‘What we have we hold’ is Monaghan’s mantra as they embark on a testing defence of their Ulster title, with old rivals Tyrone the first to probe their resolve. By COLM SHALVEY
Ten days remain of Monaghan’s long wait to get their 2014 Ulster Senior Football Championship campaign up and running when they will attempt to finally get one over on old rivals Tyrone.
With the senior and intermediate club action out of the way until after June 15 and the press night having taken place yesterday evening (Wednesday), Malachy O’Rourke and his team now have a clear run to the start of their defence of the Anglo-Celt Cup. All the county men who played in last Saturday’s league games came through unscathed, while Kieran Hughes made his comeback from a hand injury by helping Scotstown to a Senior Football League win over Magheracloone.
Paudie McKenna sat out Truagh’s narrow defeat against Ballybay, but is expected to be available. It is still a race against time, however, for ankle-injury victims Conor McManus and Owen Lennon, as well as Gavin Doogan, who has been battling to recover from breaking a bone in his foot.
Tyrone suffered an injury blow last weekend, when Conor Clarke ruptured his cruciate ligament while playing for Omagh in their senior club championship game win over Coalisland. Those championship games came on the back of two Ulster SFC games against Down in a busy couple of weeks for Tyrone’s county men.
By this Sunday, Monaghan will be the only Ulster county yet to get out of the starting blocks in this year’s …