By Shaun Casey
IN a repeat of last year’s county final, Inniskeen are hoping to make amends 12 months on for their three-point loss at the hands of Scotstown when the two sides clash in the second of Sunday’s semi-final showdowns.
David McCague’s team regained their throne, having fallen in the 2022 final, bringing their tally to eight county titles in the space of ten years. On the other hand, Inniskeen’s appearance in the showpiece was their first since 1990.
Now Inniskeen are hoping to make back-to-back visits to the big day for the first time since 1948, which is also the last time they won the championship. They have the talent to do so, but beating Scotstown has been the downfall for plenty of up-and-comers in Monaghan.
John McEntee’s side were too strong for Corduff the last day out, with the impressive Tommy Durnin, an All-Star nominee for his performances with Louth this season, showcasing his talent around the middle of the park.
Donal Meegan was the man on form at the top end of the field and he registered 1-6 in their 2-16 to 1-12 victory as Inniskeen earned their third straight win in succession. The Grattan Park side were slow starters in the group but have found their form at just the right time.
Scotstown didn’t have that same problem and topped the group without dropping a single point. They’ve welcomed the Hughes brothers, Darren and Kieran, back into the fold recently and can still call upon the class of Rory Beggan, Conor McCarthy and Jack McCarron.
In the other semi-final, the two most recent winners of the Mick Duffy Cup outside of Scotstown do battle as Clontibret eye up their first county final since 2019 while 2022 winners Ballybay are hoping to get back to that stage.
It was the experienced heads of Paul Finlay and Dessie Ward that helped the men in maroon across the line in last week’s quarter-final, when they needed extra-time to eventually shake off neighbours Latton.
The likes of Thomas Kerr and the McGuinness brothers, Christopher and Shane, are that added punch up front for Ryan Mellon’s side, while the deadly duo of Drew and Ryan Wylie are the stoppers at the back.
Whether or not Clontibret will have Conor McManus to call on remains to be seen and despite playing the majority of the championship without their best players, Paul McCartan and Neil Coulter’s men have qualified for the last four, topping their group.
The 2019 champions picked up three consecutive victories before falling to Latton by the minimum of margins in the final round, but that wasn’t enough to halt their progress.
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