Derry vs Monaghan Senior Championship Group 4 27th May

[Captain Obvious]

Are Derry good enough to win 2 in a row ?

Remains to be seen. The pressure of expectations compared to this time last year. Haven't reached 2 in a row Ulster finals since the late 90s and haven't won two in row Ulster titles since the mid 70s.

Up against experienced outfit who are confident after retaining Division 1 status and taking Tyrone out. 2/1 odds looks like a decent value bet.

[tbrick18]

Will Mcanespie or Ward be available for monaghan? I read somewhere mcanespie has cut short his travels
Either would be a huge boost

Derry have a propensity to make a fast start. Its a good habit for them, and it lends itself well to their counter attacking gameplan
Monaghan will need to put a big emphasis on the start. Last year the game was over after 25 mins. For the remainder of the game they were actually the better side

If i was Vinny Corey id definitely be looking at the Derry full back line, quite small and suspect under a high ball. Monaghan have the tools to test that.
Also if Monaghan can successfully block the runners, mirror up to Derrys mass defence system, make this a turgid affair, they actually have better individual forwards & free taking options than Derry do.
Id fancy them to squeeze this one.

McKaigue and McEvoy are both well over 6ft. The former was missing (along with Glass) during the goal fests of the last 2 games. Name a full back line in the country that deals well with a high ball or Con in the mood!

McEvoy is 19 or 20. He is an outstanding prospect, albeit completely untested at this point

McKaigue played most of his career at 6, and has successfully transitioned to a tough man marker role in his twilight years.
Yet to see him claim a high ball.

The goalkeeper is definitely there to be got at.

I'm not sure why there is this perception that Odhran Lynch is dodgy. He has been rock solid this year. He made one mistake last year against Galway. No other keeper is asked to play as risky a game as him - he's just following Gallaghers orders. I'm sure he doesn't choose to play half forward in opposition kick out.

It's a lack of understanding of the way Derry play.
Lynch has been excellent last year and this year, one of our best players in my opinion. Kickouts are 1st class and his out field play brings so much to our attack and to our opposition kickout strategy.

There definitely a lack of understanding. Some say we are the most defensive team in the country but our keeper presses kickouts. Someone above said we play a counter attacking style but others talk about our slow methodical build up. I think people just see Gallagher and think Donegal early 2010s. That's usually what the analysis is from southern pundits.

Yeah I'd agree.
I've no issue with others not understanding how derry play, can only benefit us.

Watching Galway last weekend, they set up the same way derry do. No talk critical of their style, only that they are AI contenders.
There's certainly selective analysis from some.
But like I said, happy enough to be misunderstood 🙂.

[JoG2]

Will Mcanespie or Ward be available for monaghan? I read somewhere mcanespie has cut short his travels
Either would be a huge boost

Derry have a propensity to make a fast start. Its a good habit for them, and it lends itself well to their counter attacking gameplan
Monaghan will need to put a big emphasis on the start. Last year the game was over after 25 mins. For the remainder of the game they were actually the better side

If i was Vinny Corey id definitely be looking at the Derry full back line, quite small and suspect under a high ball. Monaghan have the tools to test that.
Also if Monaghan can successfully block the runners, mirror up to Derrys mass defence system, make this a turgid affair, they actually have better individual forwards & free taking options than Derry do.
Id fancy them to squeeze this one.

McKaigue and McEvoy are both well over 6ft. The former was missing (along with Glass) during the goal fests of the last 2 games. Name a full back line in the country that deals well with a high ball or Con in the mood!

McEvoy is 19 or 20. He is an outstanding prospect, albeit completely untested at this point

McKaigue played most of his career at 6, and has successfully transitioned to a tough man marker role in his twilight years.
Yet to see him claim a high ball.

The goalkeeper is definitely there to be got at.

I'm not sure why there is this perception that Odhran Lynch is dodgy. He has been rock solid this year. He made one mistake last year against Galway. No other keeper is asked to play as risky a game as him - he's just following Gallaghers orders. I'm sure he doesn't choose to play half forward in opposition kick out.

It's a lack of understanding of the way Derry play.
Lynch has been excellent last year and this year, one of our best players in my opinion. Kickouts are 1st class and his out field play brings so much to our attack and to our opposition kickout strategy.

There definitely a lack of understanding. Some say we are the most defensive team in the country but our keeper presses kickouts. Someone above said we play a counter attacking style but others talk about our slow methodical build up. I think people just see Gallagher and think Donegal early 2010s. That's usually what the analysis is from southern pundits.

Yeah I'd agree.
I've no issue with others not understanding how derry play, can only benefit us.

Watching Galway last weekend, they set up the same way derry do. No talk critical of their style, only that they are AI contenders.
There's certainly selective analysis from some.
But like I said, happy enough to be misunderstood 🙂.

I've said many times on here, all counties setup the same way (except Meath). You'll get the odd toe to toe like the 2nd half in Healy Pk last week, though these games usually involve a  Mayo side clawing their way back into a game in the 2nd half right enough.

[Schkite]

Won't play a part in this game, but McAnespie being home is massive for Monaghan for the later games to come, class player. Pity he wasn't ready for Derry as his engine is exactly what's needed in a game like this

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2023/04/26/conor-glass-the-gaa-didnt-handle-it-very-well-at-all-but-ive-come-to-accept-it/

Conor Glass: 'The GAA didn't handle it very well at all ... but I've come to accept it'
Derryman says he will be available to face Monaghan in Sunday's Ulster semi-final

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Conor Glass says this year's All-Ireland club senior football title will always be tarnished because of the controversy that engulfed the final between Glen and Kilmacud Crokes.
Gordon Manning
Wed Apr 26 2023 - 06:00

Conor Glass believes Glen and Kilmacud Crokes were let down by the GAA's handling of the fallout from January's All-Ireland club senior football final.

Crokes won the game, 1-11 to 1-9, but the outcome was engulfed in controversy as the Dublin champions briefly had too many players on the field during the closing seconds of the encounter.

In the days that followed a vacuum of uncertainty grew because no decisive ruling was forthcoming from Croke Park officials, so the saga rumbled onwards until Glen eventually withdrew their appeal.

"Everyone was let down by it," says Glass. "The GAA didn't handle it very well at all."


Munster football final between Kerry and Clare confirmed for Gaelic Grounds
While the Derry midfielder believes there were no real winners from the affair, he remains strong in his conviction that rules were broken and remembers in the days after the match hoping a replay would be awarded.

"[Kilmacud] broke the rules," he says. "The rules are there for a reason and if you break them and we're entitled to a replay, so be it. If they had beat us the second day we'd have accepted that as well, but the rules are there for a reason.

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"I wanted the replay. When I was on the bus on the way home I wanted the replay, 100 per cent, and the rest of the team was the same. The management was like that, the whole club was like that.

"But the more it dragged on, the more it started to fade off. Emmett Bradley was getting married three weeks later, boys had holidays planned, so the longer it went on the less emotional I was about it and I was happy enough to move on. But 10 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours after the game, albeit I was drinking, but I wanted a replay."

However, Glass feels the manner in which the entire drama spun out ensures the result will forever be accompanied by a small-print clarifier – which would have been the case even had Glen won a replay.

"It's tarnished now," he says. "There's an asterisk over it either way. If we had won it, we would have accepted it, but it would have been tarnished. There would have been an asterisk either way. There's an asterisk over it now and there'd be an asterisk over it if we had won [the replay].

"It wasn't ideal circumstances for both the teams. Everyone probably thinks that we were harshly done by, but the whole circumstances, Kilmacud suffered from it too, neither team was going to win from it.

"The GAA probably should have come out, whether it be 24 hours after it or whenever, and said what the result of the game was going to be and what was the way forward. The way it dragged on wasn't ideal.

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"I've come to accept it now and that's why I went back to the Derry set-up, to forget about it and move on."


Half-full: Conor Glass says that although teams will be more wary of Derry this season, his team are stronger than last season. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho
Glass was playing for Derry just one week after the club final, which meant he effectively went from the 2022 intercounty season to a full club campaign and then immediately laced up for Derry's 2023 league.

The physical and mental exertions of not taking a break were probably a contributing factor to the hamstring strain he picked up in the Division Two decider against Dublin earlier this month. He subsequently started Derry's Ulster quarter-final win over Fermanagh, but went off the pitch after 40 minutes of that one-sided affair.

However, he will be available for Derry's Ulster semi-final against Monaghan on Saturday in Omagh, 5pm.

"Yeah, all good. It was more precautionary than anything," he says of leaving the pitch during the Fermanagh game. "It's been a long year, two years, for me, so any chance I can take to get a break I'll try to take it. Thankfully it's all good, I've had a full week's training under my belt now."

Derry have found themselves on a different starting block this year, entering the season as reigning Ulster champions. It has brought its own challenges, switching from the hunter to the hunted.


Rory Gallagher's side are no longer a new act on the support stage, they are instead viewed by many as potential headliners of the main arena.

"We were under the radar last year," says Glass. "We were underdogs for pretty much every game but the Clare one. We probably used that to our advantage last year too.

"Everybody was kind of talking about the opposition team and we could just roll on with it. Last year we did a heap of work on the opposition, we knew every team inside out and that was probably why we got so far.

[ GAA fixtures, TV details, team news and Tailteann Cup permutations in advance of the weekend ]

"But a lot of the teams in Ireland will be watching us now and what works for us and what doesn't work. So, I guess it's a different sort of year and a different sort of process the way we go about games now.

"But personally, I feel like we're in a better position this year than we were last year. I guess the next couple of weeks will tell that."

[Main Street]

Hard to credit (or maybe not) that Conor is still moaning about the aftermath of the AI club final, blaming all and sundry but not for Glen themselves to take any responsibility for their ignorance  about the legal formality that they first must make the objection.
About the game, I have mixed feelings. It's clearly advantagious  for Monaghan to either win Ulster or drop into the third pot alongside our beaten brothers in arms, Tyrone. The provincial runners up  prize is mostly bitter, being placed into the 2nd pot. (I think there's a case that the runners up be in the 3rd or 4th pot)
I can't see Monaghan winning 2 tough games in a row and then playing at top form a week later in the groups, we don't have a squad depth.

[seafoid]

Derry conceded 4 goals in the League final. I wonder what Fab Vinnie has up his sleeve.

[marty34]

Hard to credit (or maybe not) that Conor is still moaning about the aftermath of the AI club final, blaming all and sundry but not for Glen themselves to take any responsibility for their ignorance  about the legal formality that they first must make the objection.
About the game, I have mixed feelings. It's clearly advantagious  for Monaghan to either win Ulster or drop into the third pot alongside our beaten brothers in arms, Tyrone. The provincial runners up  prize is mostly bitter, being placed into the 2nd pot. (I think there's a case that the runners up be in the 3rd or 4th pot)
I can't see Monaghan winning 2 tough games in a row and then playing at top form a week later in the groups, we don't have a squad depth.

I'd say the reporter had to ask Glass about the final as it brooches the subject of him straight into the Derry squad a week or so after it was concluded.

He just gave an opinion and an honest one at that.

[Mario]

Derry conceded 4 goals in the League final. I wonder what Fab Vinnie has up his sleeve.

1 square ball, 1 very soft penalty and 1 effort at a point that went in top corner. He'll need a lot of luck to replicate that

[imtommygunn]

That would be grand if you weren't incredibly lucky to not concede a few more! Monaghan won't have a con O'Callaghan to rip through your defense though (as he'd do to any defense).

[Blowitupref]

Hard to credit (or maybe not) that Conor is still moaning about the aftermath of the AI club final, blaming all and sundry but not for Glen themselves to take any responsibility for their ignorance  about the legal formality that they first must make the objection.
About the game, I have mixed feelings. It's clearly advantagious  for Monaghan to either win Ulster or drop into the third pot alongside our beaten brothers in arms, Tyrone. The provincial runners up  prize is mostly bitter, being placed into the 2nd pot. (I think there's a case that the runners up be in the 3rd or 4th pot)
I can't see Monaghan winning 2 tough games in a row and then playing at top form a week later in the groups, we don't have a squad depth.

Would be a two week gap between games for Monaghan should they win this weekend and the Ulster title plus and another two gap to the round 1 group game after the Ulster final.  The real issue down the line for any team lacking in squad depth will be if they finish 2nd or 3rd in the group and reach the All Ireland quarter final. That would be three games in 14 days and up against Quarter final opponent who will have a week off.

[onefineday]

Fair play to lynch for following instructions and I genuinely feel sorry for him, but for the most part, his forays out the field have not contributed positively.
He does an excellent job on opposition kick outs, he did play a fine ball in for a goal against Monaghan and likewise contributed against Fermanagh, but kick outs aside, I'd rather he stayed in his own half.
It may be that his outfield role has contributed to the amount of goals ge has conceded as he's not had time to get set properly. On his last 3 visits to croker he has conceded 8 goals, of which 2 vs Clare and 2 vs Dublin should have been dealt with better. Combined with the comer goal (not strictly his fault, but his presence in the half forward line added confusion to the Derry attack imo) and probably Donegal goal in the ulster final and that all adds up to a lot of scores. You'd wonder if there's a net negative or positive overall.
I really don't want to be too negative on him as I believe it's probably a choice of playing that type of game or sit on the bench, but I'd rather he  stayed in goal or at least his own half!

[Walter Cronc]

Think we're gonna lay down a marker here. Derry by 6!

[sam03/05]

Thought Monaghan were quite lucky to get by Tyrone.
Should have been dead and buried by the break. Had to rely on Frees
A good few of which were very soft. Only scored three times from play.
Lucky enough goal at the end to put them through.
I'd say Derry by 6-8 points

[JoG2]

Jayzus lads!    hope youse are right!