Monaghan host Tribesmen in Inniskeen

Preview

Colm Shalvey

A National Football League campaign that has been a punishing one so far for Monaghan ends with back-to-back home games, but with serious tests against Galway (today, 3.45pm, Inniskeen) and Donegal.

Galway travel to Inniskeen for this Sunday’s clash just one place above the relegation zone but the Tribesmen should really have more than four points to show for their efforts to date.

Narrow defeats to Connacht rivals Mayo and Roscommon leave Pádraic Joyce’s side in a battle to preserve their Division 1 status, but he will have been heartened by their performances in drawing with both of last year’s All-Ireland finalists, as well as pipping the previous season’s champions, Armagh, for their only win so far.

Galway have once again had to fend without Shane Walsh and Damien Comer for most of the league – all of it in Comer’s case – but they have become accustomed to having to deal with injuries to those two, while they continue to produce talented forwards like Fionn McDonagh, Shane McGrath and Oisín Mac Donnacha, who starred last time out against Donegal.

2025 Young Footballer of the Year nominee Matthew Thompson scored 2-6 in his only appearance of the season so far before departing for the University of California until May, while Cillian McDaid has also missed a large chunk of the league, but they have former Player of the Year Paul Conroy back in the fold, while Seán Kelly is heading towards top form after returning to full fitness.

Rob Finnerty and Matthew Tierney have been regulars on the scoresheet in recent weeks, while John Maher is a powerhouse around midfield. Cian Hernon has shown an ability to burst forward from deep as part of a rearguard that features some of the best defenders in the country in the likes of Johnny McGrath, Liam Silke, Jack Glynn and Dylan McHugh.

While Monaghan’s fate in the league has yet to be sealed, it has been a relentlessly challenging run up to now, with five consecutive defeats leaving them on the brink of returning to Division 2. There were elements of Monaghan’s game that were improved last time out away to Kerry, but their shot-conversion rate fell well short of what was needed again, dropping below 40% for a second game in a row.

They should have taken a lead in at half-time, but after several missed chances with the breeze, they would later be punished by David Clifford’s brilliance off the bench. After going more than half an hour without scoring at one stage, Monaghan would finish the rainy first day of March with just seven points, wishing that they had 15 more.

It was the county’s lowest tally in any NFL game since a fiery derby with Cavan back in 2013, when they managed a mere five points. Since then, this equals the 0-7 totals in a bore draw with Cavan (2017) and away losses to Roscommon in both 2013 and 2024.

Rory Beggan’s radar wasn’t quite on the mark from frees in Killarney, but some of his kick-outs were right out of the top drawer, picking out team-mates for nine marks, including three by Karl Gallagher, who showed glimpses of his best form since returning to the fold.

Beggan’s fellow goalkeepers Kian Mulligan and Jack Kiernan have been among 13 Monaghan players to make their NFL debuts/first starts during 2026. Oisín McGorman, Cameron Dowd, Thomas Hughes have started three league games each, while Liam McDonald, Fionán Carolan, Ryan Mohan, Ronan Boyle, Eddie Walsh and Robbie Hanratty have also featured.

Daragh McElearney and Darragh Treanor, who have both been around the panel for longer, have also made their first starts in the league, with the Drumhowan defender retaining his place for the last five matches.

An unlikely escape from the bottom two looks a remote possibility at this stage, so improving performance levels and building some confidence will be top of Monaghan’s agenda ahead of the championship.

Speaking after the Kerry game, Gabriel Bannigan touched on this by saying: “We’ve had one eye on [championship]; we’ve had a twin focus. We’ve had to – both by necessity and some design – blood an awful lot of new players. Those boys will gain from that experience and we will hopefully get a number of fellas back before our championship game against Cavan. That has to be the primary focus now; to get the lads ready for championship football.”

He will hope to get several players back in action over the next couple of games, noting: “Gary Mohan has an abductor issue, so we have to see when that will settle down. We don’t know whether that will be a couple of weeks [or longer]. Stephen O’Hanlon tweaked a hamstring during the week and it was precautionary as much as anything else. We’re hoping Stevie is not going to be long-term and that Davy Garland, Louis Kelly and Dylan Byrne are all going to be back in the next few weeks. Whether they’ll be back for the Galway game, I’m not sure, but we hope to have them back soon.”

Last meeting:

2024 All-Ireland SFC Preliminary Quarter-Final: Galway 0-14 Monaghan 0-11

Galway got the better of Monaghan twice during 2024, although they had to dig deep to win their All-Ireland SFC last-12 tie at a wet and windy Pearse Stadium.

After ending a long winless streak by beating Meath, Monaghan put in a spirited performance, but they were left to rue some missed chances against a Galway side who nailed 100% of their eight shots into the breeze in the second half. Rob Finnerty and Paul Conroy led the scoring for eventual All-Ireland finalists Galway in a game that proved to be a farewell in the Monaghan jersey for Conor McManus.

Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Seán Fitzgerald, Jack Glynn; Dylan McHugh, Liam Silke, Seán Mulkerrin; Paul Conroy (0-3), John Maher (0-1); Céin D’Arcy; Matthew Tierney (0-2f), Seán Kelly (Capt.), Cillian McDaid; Rob Finnerty (0-5, 3f), Shane Walsh (0-1f).

Subs: Liam Ó Conghaile (0-1) for Walsh (inj., 25); Damien Comer (0-1) for D’Arcy (41); Johnny Heaney for McDaid (64); Cian Hernon for Kelly (67); Daniel O’Flaherty for Finnerty (70).

Monaghan: Rory Beggan; Jason Irwin, Killian Lavelle, Ryan Wylie; Conor McCarthy (0-1), Ryan McAnespie, Ryan O’Toole; Gary Mohan (0-1), Joel Wilson; Stephen O’Hanlon (0-2), Mícheál Bannigan (Capt., 0-2, 1f), Michael Hamill; Barry McBennett; Jack McCarron (0-3, 1f, 1m), Andrew Woods.

Subs: Thomas McPhillips for McAnespie (inj., 29); Conor McManus (0-2f) for Mohan (45); Mícheál McCarville for Wilson (53); Ciarán McNulty for McCarron (58); Seán Jones for Hamill (67).