FARNEY’S CLASS TO SHOW BY FULL-TIME

ALL-IRELAND SFC QUALIFIERS, ROUND 3

Leitrim Monaghan Carrick-on-shannon, 2pm

v UNLIKELY results for Carlow, Waterford and Fermanagh have given the Championship some much needed feelgood stories at different stages this year and Leitrim’s was another last week.

Given how Louth’s year has panned out, it couldn’t be described as a monumental shock but for Leitrim to put a tally like 0-25 on them was certainly eyebrow-raising.

For Monaghan, it’s a very similar exercise to what they faced in Dungarvan last Saturday – an away trip to Division Four opposition riding high on the back of a rare Championship victory.

While Monaghan haven’t carried the favourites tag so well at times over the past few years, they were ultra professional in coasting to a 27-point win over Waterford (above, Dessie Mone after scoring goal).

Given the amount of taxing engagements they will have to move beyond the last eight of the Championship for the first time in 30 years, a couple of outings against Division Four opposition after the Fermanagh setback is as good as Malachy O’rourke could have hoped for.

Buoyed by last week’s display, Leitrim should be more competitive than Waterford were but the gap between Division One and Division Four will still be apparent come the end.