All-Ireland SFC preliminary quarter-final
SATURDAY
Galway v Monaghan (Pearse Stadium, 4pm)
The league game between Galway and Monaghan in 2023, their last meeting in Salthill, was fairly drab.
It was cold, and windy, but when it isn’t raining in Galway, you can’t complain. The football wasn’t any more exhilarating, but league football in league football weather? Again, you couldn’t complain.
Where on earth could you find a spark? Kilkerrin-Clonberne perhaps, via Kilmacud. Welcome back Shane Walsh. They’ve missed you. They need you.
In a way, we all do.
Walsh had a mixed bag off the bench, but it mattered little. His presence sufficed.
A little like Conor McManus against Armagh in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final. A substitute cameo culminated in a Footballer of the Week gong. Life in the old dog.
On Saturday, it’s likely he’ll be called upon once more as the third quarter trickles away. Number 20-something still takes getting used to.
But once he crosses the white line, it’s a dopamine rush for his teammates. Against Armagh, it turned the tide as Monaghan found new energy. Against Galway, could it do the same?
In short, yes, but Irish summers are short, and so is Lord Farquad and Sid from Toy Story. The wordsmith advocates the scenic route.
What kind of match will the Clontibret man enter? Let’s have a look at potential match-ups.
Galway full-forward line / Monaghan full-back line
Damien Comer returns to the bench, his fitness unclear. Galway’s ploy to stick 2022 All-Star Cillian McDaid in at corner-forward was an experiment you sense Pádraic Joyce won’t opt for again.
There’s a void there if Comer doesn’t start. The talk in Galway circles is Tomo Culhane is the man to fill it, a talented forward who scored the winning goal in U20 All-Ireland success against Dublin in 2020.
So it looks like Culhane, Shane Walsh and the in-form Rob Finnerty, who sits sixth in the top scorers in the SFC to date with 1-24 (1-12 from play).
Killian Lavelle looks set to tag Walsh, having held Con O’Callaghan scoreless in this year’s league and having superb moments on David Clifford despite the freedom of Ireland in front of him.
He’s only been slotted in at fullback due to clubmate Conor Boyle’s absence, originally operating at midfield for Monaghan, but his attitude epitomises that of his county when at their best.
So, what of Finnerty?
Ryan Wylie had his best game of the year so far against Meath, having come out a certain second best against Paul Geaney in Killarney.
It’s emblematic, with Monaghan looking like they’ve turned a corner after eight defeats on the hop, but Vinny Corey may opt to use Wylie’s experience to counteract Culhane, who can be rash in his shooting at times.
That leaves Finnerty with Jason Irwin, a little pacier and more agile than his Ballybay compatriot. A forward by trade, Vinny Corey has converted the Oram man into a man-marker, trusting him on Paudie Clifford.
There’s licence to say he could mark Seán Kelly, but Monaghan aren’t blessed with options for Finnerty and Culhane.
Galway half-forward line / Monaghan half-back line
Should McDaid shuffle further back, he could well find himself at wing-forward in a role more similar to the one he excelled in back in 2022.
With a real attacking threat, ability to break lines and an AFL background, he’s well equipped to not only marshall Conor McCarthy, but also pin the Scotstown man back.
That would be detrimental to Monaghan’s chances, with McCarthy netting against Louth and being The Farney’s greatest running threat on his way to 0-2 against Meath.
Whether John Maher lines out at centre-field or centre-forward likely won’t matter. Ryan O’Toole is a major injury doubt for Monaghan having gone off holding his arm against Meath, but Corey has said that Kieran Duffy is in contention.
Captain Duffy would be a good physical match for the towering Salthill-Knocknancarra man.
Although Seán Kelly has lined out at midfield, he will roam as ever. Ryan McAnespie is well suited to deal with his strengths.
Ironically both have had their injury issues and struggled for form, but this will be a key battle.
Midfield
We’ll state the obvious, Galway have some large men.
From a Tribesman perspective, this will be an area to target. Maher, McDaid and Kelly add further to the aerial prowess possessed by Matthew Tierney and Paul Conroy.
With Darren Hughes suffering a season-ending injury against Cavan, Monaghan turned to Joel Wilson, who in turn was forced off with a nasty head cut against Meath.
Barry McBennett came in to plug a gap, and did a whole lot more than that, notching 1-2 from play. Even if Wilson is fit, he will likely start again.
And the more natural fit seems to be McBennett on Conroy, which leaves 23-year-old Gary Mohan potentially up against Matthew Tierney.
The Rory Beggan factor could be huge here, especially if it inhibits Galway’s ability to press his kickouts.
If they allow Monaghan to go short, the game could get rather slow and tactical, or allow Monaghan to play their fast running game.
Either way in that scenario, the pace of the game would be in Monaghan’s hands. This is more than their summer, more than their championship.
This game is their entire year.
Galway half-back line / Monaghan half-forward line
Liam Silke and Dylan McHugh are two of Galway’s most important players, and two of the most underrated wing-backs in the country.
When you’re keeping Kieran Molloy and Daniel O’Flaherty out of the team, you’re doing something right.
They do appear to be straight matches for Monaghan’s wing-forwards in the shape of Michael Hamill of Emyvale and Stephen O’Hanlon, who has recovered from injury after a devastating performance against Dublin in Croke Park.
Monaghan’s lieutenant in their strongest line is Micheál Bannigan however. Joyce will be well aware, and for that reason he may well deploy his designated man-marker Johnny McGrath on Bannigan, to hound him wherever he goes.
Galway full-back line / Monaghan full-forward line
Seán Mulkerrin looks unlikely to feature, meaning John Daly is sure to come back into the mix.
Daly, another former All-Star, was hauled off early against Westmeath and dropped against Armagh, a shock to many for a man with the Mr Consistent reputation.
With Jack McCarron playing a deeper role for Monaghan of late, Daly could fill into that plus-one role and allow some of his forwards to track the Scotstown ace out the pitch.
In possession, Daly’s left peg can be a real weapon, used to Derry’s detriment as he picked out Damien Comer to leave Odhran Lynch stranded in 2022.
The obvious choice for the athletic Seán Fitzgerald is Andrew Woods, with the Inniskeen man more than capable of claiming a mark or two, as he did against The Royals. Fitzgerald has the height to nullify him.
Woods’ Inniskeen clubmate Ciarán McNulty would in that scenario be left with Jack Glynn, captain of that U20 outfit four years ago.
Verdict
McManus has been mentioned, and Galway’s bench will take a hit if they’re forced to start Daly and Culhane. A tight game would therefore be there for the taking for Monaghan.
But their full-back line still has question marks over it. Killian Lavelle certainly has the capacity to keep Shane Walsh’s influence limited, but Rob Finnerty’s form could be to Monaghan’s detriment.
Galway’s size should also see them win the kickout battle, with the hosts sure to have worked on Connor Gleeson’s own dead balls, having opted for a clustered approach that backfired coming down the stretch against Armagh.
Monaghan’s entry into the game is scoring goals, but it’s something they haven’t done enough of in 2024. Throw Woods or Mohan underneath Gleeson and they could grab a scrappy one, but that’s one of several things they need to go right.
Corey’s men to make a fist of it, but Galway by three.