Monaghan closing out the game.

The other aspect of Monaghan’s play was using the footpass to switch the direction of the play. McCarron, Ward and McCarthy are the conductors. It leaves a shuffling defence needing to spread themselves thinner. Then, men like O’Toole and O’Hanlon can punch the holes.

Monaghan: R Beggan (0-5, 4f, 1 ’45); D Byrne, K Lavelle, R Wylie; D Ward (0-1), R O’Toole, K Duffy; M McCarville, G Mohan; S O’Hanlon (0-1), Conor McCarthy (1-1), Ryan McAnespie (0-1); M Bannigan (0-3, 1f), J McCarron (0-8, 2tp, 1 tpf, 1f), S Mooney (0-1)
Subs: A Carey (0-1) for Lavelle, D Hughes for Mohan, D Garland (0-2tp) for Mooney, C McNulty for McAnespie, A Woods (0-1) for Duffy

Monaghan 2-27 (2-6-15) Down 1-26 (1-4-18)

DOWN had the preparation for Shuan Patton the locker and were able to roll out a similar version for Rory Beggan.

They also the warning sign of getting a defender caught the wrong side of Oisín Gallen for the goal that broke the Ulster semi-final.

Down closed off all avenues. Ronan Burns stood in Beggan’s right midfield kick-out channel. One he used to great effect in the second half of the Donegal championship game,

On the other flank, Down marked on the inside. It was either a 50-50 ball down the middle from Beggan or the eye of the needle on the left wing.

Down won the battle and with Burns brave with his short kick-outs at the other end, mixed with Down’s pace, it was an effective way out.

The one time they got it wrong; Monaghan were ruthless with Bannigan finishing to the net.

At the other end, Monaghan were punished when Conor McCarthy’s shot from a tight angle game down off the post. Two kicks later, via Ryan McEvoy who gave Down’s attack depth, McGeough’s shot – via a wicked bounce – spun past Beggan.

Monaghan’s second half was efficient with 86 per cent of attacks resulting in a shot. Their problem was that after Dessie Ward and Andrew Woods nailed the first two chances, the next five – including a half goal chance – yielded nothing. Zilch.

Why? They had sorted their kick-out. There were more bodies around the break. Five of Monaghan’s first seven shots came from Beggan’s restarts ending up in Monaghan arms. Down helped them out further with a few missed chances.

Monaghan had the rub of the green in the form of Jack McCarron’s goal. Since his half-time appearance, a view from behind the goal shows the variation of his runs. Left, right, doubling back in again. It might be enough to earn him a start against Donegal on Saturday.

When Monaghan pressed Down’s defence into a turnover, McCarthy and Bannigan combined to create McCarron’s goal chance.

While it looked like a technical foul, the officials didn’t have the benefit of the video replay. A blow for Down.

Monaghan finished out the game with a more patient use of the ball and were helped with Louis Kelly coming on to tag Odhrán Murdock for the final quarter.

Down needed another goal to break Monaghan but were hit by the final blow. A three-up infraction, a two-point free and Beggan turned a two-point lead into four. Sin é.

Monaghan: R Beggan (0-6, 3tpf); K Lavelle, K Duffy, D Byrne; R Wylie, R O’Toole (0-2), A Carey (0-1); M McCarville (0-2tp), D Ward (0-2); R McAnespie, S O’Hanlon (0-3), C McCarthy (0-2tp); A Woods (0-2), M Bannigan (1-2), S Mooney
Subs: J McCarron (1-3, 1tp, 1f) for Mooney, L Kelly (0-1) for Lavelle, D Garland (0-1) for Woods, D Hughes for Duffy, C McNulty for McAnespie

Donegal v Monaghan – A tale of the last day

Donegal 0-23 (0-2-19)Monaghan 0-21 (0-5-11)

YOU’D need to be in the Donegal or Monaghan camp to know how much reference has been made to the controversial ending to the Ulster clash.

That kick-out from Patton. A debate of who touched the ball last. A time lag on TV. A hooter. Donegal relief. Monaghan frustration. Whatever reference that is made will be relevant in how close it was.

One aspect of the first half will have made Monaghan focus more than most this week.

Donegal were keeping a fourth defender on the opposite flank to Peadar Mogan, tempting a Monaghan forward to keep close.

On occasions, he’d step back to momentarily make five and allow Mogan to attack a vacant left flank. Three times he got into the ‘number 15’ corner to kick points. There was another assist.

This weekend in Croke Park, it could be anyone. Caolan McColgan, Ciarán Moore and Finnbarr Roarty all have jet engines.

For Jim McGuinness, they might have to send McColgan with Dessie Ward in the other direction. He shades it as Monaghan’s all-rounder. After jobs on Aidan O’Shea and Ciarán Downey in recent weeks, McColgan will get a job this weekend.

Back to Clones and aforementioned championship game. O’Hanlon made a stamp on the second half. Four assists. Ward was prominent too. Rory Beggan picked passes but Donegal limited him to a first-half 45. Their discipline in the tackle kept his two-point threat out of the equation. Advantage Donegal.

It’s hard to imagine them putting Patton in Beggan’s right kick-out channel like Down did with Ronan Burns. But they don’t have to. Thompson, Langhan, Murphy, Moore a And either McFadden and McGee will be enough of a wall. The fact a third of Monaghan’s second-half scoring chances began with Beggan’s boot demands that level of attention.

The other heat map McGuinness will hone in on will the Monaghan’s shooting areas. It was the right wing pocket for the first half. Since then it is more varied. You just have to look at the second half. Monaghan used both sides. Less predictable.

Going man-on-man will be dangerous without Caolan McGonagle in the defensive armchair. Without his natural defensive instinct, the likes of a Moore, McColgan or a Roarty will need someone calling the shots. Maybe Michael Murphy. He has the same smarts but he can’t be everywhere.

Donegal’s ace card is Patton. Sit off and their runners create an overlap. Like the Gallen goal chance against Louth. Press up and you need to leave the back door closed. If you don’t, Murphy’s flick on opens the door. Conor O’Donnell’s goal against Louth is the example.

It’s a question every manager in Ireland is trying to answer. For Monaghan, having Beggan step out into a defensive pocket might be the start of it with everyone pushing out. Monaghan will hope, and need, Gary Mohan to have something to offer. When Clare used the wind to batter Monaghan into their own half, he broke lines and won ball.

Monaghan:R Beggan (0-1 45); R Wylie, K Duffy, D Byrne; D Ward (0-6, 2tp), R O’Toole, C McCarthy (0-3, 1tp); M McCarville, G Mohan (0-1); C McNulty, M Bannigan (0-5, 2f, 1tp), R McAnespie (0-1); S O’Hanlon, A Woods, D Garland
Subs: J McCarron (0-2tp) for Garland, G McPhillips, S Mooney (0-2) for Woods, J Wilson for McNulty, K O’Connell for Byrne