BREFF WORK
Cavan headache for Farney over star pair Beggan and Mcmanus
ALL eyes are on the Monaghan starting team for this weekend’s Ulster Championship opener against Cavan at St Tiernach’s Park.
The two names they’ll be looking for are Conor Mcmanus and Rory Beggan. Mcmanus played just one Division 1 game this year – the final round against Tyrone – while Beggan didn’t feature at all as he went for American football training and trials.
Beggan is back in the country though and training again. With Monaghan struggling in Division 1 this spring and losing the top flight status they held for 10 years, boss Vinny Corey has some big calls.
Darren Mcdonnell played every
League game in goal, while it is unclear yet the extent of the role Mcmanus, who has long running hip issues, will feature.
Mcmanus and Beggan are Monaghan’s main big game players and leaving them on the sidelines could open the door for Cavan. “He (Mcmanus) played well against Tyrone,” said Corey of his Clontibret club mate. “He had six points in that game.
“He will take a lot of confidence from that game and even though he only played that one game in the League, it was enough for a fella of that vintage.
“There was no doubt he wanted to play another year with Monaghan. His body is in good enough nick.”
The Beggan situation is trickier. An All Star and one of the top goalkeepers in the country, he doesn’t owe Monaghan anything, but should he step straight back into the team?
Corey said: “Rory Beggan has been Monaghan’s number one keeper for the best part of over a decade. He would be classed as one of the top three keepers in the country so it is always difficult.”