Gavin Cummiskeytalks to the county's captain Damien Freeman
THE LEAGUE is irrelevant now and the opening gambits of the 2008 championship supports this notion. Just look at Mick O'Dwyer's Wicklow. So, for a barometer of Monaghan's prospects, the stuttering last-day defeat to Westmeath that denied them a place in Division One next season can be dismissed.
The stumble down the straight against Kerry in last year's All-Ireland quarter-final cannot, however, be so easily ignored. With five minutes remaining the kings of Gaelic football trailed by two scores. A jolt of electricity circulated Croke Park as those present began to ponder the monumental repercussions of such an end-game.
Kerry calmly dug into their reservoir of brilliance. Bryan Sheehan came in to reel back the deficit. The elder Ó Sé brothers both contributed, Tómas fisting the winning point, Darragh with a majestic piece of late fielding, to stave off a dramatic Monaghan victory.
Not since Fermanagh caught Armagh with the latest of Tom Brewster points at the same stage in 2004 had Croke Park witnessed such a surprising performance.
Fermanagh lit up the championship that year, pushing Mayo to a replayed semi-final. They have disappeared since, only coming back to national prominence recently by attaining promotion to Division Two.
On Sunday, Monaghan and Fermanagh collide in what promises to be a charged atmosphere up in Enniskillen. Progressive league campaigns will be rendered obsolete for the defeated as the victors progress to a June 21st Ulster semi-final against either Donegal or Derry.
History only serves to accentuate the minuscule margin between these neighbouring counties when it comes to battles on the football field. This will be their 17th championship duel. Monaghan lead eight to seven.
On current form, it should be Monaghan. Then you notice the 11 remaining Fermanagh men involved in the felling of Armagh four years ago, their only obvious weakness being at full back, where the two-time All Star Barry Owens is still recovering from heart surgery last January. His expected replacement, Shane Lyons, is also an injury concern.
Monaghan manager Séamus McEnaney launched his full back Vincent Corey into the full-forward role in 2007, where he proceeded to wreak havoc. Expect Corey to pick up where he left off last summer.
The league did provide some insight into Monaghan's progress under McEnaney. The infamous draw with Dublin at Parnell Park, when Tommy Freeman was head-butted by the Dublin statistician, was taken as a moral victory. Monaghan huddled on the pitch afterwards as boisterous home followers rattled against them. They were on course to an excellent campaign until Westmeath caught them out.
"It was a game that was disappointing to lose," said captain Damien Freeman, "but at the same time it's getting near to championship time and we can't afford to dwell on it. The Fermanagh match is a huge game, we know how well they are going and they were unbeaten in the league until the final (when they lost to Wexford). We know what's ahead of us so it's just about getting our heads focused."
He played down previous achievements. "Funnily enough at the start of the league, and no disrespect to anyone, we probably were playing the handier side of it. We had Roscommon in the first game, who had a bad league campaign, and Cavan also. Other people were getting carried away but at the same time we were well aware there were no major achievements and there are still no major achievements."
That's right. Before the one-point demise against Kerry, they lost an Ulster final to Tyrone.
Another memory from the Kerry affair was the way Monaghan went about their business. Dick Clerkin for one was like a man possessed, battering into Darragh Ó Sé and anyone else in his vicinity. He ended up being sent off. Colm Cooper got a fairly rough ride as well.
"I think everyone knows Ulster is tough football and we have it surely," adds Freeman. "There are a lot of teams out there on a very even par. Tyrone, for instance, wouldn't be the biggest physical team but their record speaks for itself. So yeah, we could cope with that."
If they strike a fine balance between the physical approach and their unmistakable skills, fence one of the Ulster endurance test should be cleared.
MONAGHAN (SFC v Fermanagh): S Duffy, D Mone, JP Mone, D McArdle, D Freeman, D Hughes, P McGuigan, E Lennon, P Finlay, D Clerkin, S Gollogly, C McManus, R Woods, V Corey, T Freeman.
Quigley ruled out
BRENDAN QUIGLEY has been ruled out of Laois's opening Leinster football championship tie against Wicklow on May 31st after sustaining a head injury when he fell through a skylight at work as a carpenter last Monday.
The full forward or midfielder will be kept in the Midlands hospital in Portlaoise at least until Friday for observation, having undergone a CAT scan and other tests to ascertain the scale of the damage.
"There is still some swelling of the head but he is sitting up and talking with his family," said a Laois GAA spokesman. "He is in hospital as a precautionary measure as there is still some concern for the long term."
Quigley can be added to a growing list of influential Laois players that are unlikely to feature in the championship.
Pádraig Clancy is fighting a losing battle with an ankle problem, while Noel Garvan (ankle) and Aidan Fennelly (hamstring) have already left the panel.
- Gavin Cummiskey
