MONAGHAN’S LAST LEAGUE or championship defeat to Cavan may have come six years ago, but All-Star forward Conor McManus insists that there will be little to separate the Ulster neighbours at Clones on Saturday.
Both teams sit in the Division One relegation zone ahead of the penultimate round of matches, having claimed just one win apiece from their five outings.
The Farneymen recorded their sole triumph against All-Ireland champions Dublin on the opening day before suffering a dip in form to lose four in a row, leaving McManus to predict that this weekend’s showdown will be decisive for the loser.
“There’s no doubt that both teams are coming to Clones on Saturday knowing the state of play and what’s at stake,” McManus told the42.
“Whoever loses, basically, is relegated; whoever wins has a fighting chance of staying up. Both teams are well aware of that and I’m sure it’ll add to the game and the occasion.
“Form, history and past meetings tend to go out the window when the Cavan/Monaghan games come up. If you look back over the results this past six or seven years, there’s only ever been a point or two in it and that, I’m sure, will be the case this weekend for whoever comes out on the right side of it.”
The Clontibret man is at a loss to reason his team’s slump in form considering the hype that surrounded their defeat of the Dubs. Plenty had installed Malachy O’Rourke’s side firmly in the All-Ireland reckoning in the aftermath.
Narrow subsequent reverses to Galway, Roscommon and, most recently, Kerry has seen their credentials take a bashing, though, even if, McManus admits, there were positives in the Killarney loss of a fortnight ago.
“It’s hard to put your finger on it [dip in form]. The reality of it is that when you’re in Division One and not performing to your best, you will get it hard and that’s just where we’re at.
“Last year we won a couple of games by a point and things were looking great and people talking about how well we were going. Fast forward a year and we’ve lost a couple of those games by a point or two and you’re being told how poor you’re going.
“There is a very fine line, but it’s important not to get too caught up on it either way. We just need to focus on getting the performances because it’s all you can control.
“We showed some resemblance of where we can get to [against Kerry]. We know there are still improvements to be made from the Kerry game. We only played for 45 or 50 minutes and didn’t finish it out, but it was considerably better than what we had put in in the previous couple of weeks.
“That’s what the league is about, building your performance and trying to improve it all the time.”
The Clones factor, he hopes, will sway the derby his team’s way. That would give them an opportunity to salvage their top-flight status away to Mayo on Sunday week.
“It’s about being in this division and that’s the standard of football you want to be playing week-in, week-out. You want to compete against the best no matter what it’s in.”
Bernard Jackman joins Murray Kinsella and Ryan Bailey on The42 Rugby Weekly as Ireland bid to spoil Wales’ Grand Slam party in Cardiff, and the U20s target their own piece of history.
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Glad TJV got the stage win for van Hooydonck. You could see what it meant to Vingegaard at the end.
Although Vingo is crazy good, would love to see Kuss win the Vuelta. And I mean WIN it and not handed it by team orders. Although not sure what team orders are for TJV.
@Kevin Dillon: Angliru tomorrow will reveal all. Looks like they’re going with a strategy of having Vingegaard attack and force the others to decide between trying to follow him (and ideally have Kuss and Roglic sit on their wheel) or wait behind with Kuss. Apparently van Hooydonck is awake and doing well which is great news in what has been a horrific year in the peloton.
I would also love to see Kuss win it, and as you say not be handed it which jumbo could possibly do. To be fair though their best option is letting Jonas attack and see if Kuss can just sit on whoever tries to follow and if he ends up in red at the end brilliant. Putting all their eggs in one basket and using up Jonas and Roglic to be domestique for Kuss would be dangerous even though he’s in red and deservedly so but not sure he would be able to respond to attack after attack. Cracking race and fantastic tactics and options from JV as usual.
@sean murphy: 100% on jumbo’s tactics.ostly always get them right.