McManus set to make mark for Farney in Omagh

CARLOW talisman Paul Broderick shot to the top of the early-season scoring ranks after his 1-8 haul helped the Scallion Eaters overcome Louth last weekend — a massive win that set up a tasty date with a vulnerable Kildare in two weeks’ time. But one of the main contenders to finish the campaign on top of the scoring pile will make his Championship bow tomorrow when Conor McManus and Monaghan kick off their Ulster Championship campaign in Omagh. The Farney County head to Healy Park as 2/1 underdogs, a curiously big price having finished the National League in third place in Division 1 — and most notably of all having taken the scalp of the all-conquering Dublin in Croke Park on the final weekend of the regular season. That result alone should see them a much shorter price heading into tomorrow’s Ulster quarter-final clash with their near neighours, but perhaps even more inexplicable is the fact that they can still be got at 40/1 to claim a maiden Sam Maguire this year. That might be asking a bit much, but as eachway value goes they are as good as anyone out there at the moment. And although the scoring burden has been lifted on McManus — arguably the best forward in the country over the past five years — he still looks great value at 14/1 to finish the season as top points scorer. Tyrone, for their part, only finished one place and two points behind tomorrow’s opponents, yet they are as short as 10/1 fourth favourites to have Sam Maguire in their hands come September. Nothing like that will be decided today, but there is plenty on the line here with the losers facing a long and arduous route to the Super 8s. Down the road in Enniskillen, meanwhile, Fermanagh will be hoping home advantage can help them edge past an Armagh team they have come to know all too well this spring. The sides drew their regular season Division 3 encounter, before the Orchard County kicked on to claim victory in the eventual final after both sides had secured promotion. There has been very little between these sides all year, and the bookies appear to be wary of a draw having priced it up at a measly 15/2. Another stalemate could be the best value around all weekend. Elsewhere, the lop-sided Munster Championship kicks off this evening with Division 2 high-fliers Clare and Tipperary facing Division 4 strugglers Limerick and Waterford respectively. The much-maligned seeded draw system in the province is now clearly past its use-by date considering that both Clare and Tipperary finished above the ‘seeded’ Cork in the National League — but that argument will surely flesh out this week in the lead up to the Munster semi-finals as there seems little chance of an upset in either game here. Tipperary star Michael Quinlivan is currently 9/1 to finish the season as top goal scorer, and he is likely to get a good start in that regard today in a Tipperary team 33/1 on to beat Division 4 thirdbottom finishers Waterford.