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Sure it'll be an evening out anyway. Beats sitting in the house!

It doesn't get any easier for Monaghan this Sunday with a trip to Donegal and a team bus only half full of available players!

I think two wins will be needed to stay up and, assuming we'll get nothing from Kerry and Dublin, that leaves the Donegal and Derry games as "must wins".

With Colin Walshe, Eoin Lennon and Jack McCarron long term injured, Kieran Duffy taken off injured last Sunday, Stephen Gollogly and Ryan Wylie suspended, no sign of Gavin Doogan, Chris McGuinness or Paudie McKenna so far this year (injured too?) and doubts over the fitness of Conor McManus and Darren Hughes, the prospects look bleak.

Any optimists out there want to chip in with a few positive comments?

[Positives]

Right.

So we're off to Salthill next Sunday and we should be encouraged by what was a decent performance against Cork.

My musings from the last day........

Positives
3-12: good scoring.
Darren Hughes had a phenomenal game. He's fast becoming one of our most important players.
Dermot Malone and Colm Greenan had decent debuts. Malone's a hardy wee buck and Greenan should have done enough to warrant a starting place next Sunday.
We showed good character to come from 5 or 6 down midway through the second half to almost snatch a win.
Dick Clerkin put is as fine a display as he's ever put in. Handled a lot of ball and made some purposeful runs.
Vinny Corey won nearly every ball that went into him – good target man.

Negatives
3-13: bad defending
I don't trust Sean Gorman in goals yet. Maybe it's just me but he looks like he has mistakes in him.
The starting full back line lacked a commanding presence - too small. Darren Hughes and Vinny Corey are the obvious solutions but they do too much good work out the field to be constricted by full-back duties. It's a conundrum.
Francis Caulfield – nowhere near good enough. A decent mark or two does not compensate for his lack of speed, lack of mobility or lack of confidence on the ball.
About a dozen wides in the first half, many of which were eminently scoreable. Hopefully the radar is more focused the next day.
Tommy missed a few.
Two up with a few minutes left and we let it slip.

Overall I'm optimistic. Cork were physically much bigger, we conceded a few bad goals (which I would hope won't happen again), and we missed a right few chances - yet we only lost by one. If we can get the shooting boots on and tighten up at the back we're well fit to come away from Salthill with two points. 

The Ulster football final could soon be returning to its spiritual home of Clones after plans for a EUR30 million revamp of St. Tiernach's Park were revealed.

The massive redevelopment would see the Co. Monaghan venue transformed into one of the top sports stadia in the country with its capacity increasing from 35,000 to 50,000. All that is required for the go-ahead for the ambitious project is for the Ulster Council to provide an undertaking that, except in the case of exceptional circumstances, the provincial football final will take place in Clones.

If this agreement is reached, the Government will provide significant funding towards the cost of the redevelopment.

"We would hope that the Government would come up with funding in the region of EUR12 million and that the bulk of the remaining outlay would be provided by grants from the GAA and Ulster Council," explained Monaghan chairman John Connolly.

Monaghan officials have already discussed the issue with Ulster Council president Michael Greenan and secretary Danny Murphy. They have also spoken to Sports Minister John O'Donoghue with Connolly describing him as "very helpful".

The Monaghan county board is keen to see the province's showpiece game returning to Clones after the Ulster Council opted for Croke Park in each of the last three years. The 2004 final between Armagh and Donegal attracted a 67,000 attendance to Croke Park, but this year's final between the same two teams saw the crowd drop to 50,000.

"We can fully understand the Ulster Council opting for Croke Park when they are guaranteed a huge crowd, but we feel that Clones would have been adequate for this year's final," Connolly said.

"Between the corporate box and premium level seats you are virtually guaranteed 10,000 people before you start in Croke Park.

"As we as the Ulster final, we would also hope to stage games like semi-finals at Clones."




Excellent news. Was never a fan of the Croke Park idea - I was always of the opinion that the Ulster final should be played in Ulster (though not necessarily Clones in case I'm accused of Monaghan bias).

One thing though; by increasing the capacity to 50,000 it would be folly not to invest another few million to upgrade access to and from the ground as well. It's a nightmare as it is without adding another 15,000 to the crowd. Let's hope the foresight is there to deal with this issue too. Great news nonetheless.