HURL NEW BALL GAME Dual dreams dead but Slaughtneil star says negative thoughts after defeat were harnessed for today
NFL Div 1:
Monaghan Tonight, Castleblayney, 7pm
v Tyrone TYRONE may have picked up their first League points in Newbridge two weeks ago, but they returned to losing ways in the Mckenna Cup final.
The defeat to Donegal denied them a seventh successive title and means they’ve lost three of their last four games. With Monaghan on a high after their win over Kerry, relegation will become a real possibility if they lose again in Castleblayney tonight.
Next week Tyrone face Donegal again before closing out with ties against Mayo and Kerry.
Mickey Harte has made six changes from the side that beat Kildare though the most significant of those is the return of All-star Colm Cavanagh (right) for the first time this year after his club exertions with Moy, though that’s offset by the loss of Tiernan Mccann (kneecap).
Monaghan have enough form and momentum at a venue where they excel.
VERDICT: Monaghan
Slaughtneil (Derr) Nemo Rangers (Cor) Portlaoise, 4.30pm (TG4)
v BRENDAN ROGERS says Slaughtneil are ready to extract the good from the bad to try and reach a third All-ireland football final in four years.
The full-back says the Ulster dual club champions used the bus journey home from their hurling semifinal defeat by Na Piarsaigh two weeks ago to get their heads straight after another All-ireland disappointment.
Today’s football clash against Cork’s seven-time All-ireland winners Nemo Rangers is the next chance to close in on the prize that’s eluded them, with the shattering loss to Limerick’s 13-man Na Piarsaigh two weeks ago behind them.
And while an All-ireland football title has always been a more realistic goal than in hurling, their success as a dual club has meant that big games in February have almost become routine.
“Corofin (2015 final) was a big learning curve and it helped us when we had to play Dr Crokes last year, though we still came up short,” Rogers says.
“The hurling semi-final last year against Cuala definitely helped us to be more competitive against Na Piarsaigh, so we are progressing to the next stage all the time.
“We’re fortunate to have a good age profile and while you’re never happy to accept defeat, we don’t see those defeats as entirely negative.”
The club’s camogs are leading the way and chasing back-to-back All-ireland titles next weekend.
Most neutrals around the country wouldn’t begrudge Slaughtneil an Allireland football title as reward for their sheer consistency in the last four years.
Rogers admitted: “It would mean the world, you always crave for what you don’t have and we don’t have an Allireland in hurling or football.
“We used the bus journey home to chat about what went wrong because with two men up, we should have closed out the game,” admits Rogers. “Instead, having the extra men confused us.
“There was no reaction or talk about it after that journey home because attention turned to the football and we feel we’re in a good place.”
Should they progress, Slaughtneil will face a rematch with Galway champions Corofin, who scraped past Moorefield by 1-6 to 0-6 last weekend.
“Sometimes it isn’t pretty and it’s about who is willing to grind it out. We certainly have the grit and determination to do that,” said Rogers.