ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1.
Monaghan v Derry: Scotstown: Sunday March 21st @ 2.30pm.

With games coming thick and fast and Monaghan in action on three consecutive weekends they have little time to recover from their exertions against Dublin last Saturday night before they face into what now looks like a defining game for them in division 1 when they face Derry in Scotstown this Sunday. As pairings go this is one that will generate a great deal of debate and also some degree of expectation given the recent history between the sides. All that history though was reserved for championship action in that it is now five years since the teams met in the National Football League but the points on Sunday will be contested with the same fervour as the Anglo Celt Cup or the All Ireland Qualifiers would generate. Derry made a most promising start to their National Football League division 1 campaign with an opening round victory against next-door neighbours and bitter rivals Tyrone but that proved something of a false dawn as Derry failed to live up to expectations that resulted from that victory and they slumped to consecutive defeats against Dublin, Kerry and most recently Mayo in the process scuttled the thoughts that the green shoots of recovery for the recession in Derry football were finally emerging. That opening game saw a new look Derry side take on Tyrone under lights in Celtic Park and they were impressive in disposing of the challenge of Tyrone for a victory that manager Damien Cassidy saw as the perfect start to the season and one that would make the competition for places that more intensive. A week later Derry traveled to Parnell Park hoping to add Dublin's scalp to that of Tyrone's but instead they had to travel back down the M1 and analyse a game where very little went right. The defeat though had to be taken in the perspective of Derry fielding a somewhat experimental side as Damien Cassidy tries to rebuild but even with that they were still in the game going into the final quarter when Dublin inspired by Bernard Brogan pulled away, again begging the question as to the character in the side. Derry's next outing was an away trip to the Kingdom to take on both the National Football League holders and the All Ireland champions Kerry. Again it was a game where Derry were the architects of many of the problems they experienced. Wasteful finishing was a key factor with Derry hitting 16 wides in that match, 11 in the first half and while they led by three points at half-time Kerry increased the tempo in the second-half and punished a wasteful Oak Leaf side. That left Derry going into their fourth game against Mayo in Celtic park looking to halt the slide into the basement of the division as the optimism which follow their encouraging victory over Tyrone in the opening round had greatly evaporated following defeats to Dublin and Kerry. However Derry were unable to improve on that form and they suffered a third consecutive defeat with missed chances and turnovers again the order of the day and a difference of just three points at the finish flattered the home side.
Monaghan on the other hand made a disappointing start to the league as far as results were concerned with a narrow defeat by Cork in the opening round in Scotstown in a game that they had every chance of winning. They followed that up with a trip to Galway which again proved fruitless with fate conspiring to turn matters against them at a crucial time in Salthill but hopes were resurrected and the mood was buoyant following their one point victory over Tyrone in Inniskeen. Having got off the mark in that game Monaghan traveled to Parnell Park last weekend with a fair degree of confidence but like Derry they had to travel back down the M1a disappointed side, after shipping a five points defeat by the home side in a game where fate also took a hand and not to Monaghan's advantage. All that set up Sunday's game in Scotstown as a mouthwatering prospect and a contest where the winners will move out of the basement and put themselves in a strong position as far as survival in division 1 is concerned with two games remaining.
Derry are unlikely to make all that many changes for the trip to Scotstown although Damien Cassidy has rotated players in their four matches so far. However given the nature of this clash and the rivalry that exists he will be fielding his strongest possible team as the two points on offer on Sunday could well be the points that would salvage division one status. A draw on the other hand would leave matters very fluid and bring everything down to results for both sides in their two remaining games. Cassidy has rotated his goalkeepers in games so far so it would appear that it is Barry Gillis' turn on Sunday but he is unlikely to make many changes in defence although he has used both Mark Lynch and Gerard O'Kane in the centre back position. Midfield again will be a battle royal and Dick Clerkin and Fergal Doherty are bound to come across each other at some stage in St Mary's Part and there has never been very much to separate these two wholehearted protagonists. Paddy Bradley is still in fine scoring form up front. He scored five from frees against Kerry and four against Mayo, two from frees, and will again pose a real threat to the Monaghan defence. He will be flanked by players of the calibre of Raymond Wilkinson, Eoin Bradley and Leigh Moore and Damien Cassidy also has players of the calibre of James Kielt, Sean Leo McGoldrick and Joe Diver to call on if required.
Monaghan on the other hand go into the game with doubts over both Dermot McArdle and Vincent Corey. McArdle was forced to leave the field in the opening minutes against Dublin last Saturday and Vincent Corey pulled up with a suspected hamstring just before half-time. Seamus McEnaney too could be restricted in his choices given that the Monaghan U21 team is in Ulster championship action next Wednesday, March 24th when they play Antrim which could see him having to reckon without the services of the likes of Colin Walshe, Kieran Hughes, Martin McElroy and Dermot Malone, all of whom have shown up well in the league so far. Dessie Mone who was sent off on a second yellow card last Sunday will be available and he will again probably be designated a man marking role on Paddy Bradley. Either way it is going to be another testing encounter that will take the best out of both sides and ultimately it will be down to whoever capitalises best on the chances or half chances that come their way that will prevail.


WHEN THEY LAST MET IN THE LEAGUE.
Monaghan will be hoping that Dame Fortune will smile as she did on them when Monaghan and Derry last clashed in National Football League action. On that occasion they met in the Division 2 semi final in Clones and went on to task the title with an injury time goal against Meath in Croke Park.

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIV 2 SEMI FINAL.
Monaghan 1-13, Derry 1-11.
Monaghan booked their place in the final of division 2 of the Allianz Football League at the expense of a wasteful Derry in Clones back on Sunday April 24th 2005 in front of and attendance of 13,636.
Monaghan though had to dig deep to hold out for victory as they were forced to play almost three quarters of the game with 14 players following the dismissal of Rory Woods on a straight red card nineteen minutes into the first-half.
Before that Monaghan had got off to a blistering start with Tom Freeman blasting to the Derry net after a mere 10 seconds of play and they went on to add four points in quick succession before Derry opened their account with a point from Paddy Bradley.
Derry came more into the game now but poor finishing saw a series of chances go amiss, particularly two clear cut goal chances, that could have changed the complexion of the game and fourteen wides in all tells its own story.
Following the dismissal of Rory Woods Monaghan hit a trough but they weathered the storm to finish the half strongly with three unanswered points from Tom Freeman, Raymond Ronaghan and Gary McQuaid to lead by eight at the break, Monaghan 1-9, Derry 0-4.
The opening minutes of the second half saw Derry continue in dominant mood and when Paul Murphy blasted to the Monaghan net from close range seven minute after the restart the game was up for grabs.
Three points on the trot from Paul Murphy, Johnny McBride and Paul McFlynn between the 23rd and 26th minutes saw Derry reduce the margin to two and set the game up for a grandstand finish.
Paul Finlay gave Monaghan some breathing space with a point from a free on 27 minutes but a brace from Johnny McBride in the 30th and 35th minutes reduced the deficit to the minimum and left extra time a distinct possibility.
However Monaghan won the vital possession that saw them driving forward in injury time for a golden point from substitute Nicholas Corrigan in the 37th minute to book their place in the final against Meath.
Teams and scorers: Monaghan: Shane Duffy, Gary McQuaid 0-1, Vincent Corey, Colm Flanagan, Damien Freeman 0-1, James Coyle, James Ward, Fergal Duffy 0-1, James McElroy, Paul Finlay 0-3, Mark Daly, Shane McManus 0-1, Rory Woods 0-1, Raymond Ronaghan 0-1, Tomas Freeman 1-2. Subs: Dermot McArdle for J Coyle (yc), Dick Clerkin 0-1 for M Daly, James Conlon for G McQuaid, Nicholas Corrigan 0-1 for S McManus, Declan McKernan for R Ronaghan.
Derry: Barry Gillis, Kevin McGuckin, Niall McCusker, Gerard O'Kane, Paul Wilson, Paul McFlynn 0-2, Paul Kelly, Patsy Bradley, Johnny McBride 0-4, Gavin Donaghy 0-1, Conleth Gilligan, Paul Murphy 1-0, Paul Bradley, Paddy Bradley 0-2, Mark Lynch. Subs: Padraig Murphy 0-1 for Paul Bradley, Francis McEldowney for P Kelly (yc), Mark Kelly for N McCusker (yc), Kevin McCloy for K McGuckin (yc), C Moran for G Donaghy. Referee: Michael Hughes (Tyrone).

PREVIOUS MEETINGS.
Sunday's game in Scotstown will be the 21st league meeting between Monaghan and Derry since they first met in the national league back in the 1953/1954 season. Of those 20 meetings Derry have won 12, Monaghan have won 6 and 2 have been drawn.
MONAGHAN V DERRY; THE RESULTS SO FAR.
1953 Derry 1-12 Monaghan 2-6
1960 Derry 2-9 Monaghan 0-3 semi final
1962 Derry 0-12 Monaghan 2-5 semi final
1965 Derry 1-6 Monaghan 0-8
1978 Derry 1-8 Monaghan 2-9
1979 Monaghan 0-8 Derry 1-7
1980 Monaghan 2-8 Derry 1-4
1980 Derry 0-5 Monaghan 0-5
1981 Derry 2-7 Monaghan 0-7
1982 Monaghan 0-8 Derry 1-7
1983 Derry 2-8 Monaghan 1-4
1984 Monaghan 0-6 Derry 0-7
1986 Monaghan 2-9 Derry 1-6
1987 Derry 0-5 Monaghan 1-7 Qtr final
1988 Derry 0-5 Monaghan 0-10
1989 Monaghan 0-3 Derry 0-6
1998 Derry 1-12 Monaghan 0-8 semi final
1999 Derry 1-9, Monaghan 1-9.
2003 Derry 4-15, Monaghan 0-7 (Ballinascreen)
2005 Monaghan 1-13, Derry 1-11. (Div 2 semi final, Clones 24/5/05.
A similar result as that which Monaghan got in 2005 would do nicely on Sunday but few will need reminding that Derry have been successful on the last two occasions that the counties met in championship action in last year's Ulster SFC and the All Ireland Qualifiers. Tweet

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