The Irish News - June 1 2010: Farney blow as Malone and Greenan are ruled out
KNEE injuries have scuppered the chances of Championship debuts for two of Monaghan’s rising stars. U21 pair Dermot Malone and Colm Greenan are unavailable for Sunday’s Ulster SFC first round clash with Armagh at Casement Park.
The pair were regulars in the National League during their first season on the senior panel, with Castleblayney man Malone featuring in every game, five from the start, and Clontibret’s Greenan making three starting appearances and two more off the bench.
The only match Greenan missed was the final game against Kerry due to an infection in his knee. The news is a blow at both ends of the field with Greenan impressing in the full-back line and Malone doing likewise in the forwards.
Monaghan manager Seamus McEnaney was quick to pin the favourite’s tag on Paddy O’Rourke’s side–and just as quick to back up his assertion. “Armagh are onaroll,” he said.
“They beat Donegal comprehensively, they beat Down and they went to Celtic Park and beat Derry for the first time in 16 years there.
“I think the favourites tag will be firmly on their collar. Armagh have won seven of the last 11 Ulster titles. This particular group of players won an Ulster title 20-odd months ago.
“Armagh are the kingpins of Ulster football in the past decade – so great credit to them, but, having said that, we are confident in our own ability and will be hoping to upset the odds on Sunday at Casement Park.”
Ulster Senior Football Championship first round: Donegal 2-10 Down 1-15
DANNY Hughes missed the little devil in the detail about Sunday’s Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final – the fact that Down and Donegal’s players had 20 minutes extra-time more to give in the event of a draw in normal time.
The penny only dropped when manager James McCartan rallied the troops after the long whistle sounded in the wake of Rory Kavanagh’s last gasp equaliser.
Saval’s 28-year-old marksman had the good fortune to be able to laugh about the added drama once Benny Coulter’s 86th minute goal settled the issue in their favour.
“I actually thought there was going to be another game so I am glad there was only 10 minutes each way to get it finished. That is one of the better rules I suppose,” said Hughes.
Down produced a fraction to prevail in sultry energy-sapping conditions and book their place in the semi-finals, where they face champions Tyrone on June 19.
As for critics’ talk of Tyrone being somehow in decline, Hughes wasn’t buying that: “Absolutely not. I know some of the boys from playing with them in the Railway Cup and there’s nothing in decline with those boys.
“They are great players in their own right, and rightly so, have Championship medals in their pockets so Tyrone are definitely, definitely not in decline,” he added.
BIRTHDAYS
Ron Dennis (motor racing) - former McLaren team principal, born 1947.
Martin Brundle (motor racing) - ex-Formula One driver turned commentator, born 1959.
Alexi Lalas (soccer) - former United States defender, born 1970.
Justine Henin (tennis) - Belgian seven-time grand slam winner, born 1982.
Tirunesh Dibaba (athletics) - Ethiopian long-distance athlete, who won 10,000 metres gold at the London 2012 Olympics, born 1985.
Ben Smith (rugby union) - World Cup-winning New Zealand full-back, born 1986.
Javier Hernandez (soccer) - Mexico, LA Galaxy and former West Ham and Manchester United striker, born 1988.
Marco Reus (soccer) - Borussia Dortmund and Germany forward, born 1989.
QUICK QUIZ
1. In which year did Sri Lanka win the Cricket World Cup?
2. The 2013 Champions League final was an all-German affair, between which two teams?
3. Stephen Hendry has won the snooker world championship on seven occasions, but in what year was his most recent success?
4. Which county won the All-Ireland GAA Senior Football Championship final in 2011?
5. Which National Hockey League team has won the most Stanley Cups?
6. Which county won the All-Ireland GAA Senior Hurling Championship final in 2011?
7. The famous Three Ws of West Indies cricket were Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Clyde Walcott, and Sir Frank ... ?
8. Frankie Dettori has won seven Ascot Gold Cups, including the past two on Stradivarius. His first two, in the early 90s, also came through one horse. Which one?
9. John McEnroe's second Wimbledon singles final victory came against Chris Lewis, who was from which country?
10. Who are the reigning club champions in Brazilian football?
(See quiz answers at bottom)
ON THIS DAY
1899: Trent Bridge became the fourth English Test cricket ground when it hosted England v Australia.
1983: Lester Piggott rode his record ninth Derby winner, on board Teenoso.
2002: A plane carrying disgraced former South Africa cricket captain Hansie Cronje crashed in Western Cape province, killing all on board.
2005: Chelsea were fined £300,000 and given a suspended three-point deduction after being found guilty of breaking Premier League rules in a tapping-up row over Arsenal's Ashley Cole. Cole was also fined £100,000 and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho £200,000.
2007: Nigel Worthington was appointed as manager of Northern Ireland.
2009: Chelsea confirmed Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager.
2011: Sepp Blatter was re-elected unopposed as FIFA president for a fourth term.
2012: Brendan Rodgers was confirmed as the new manager of Liverpool.
2015: Football Association independent director Heather Rabbatts resigned from the FIFA task force against racism and discrimination following Sepp Blatter's re-election as president.
2015: Derby appointed Paul Clement as their new head coach to replace Steve McClaren.
2017: Joe Root struck an unbeaten 133 to lead England to an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh in their Champions Trophy opener at The Oval.
2018: Leeds sacked head coach Paul Heckingbottom less than four months after he had been appointed.
2018: Paul Tisdale left Exeter after 12 years as their manager.
2019: Liverpool claimed their sixth European Cup after a 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the Champions League final in Madrid.
DERBY DAY DELIGHT
On This Day in 1983: Lester Piggott won his ninth and final Derby.
The 47-year-old triumphed on Teenoso to extend his record in the Epsom showpiece to nine victories from 30 races.
Piggott remains the undisputed great Derby jockey, finishing with an unmatched record of nine wins and four second places from 36 attempts.
He first entered as a 15-year-old and finished second the following year, three-quarters of a length behind the winner.
Then at 18, he won his first Derby on Never Say Die in 1954 and rode winners in five out of 10 years from the late 1960s onwards.
The spring of 1983 proved unusually wet and Teenoso was excelling on heavy ground, making him favourite for the Derby.
It was the slowest run of the century in the race but a comfortable triumph as Piggott broke away with three furlongs left.
Piggott also rode the horse to victory in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot in 1984.
Although Piggott was to race six more times in the Derby, the victory proved to be the end of his reign as master of the race.
The 11-time champion jockey retired after the 1985 season to become a trainer before being jailed for tax evasion.
He resumed his career as a jockey in 1990 before finally retiring five years later.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
1831: The magnetic North Pole was located by Sir James Clark Ross on his Arctic exploration expedition with Admiral Parry.
1880: The first telephone box for public use, in New Haven, Connecticut, went into service.
1911: Britain's first electric trolley buses began operating in Bradford and Leeds.
1915: Zeppelins carried out their first raid on London.
1935: Driving tests were introduced and L plates made compulsory in Britain.
1946: The first TV licences were issued in Britain, at a fee of £2.
1953: Gordon Richards became the first jockey to be knighted. Six days later he won the Derby at his 28th attempt.
1957: The first Premium Bond prize winners were drawn by the computer ERNIE, with a first prize of £1,000.
1966: Folk fans at the Royal Albert Hall booed Bob Dylan for performing with an electric guitar.
QUICK QUIZ answers: 1 1996; 2 Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund; 3. 1999; 4. Dublin, beating Kerry by 1-12 to 1-11; 5 Montreal Canadiens; 6. Kilkenny, defeating Tipperary by 2-17 to 1-16; 7. Worrell; 8. Drum Taps; 9. New Zealand; 10. Flamengo.
