Monaghan’s superior free-taking ability should sway it over Cavan

Ulster SFC Quarter-final
Cavan v Monaghan
Breffni Park, Sunday, 2pm
RTÉ 2

The headline achievements of Malachy O’Rourke’s time in charge of Monaghan have all been tangible and easy to pinpoint. First Ulster title since 1988. First championship win in Croke Park since 1930. First win of any stripe over Kerry in 27 years. These are identifiable targets, the sort of things that can be crossed off a list.

Their job in the 2015 championship is of a far more ambiguous nature. If they are to make the last jump from dangerous long-grass ambush merchants to actual final-four contenders, they have to become fluent in the language of being fancied and not get tongue-tied at the notion of favouritism.

Short price

A county that has never been this sort of short price at the beginning of an Ulster championship has to get used to justifying it.

No better place to start than in Breffni Park. There isn’t a team in the country that will more enjoy bursting the Monaghan bubble before it even inflates than Cavan. In the last four matches between these two, eight players have seen red cards. Best advice might be to buckle up.

On paper, Monaghan have the stronger side. Just what correlation the paper team will have to the one that actually takes the field tomorrow is the first imponderable. They're usually good for a couple of late changes anyway and with Darren Hughes and Drew Wylie coming back from injury, it's hard not to be suspicious about the named 15. For what it's worth, word has it that Hughes's chances of starting are better than Wylie's.

For once though, it's reasonable to assume that Hughes won't have the most important job in the spine of the Monaghan team. Against Cavan, that job is to curb Gearóid McKiernan's influence – a task for which Dick Clerkin looks to have been specifically chosen.

Both sides were early and enthusiastic adopters of the blanket defence, albeit that Monaghan appear to have evolved more readily on the counter-attacking side of things.

Cavan miss opt-outs Eugene Keating and David Givney in this regard and Killian Clarke is a loss for this game. They still rely a little too heavily on Cian Mackey linking defence and attack and if Martin Dunne is shackled, it’s hard to see where the scores will come from.

Not that a huge total might be required here. This reeks of a grinding, groaning slugathon in which Monaghan's superior free-takers hold the balance of power. Expect them to wield it.

THE LOWDOWN
Last meeting: June 29th 2013, Ulster SFC semi-final, Clones - Monaghan 1-10 Cavan 0-12
Match odds: Monaghan 8/13, Cavan 2/1, Draw 15/2. Injuries: Cavan have a full pick. Monaghan have named Colin Walshe and Owen Lennon on the bench after long absences, while Jack McCarron is recovery from a cruciate injury.
Just the ticket: Adult €25 (stand), €15 (terrace); Student & seniors €15 (stand) €10 (terrace); U16 €5.
Verdict: Monaghan by three.
CAVAN: Conor Gilsenan; Jason McLoughlin, Rory Dunne, Ronan Flanagan; James McEnroe, Feargal Flanagan, Damien O'Reilly; Tomás Corr, Gearóid McKiernan; Dara McVeety, Michael Argue, Martin Reilly; Cian Mackey, Martin Dunne, Niall McDermott.
MONAGHAN: Rory Beggan; Dessie Mone, Drew Wylie, Ryan Wylie; Fintan Kelly, Vinny Corey, Karl O'Connell; Neil McAdam, Dick Clerkin; Owen Duffy, Paul Finlay, Darren Hughes; Dermot Malone, Kieran Hughes, Conor McManus.
Referee: Pádraig Hughes (Armagh).