The waiting game: Ryan McAnespie looks into another injury battle

By Shaun Casey

CROKE Park may be the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ for most people, and anyone who pulls on a pair of boots wants to play there, but Monaghan stalwart Ryan McAnespie has had plenty of nightmares at the Dublin venue in recent times.

He hobbled off the hallowed turf during last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Ulster rivals Donegal with a hamstring injury that forced him to miss his club’s historic run.

Emyvale captured the Monaghan Junior Championship crown, under another Farney legend Owen Lennon, and went all the way to the Ulster final, where they eventually came up short against Clogher of Tyrone in the end.

Having had hamstring surgery before Christmas, McAnespie headed back to the Monaghan camp for preseason, ready to rid himself of some unwelcome demons. And ready to give Division One another real crack.

Darren Hughes: A footballing warrior

Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse. Croke Park, against Dublin, in round three of the league and again, McAnespie exited the play early through injury. The damage coming from his other hamstring this time around.

“I did both of them in Croke Park and both of them in the exact same part of the pitch too,” explained McAnespie, a survivor of the last Monaghan side that claimed the Anglo Celt Cup back in 2015.

“You just have to get over it and they are just freak injuries that can happen and I’m just unfortunate to be on that end of it. It’s probably just bad luck. These last couple of years I’ve had a bit of bad luck just with the hamstrings.

“Whether it’s coming back a bit too quickly or different things, the demands of the game, you see that across the board, there are a lot of injuries being picked up. I’ll put it down to bad luck and hope my luck changes soon.

“I’m getting there. I’m just giving the body the time it needs to recover and trying not to rush back but I’m getting there. It’s the other hamstring this time around.

Operation

“I got an operation on the other one last year and it has healed well but when I got back the other one went so it could be a mixture of maybe rushing back too quick, I’m not too sure. I’ll just have to give it a bit of time and let it heal but hopefully I’ll get through it anyway.”

The way the league went for Gabriel Bannigan’s side, it was a tough watch from the sideline for an experienced head like the Emyvale man. Ultimately, Monaghan lost their spot in Division One, losing all seven of their league outings.

McAnespie, who did play against Armagh and Roscommon in the first two rounds, wasn’t the only one on the injury list. Conor McCarthy, Dylan Byrne, Gary Mohan and a host of other missed plenty of game time as well.

“It was disappointing and when things aren’t going well and you’re not playing and can’t help the team out on the pitch, that’s probably the most disappointing thing when you’re sitting watching,” he added.

“Definitely the way the league went, it was disappointing for us, and I probably didn’t help things being injured and you can’t really do anything about it but over the next couple of weeks, we’ll see how the body is and hopefully I’ll get back out with the boys.

“You’d nearly rather be out on your own but unfortunately, I’ve had a lot of company (on the sidelines). You look at other county teams; everyone seems to have seven or eight injuries and we’re no different but it’s just a matter of trying to get everyone back on the pitch.

“You have to wait until they are ready, that’s probably the big thing. I know we’d probably like to get them out quicker but there’s no point getting back out and then going again so every man just has to see how their body feels and take it from there.”

With so many experienced heads missing, along with the recent ret

Unforgiving

irements of Darren Hughes, Karl O’Connell and Kieran Duffy leaving big gaps in the changing rooms as well, Bannigan turned towards the youth.

While Division One is an unforgiving spot for a youngster taking their first steps into inter-county football, McAnespie believes that it’ll help Monaghan in the long run.

“One of the positives we did get from the league was boys getting that exposure to Division One football. Even last year in Division Two, we probably had a couple of injuries, but we were fit to rest two or three boys and still manage to get a win.

“But when you get up to Division One, you’re playing the top teams, and you need all your players fit. Monaghan, these last number of years, we nearly had our full team out every week in Division One football in order to stay up.

“This year was no different, so we knew when we were missing so many boys that it was going to be a struggle but that’s the big positive that we got out of it.

THOSE WERE THE DAYS…Ryan McAnespie helped Monaghan win Ulster back in 2015

“We have a lot of boys who, it might have been their first year in the Monaghan setup and they’re getting game time against Division One teams and that will definitely stand to the boys and stand to the squad.

“It was probably just the performances that were disappointing but that’s one benefit that we’ll take from the league.”

The league is gone and forgotten about now and it’s all about the championship and summer ball. Monaghan begin their campaign with a home tie against near neighbours Cavan. A clash which will certainly get the pulses racing.

McAnespie isn’t ruling himself out an appearance at Clones. In fact, he’s not putting any time limit or target on his return. When he’s ready, he’ll be ready, and Monaghan folk will hope that is sooner rather than later.

“I’m not really putting any time on it,” he added. “Last year I was trying to get back for club games and putting times on it and you’re rushing things, and it ends up tweaking again so I’m trying not to put any time frame on it.

“It would be nice to get back for it (the Cavan game) surely, but again just with my injury history I don’t know what way it’ll work out but we’ll see.

“It’s a brilliant opener and it’s always going to be a tight game when you’re playing Cavan in a local rivalry. Form nearly goes out the window when you’re playing local teams no matter if you’re flying in the league or you’re not going well.

“It’s always just going to come down to what happens on the day in these games and we’re just hoping that we’re going to be on the right end of it when the final whistle blows.”