Harsh lesson will stand to Monaghan
MONAGHAN captain Sharon Courtney says losing a TG4 Ulster semi-final to Donegal was a valuable dose of reality heading into today’s huge round-robin clash with Armagh.
In the only all-Ulster tie at this stage of the revamped TG4 Ladies Senior Football Championship, both sides are looking to bounce back from provincial losses to Donegal, when they meet in a live TV offering at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones (12.30pm).
Armagh came unstuck in the Ulster final while Monaghan suffered a 3-17 to 1-9 reversal against Donegal in the previous round.
Courtney, the Donaghmoyne defender and three-time All-Star winner, says the experience of losing so heavily to a close rival could propel Monaghan forward.
‘You set out your stall early and you think you’re going somewhere and then maybe that Donegal match for us showed we were not where we thought we were,’ said Courtney.
‘It was a blessing in disguise for us in that we got hammered and then had a look at ourselves to see what we have been doing up to now.
‘We changed a few things since and maybe there was a blessing in disguise that allowed us to go away and maybe do something different. Look, time will tell,’ she added.
‘We went into the Donegal game probably not having played in a long time and we struggled to get a few challenge matches in so we did not know where we were at. And then when we played we weren’t just ready for what they hit us with.
‘Donegal are a really good outfit but we just didn’t play to our potential. The panel has changed and our team is changing at the minute.’
Monaghan haven’t won an All-Ireland since 1997 and with Cork completing Group 2, it’s crucial that a victory is secured against Armagh.
Two teams from each pool will go forward to the quarter-finals, so there is huge importance on winning game one.
‘It will be tough. We played Armagh recently and right down through the years,’ added Courtney.
‘Last year, we played them in the Lidl National League relegation match and thankfully we came out from the right end of that,’ said Courtney. ‘We played each other twice last year in the League. I can imagine there won’t be a whole pile between us, but Donegal beat us and Donegal beat them, so we are both wounded animals at the minute. It will be interesting but I think we will have enough to come out the right side of it. ‘On any given day, we can beat anybody. I would have absolutely no problem facing Donegal down the line. Essentially, if you want to be at the top table come September you are going to have to beat the top teams and I wouldn’t fear Donegal, like I wouldn’t fear Cork who are also in our group. ‘When we are good we are good, but we probably haven’t been consistently good in the recent past.’ Meanwhile, Tipperary and Kerry meet at MacDonagh Park in Nenagh today in a massive Group 1 fixture. With Ulster champions Donegal also in the pool, a win for Tipp or Kerry would put them in pole position for a spot in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Tipperary lost out to Cork in the Munster semi-final, while Kerry also suffered defeat to the Rebelettes in the provincial decider. Tipp lost out by just five points to Cork while Kerry suffered a 2-10 to 5-13 defeat but not a lot should be read into those results. Kerry are regrouping underEddie Sheehy and will have benefited considerably from that Cork game, while the Kingdom had impressed in their Munster semi-final victory over Waterford. Tipp have had the longer lay-off without a competitive fixture but having landed the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate crown last year, before winning promotion to Division 1 of the Lidl National League, Shane Ronayne and his charges will want to show that they’re capable of mixing it with the best. They’ll have to keep a close eye on Kerry’s attacking stars Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and captain Sarah Houlihan, but Tipp have forward class of their own in Aishling Moloney and Aisling McCarthy, while the likes of skipper Samantha Lambert, Jennifer Grant and Mairead Morrissey possess plenty of experience. Pitched into Group 3 alongside Connacht champions Galway, both Waterford and Westmeath know victory is a must when they clash in their opener in Nenagh today. Waterford are coming into this one on the back of a disappointing Munster semi-final defeat to Kerry but they have shown recent championship pedigree. The Déise took out Cork and Kerry in the Munster round-robin.