Monaghan GAA news
February 20, 2019ALLIANZ HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 3A
Monaghan v Lancashire: Inniskeen: Sunday February 24th @ 2.00pm
This Sunday Monaghan will hope to build on their success against Tyrone when they take on newcomers, Lancashire, in Inniskeen at 2.00 PM for a first ever meeting between the sides. Lancashire are playing in division 3A this year for the first time, having won division 3B last year with 2018, seeing them make their national hurling league debut as they built on their Lory Meagher Cup success of 2015. Lancashire were impressive in winning division 3B in last year with four straight victories over Fermanagh, Leitrim, Cavan and Sligo and then defeating Leitrim for the second time when they met in the final, running out winners in that one by seven points on a final score of 1-25 to 1-18. They defeated Fermanagh by 2-25 to 1-11 with top scorer, Ronan Crowley, setting a record in that game by hitting 2-14 and he ended up their top scorer for the year with a total of 4-62. Crowley in fact is Lancashire's top scorer this year also having registered the bulk of their scores so far. This is a game that Monaghan would be expected to win now that they are back up to full strength with the return of the Castleblayney players who were central to last Sunday's victory over Tyrone, but it is also a game that Lancashire will target as they desperately seek their first points. MONAGHAN MANAGER Trevor Hilliard though is taking nothing for granted and will be looking for Monaghan to pick up where they left off against Tyrone last Sunday. "Look, Lancashire are below us in the table but only by two points and we have to look at turning the screw on them because I think it will come down to the score difference.
ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 1
Monaghan v Tyrone: Healy Park, Omagh: Saturday February 23rd @ 7.00pm
It may not be exactly a make or break engagement or a season defining match but with just three games left after this encounter, two of them away against joint table toppers, Kerry and Mayo and a home game against next door neighbours Cavan, then this meeting with Tyrone assumes a fair degree of importance given the relative positions of each side. Monaghan go into the game third from bottom of division 1, with just two points from their three outings so far, that a spirited opening round victory over Dublin, while Tyrone enter the contest second from bottom with just one point from their three games, that one garnered in fairly fortunate style against Roscommon last time out. A win would move Monaghan on to 4 points while victory for Tyrone would see them leapfrog over Monaghan, making for a fairly tricky situation entering the second half of the competition.
FIXTURES
At club level preparations are well in hand for the start of the club season, which gets under way on Saturday week with the opening skirmishes in the reserve football league spread over Saturday and Sunday. Saturday week also sees the County under sixteen Development Squad in action in the Buncrana Cup against Derry in Owenbeg, the same day that the County minors, take on Derry at the same venue in the Jim McGuigan Cup.
Meanwhile in the Ulster club league. Latton's good run continued when they defeated Derry opposition, Ballinascreen last weekend in Ballinascreen by 2-9 to 3-4. Latton have the bye in their section this weekend.
