All-Ireland Senior Football Quarter-Final: Monaghan v Tyrone - 3/8/2013 5pm Croke Par

Just An Opinion

MONAGHAN (SF v Tyrone): R Beggan; K Duffy, D Wylie, C Walshe; V Corey, N McAdam, D Mone; O Lennon, D Hughes; P Finlay, S Gollogly, D Malone; P Donaghy, K Hughes, C McManus.

TYRONE (SF v Monaghan): P McConnell; D Carlin, C Clarke, C McCarron; C McGinley, P Harte, C Gormley; C Cavanagh, S Cavanagh; Matthew Donnelly, Mark Donnelly, Joe McMahon; D McCurry, S O'Neill, M Penrose.

Monaghan 2/1 Draw 8/1 Tyrone 8/15
Source; Paddy Power

Crash Bang Wall

I fancy Tyrone. I just feel Monaghan reach the level at which they played against Donegal, and will need that. It will be close though, and I can see the full back line doing well on O'Neill and Penrose. Their FF line will cause Tyrone trouble too. I just dont think they are good enough out the field to deal with Tyrone.

Tom Joad

Possibly the hardest of the matches to call. I'll go for Tyrone by a narrow margin because they have the experience of winning at this level and always seem to get the better off Monaghan. Monaghan were on a high after winning Ulster and I just can't see them being able to repeat the trick - especially now that Tyrone have seen what Monaghan done to Donegal. Would love to be wrong though .

Flukey

Tyrone have too much experience and cuteness on their side, and should beat Monaghan.

Pighead

Flukey wrote: »

Tyrone have too much experience and cuteness on their side, and should beat Monaghan.

I'm hearing this all week but I can't understand it. Monaghan have been getting better with each match and have had a two week break to recover from what was an intense Ulster Final. They finally have a strong squad which they were severely lacking a few years back when the Banty had a very good first 15 but no bench. Last week they brought on two experienced players in Freeman and Clerkin which would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

Tyrone have struggled in most of their matches in the Championship and don't look anything like the team they were a few years back. O'Neill looks frustrated at the lack of service, Penrose looks awful and it's only really Kavanagh who has delivered consistently all year. Bookies have Tyrone as relatively strong favourites at 1/2 but I'm all over Monaghan at 2/1 and am very surprised at how many people seem to be going for Tyrone.

Owen Lennon and Darren Hughes in the middle have developed into an excellent duo. Dessie Mone will draw fouls out of the Tyrone defence all day long with his marauding runs through midfield. McManus and Hughes causing havoc up top as well. I just think Monaghan have more players playing at the top of their game than Tyrone. Monaghan by four points.

Flukey

Pighead, Tyrone may not be as good as they were, but their experience will count for a lot. While Monaghan have played in Croke Park a few years ago, and indeed should have beaten Kerry, Tyrone's experience of the big occasion there is far more extensive, both league and championship. It will be newer for Monaghan. Mickey Harte on the sideline is a big plus too, with the experience he has. Tyrone don't fear anyone and go out to win every game, from friendlies to finals. They've got great momentum at present, even more than Monaghan have. Monaghan will push them, but the surprise factor is gone and Mickey and the team will be lying in wait, fully prepared. Tyrone to win.

Pighead

Flukey wrote: »

Tyrone don't fear anyone and go out to win every game, from friendlies to finals. They've got great momentum at present, even more than Monaghan have. Monaghan will push them, but the surprise factor is gone and Mickey and the team will be lying in wait, fully prepared. Tyrone to win.

Nah, don't buy that. Monaghan are after winning their first Ulster final in 25 years beating the current All Ireland champs to do so. That is way more momentum building than narrow wins over Roscommon, Meath and Kildare.

In all those three games Tyrone for some reason had a twenty minute spell where they seemed to fall asleep allowing the opposition to get back into the game. This Tyrone team is not the real deal and are definitely there for the taking.

smashey

I think Monaghan have that certain something about them this year and can win this. It won't be easy as Tyrone have built up a head of steam through the qualifiers.

68Murph68

The excellent don't Foul has some very interesting stats on Tyrone's shooting.

Against Meath they shot 6 from 22 in terms of shots from play 27% while in terms of deadballs they shot 10 from 11 91%

Against Kildare Tyrone shot 5 from 15 from play 33% and shot 7 from 10 70% in terms of deadballs.

Basically from those two games it really looks like the Tyrone attack is struggling in terms of shooting from play but if you give them frees they will seriously punish a team.

Given Monaghan's defence (0-25 conceeded so far this season[ok Donegal, Antrim and Cavan arent exactly high-scoring teams]) is sticky, a huge issue will surely be the nature of Monaghan's defending and how that is interpreted in terms of the number of frees they end up conceding. I'd be shocked if O'Rourke wasnt hammering home to the Monaghan defenders that giving away frees is a massive no-no. Of course Tyrone might suddenly have a nightmare in terms of deadball shooting (but given the fact that they use a number of freetakers I think it's unlikely) and their forwards might suddenly find form but the odds are against it.

Cormac Reilly the ref is a Meathman and he might be inclined to let 2 Ulster go at in a sense. I'd be shocked if this wasnt a dogged dour affair and I really cant see too many Dublin or Cork fans rushing to be in their seats for this one.

Hammer Archer

I'd personally go for Monaghan. I've seen Monaghan twice against us this season and while we were appalling the first time and understrength the second, I think they have some fantastic footballers. If they can stop Cavanagh's runs from midfield, I don't see Tyrone being able to stop them.

Poor_old_gill

Monaghan to win by 4.

Surely they cant be as naïve as Meath were defensively- McCurry has a left so don't let him turn onto it, Cavanagh does the same sidestep everytime so don't get caught, don't give away stupid frees.

All sound easier than they are but if Monaghan can negate even one of these then they will win

oneillMan999

Monaghan @2/1 are huge value imo.
They're Ulster champs who beat the AI champs up against a team who have struggled tru the qualifiers.
If they neutralize Cavanagh i can't see them losing this game.
Monaghan by 2.

oneillMan999

Monaghan @2/1 are huge value imo.
They're Ulster champs who beat the AI champs up against a team who have struggled tru the qualifiers.
If they neutralize Cavanagh i can't see them losing this game.
Monaghan by 2.

shrewdness

oneillMan999 wrote: »

Monaghan @2/1 are huge value imo.
They're Ulster champs who beat the AI champs up against a team who have struggled tru the qualifiers.
If they neutralize Cavanagh i can't see them losing this game.
Monaghan by 2.

This is the key I'd say. If Cavanagh wasn't playing the last game I'd say Meath would be in the quarter finals, such was his influence. If Darren Hughes is marking him I think Cavanagh will have his work cut out.

Antisocialiser

Hi guys, can anyone link me to a stream for this one? Currently in Northern Ireland with no reception for RTE

dxhound2005

Antisocialiser wrote: »

Hi guys, can anyone link me to a stream for this one? Currently in Northern Ireland with no reception for RTE

It's on BBC2 NI.

fullstop

Plenty of soft frees so far anyway. Almost all for Monaghan

CatFromHue

The pitch looks great!

Nailz

The referee won't be doing this game any favours going by these first 10 minutes.

Focus_sligo

Monaghan playing very well. Makings of an exciting game

68Murph68

Nailz wrote: »

The referee won't be doing this game any favours going by these first 10 minutes.

Ref clearly putting down a marker that he won't stand for any ****e for either team.

CatFromHue

Nailz wrote: »

The referee won't be doing this game any favours going by these first 10 minutes.

If the players have the intelligence to react to how the ref is reffing the game he will.

Edit: Was Stephen O'Neill not sent off last week? Is there no ban for being sent off?

68Murph68

Tyrone's shooting from play looking in line with its form in their previous two games.

68Murph68

CatFromHue wrote: »

If the players have the intelligence to react to how the ref is reffing the game he will.

Edit: Was Stephen O'Neill not sent off last week? Is there no ban for being sent off?

2 yellows

Nailz

CatFromHue wrote: »

If the players have the intelligence to react to how the ref is reffing the game he will.

Edit: Was Stephen O'Neill not sent off last week? Is there no ban for being sent off?

He will what...?

Stephen O'Neill got sent off on a second yellow card, you don't get a ban for 2 yellows.

CatFromHue

Ah right, I'd have thought that if you got a red card you'd have to get a ban of some sort.

Some of the penalties are for a few niggly things and if the players can adapt to the ref not allowing these things happen then the game could open up into a good game.

Nailz

68Murph68 wrote: »

Ref clearly putting down a marker that he won't stand for any ****e for either team.

Fair enough, but the frees so far have been very soft, not out of line in any way, shape or form.

Nailz

Nailz wrote: »

Fair enough, but the frees so far have been very soft, not out of line in any way, shape or form.

The booking for the perfectly legitimate tackle on Cavanagh there a second ago was scandalous anyway. And it seems it gave Tyrone the bit of momentum. This Monaghan though look a serious outfit. They play with unreal intensity.

shiibata

If Monaghan win this game, McManus will be well in line for an All Star

Focus_sligo

2 players in particular look dangerous for Monaghan 7 hoane and 15 mc manus

Two players who caused donegal bother in the ulster final

68Murph68

Nailz wrote: »

Fair enough, but the frees so far have been very soft, not out of line in any way, shape or form.

Yeah he got a couple wrong as well but tbh I'd wouldnt mind too much as the odds are that it will lead to a much better game as opposed to if he'd adopted the Ulster football approach of it's not a foul unless there's blood or broken bone.

If he'd let a whiff of anything go early on, the odds are very high this would have turned into a game of rugby league.

Nailz

I love that wee side-step chink that Sean Cavanagh does, beautiful.

iwasonbwh

Oisin McConville- ''We'll be lucky if we don't get booked today''

Nailz

68Murph68 wrote: »

Yeah he got a couple wrong as well but tbh I'd wouldnt mind too much as the odds are that it will lead to a much better game as opposed to if he'd adopted the Ulster football approach of it's not a foul unless there's blood or broken bone.

If he'd let a whiff of anything go early on, the odds are very high this would have turned into a game of rugby league.

Ah get out of that nonsense. If it's a foul, it's a foul and it should be given as a foul, these things don't just escalate into rugby matches because of a lack of imposed authority. The referee should call the fouls for the fouls themselves.

ShamoBuc

Tyrone have gotten themselves in a great position after a slow start.

shiibata

Some fine points being scored

Diabhal Beag

Between McManus and Hughes up around the square I can see a Monaghan goal if they can stem the Cavanagh momentum.

kupus

Whatsa the story with all the cards its getting riduciliuos

Nailz

Poor decision there by Peter Harte, Monaghan went straight up the field and scored a point from that.

68Murph68

Nailz wrote: »

Ah get out of that nonsense. If it's a foul, it's a foul and it should be given as a foul, these things don't just escalate into rugby matches because of a lack of imposed authority. The referee should call the fouls for the fouls themselves.

I'm not saying he's blatantly going to call non fouls.

I was saying that I wouldnt be massively concerned about the ref getting 1 or 2 calls wrong, when he's laying down a marker early on that he's not going to stand for any rubbish from either side.

fullstop

Nailz wrote: »

Poor decision there by Peter Harte, Monaghan went straight up the field and scored a point from that.

Tyrone have done that a few times, over-playing instead of shooting

Long Term Louth

Penrose and Gormley are getting away with murder, persistent fouling after the ball is gone

Hammer Archer

Gormley's a lucky man if he gets away with that punch.

Dyr

penrose has earned about 3 yellows at this stage

Neeson

2 punches

Diabhal Beag

Peter Harte definitely needs to keep his head up when he's one slip pass away from setting up a goal chance. Conditions aren't helping.

Focus_sligo

Has to be a red for that punch, he was punched by 2 different players too

Always_Running

I think todays game shows how poor Donegal were when they only managed 0-7 in 70 mins v Monaghan.

Nailz

68Murph68 wrote: »

I'm not saying he's blatantly going to call non fouls.

I was saying that I wouldnt be massively concerned about the ref getting 1 or 2 calls wrong, when he's laying down a marker early on that he's not going to stand for any rubbish from either side.

He evidently was calling non-fouls at the start of the game, whether he meant it or not.

Laying down the marker is all well and good, but he cost Tyrone by giving handy frees to Monaghan in the early stages and also cost Monaghan a yellow card for a perfectly good challenge on Sean Cavanagh. He was having a direct influence on the course of the game as an open contest and that's not the referee's job.

Long Term Louth

If Penrose and Gormley dont go its time to stop watching this Sh!te

kupus

red card i think