Imposing Cavanagh can prove Tyrone's trump card

FOOTBALL ANALYST:THERE ARE provincial finals to look forward to in Ulster and in Connacht this weekend. Hopefully they will prove to be as exciting as last weekend's games but without the dramatics that ensued after the final whistle at Croke Park. The Ulster final is the most intriguing game and sees an ageing Tyrone team take on improving Monaghan.

Séamus McEnaney has recruited Paul Grimley to the Monaghan backroom set-up this year and the team has more focus and a better structure because of that.

Their half-backs are attacking with purpose and their forwards are prepared to drop back and defend to safeguard against turnovers in possession. The rough edges that were a feature of Monaghan sides in previous years appear to be smoothing out.

Monaghan are an athletic team and, having relied on the physical nature of their game in the last couple of years, they now realise that physicality comes second to being first to every ball.

If Monaghan are to succeed against Tyrone they must win the midfield battle. Tyrone do not have a classic fielder there and Monaghan must exploit this. Tyrone, of course, are masters of winning the breaking ball but if Monaghan can garner possession in midfield they will make it tough for Tyrone.

Mickey Harte’s men are at their most vulnerable when teams run at them directly and with pace. Any lateral movement from Monaghan will play into Tyrone’s hands as they are experts in closing down space in packs.

Tyrone looked tired and off the pace after their semi-final defeat to Cork last year. Given their underage success, I am somewhat mystified as to why some of the younger talent has not been bled into the team.

Mickey Harte, though, has faith in the tried and tested players he has used over the years. The likes of Brian Dooher, Conor Gormley, Stephen O’Neill (a substitute this weekend) and Enda McGinley have consistently proved to be big-game players and tellingly they fit into the system Harte favours.

Harte’s reluctance to unleash new players may be Tyrone’s downfall but he is shrewd on the line and is able to make astute changes to influence the outcome of games.

Looking at Tyrone, the one advantage they have over any other team in Ireland is they have highly skilful players in every position at their disposal. From backs to forwards they are all comfortable on the ball, with good hands and accurate kick passes. If you study Tyrone, most of their attacks start in defence. How often have we seen Conor Gormley, Ryan McMenamin or Davy Harte come up with vital scores?

Tyrone attack and defend as one. That puts an onus on the Monaghan forwards to track back and cover their men when they do not have the ball. That has huge implications for energy levels and I wouldn’t be surprised to see two or three of the Monaghan front men being replaced to sustain the intensity in their play.

It will be a very close game but Tyrone have one trump card – Seán Cavanagh. He is Tyrone’s go-to player, particularly late on in important games. Tyrone have a knack of cleverly working the ball to him and his power and accuracy mean he is extremely difficult to stop.

Monaghan have promised a lot in recent years without actually delivering anything. The question is whether they will have the confidence and belief to beat a highly experienced Tyrone side? I have my doubts. While they have improved, it probably remains a task beyond them.

Tyrone should edge it but they may be on a downward spiral. Their reliance on older players may ultimately be their undoing but perhaps not on Sunday.

For the first time this year, Sligo will enter a tie as hot favourites as they take on Roscommon in the Connacht final.

It’s difficult to know how they will cope with such lofty expectations. Sligo have learned it is certainly easier for a team to play to their potential when nothing is expected of them. They now face the other side of the coin as favourites and the challenge is to play with the same energy and intensity that we have seen en route to the final.

They seem to have an ability to close out games and Kevin Walsh does a good job of ensuring the players’ feet remain firmly on the ground. While Roscommon will approach this as a one-off game and certainly won’t fear Sligo, it may be too big of an ask. Roscommon can play without any inhibition. It may liberate them and propel them to a shock victory. Stranger things have happened.

Nevertheless, I think Sligo have the upper hand. I’ve been very impressed with Sligo’s overall progress since their narrow defeat to Kerry in Tralee last year.

They also have the classic corner forward in David Kelly. While one man cannot win a game on his own, he is the ideal player to have on the end of attacking moves, the proverbial nightmare for any defence to deal with.

The pick of the qualifiers sees Dublin play Armagh at Croke Park. Losing in Leinster has actually suited Dublin this year. The usual hype that surrounds them evaporated and a good performance against Armagh could really ignite their championship season.

They have to tighten up in defence, particularly in the full-back line. Those defensive frailties give an Armagh side in transition a chance. Paddy O’Rourke’s side rely too heavily on Steven McDonnell to kick their scores. Ronan Clarke’s absence through injury continues to be a huge loss this year.

Dublin have enough quality in the forward line and have a workmanlike midfield but their defence has to improve dramatically. Despite those reservations, I still think Dublin could get through this tie.

The other qualifier of note should see Cork triumph over Wexford. The way they demolished Cavan showed why they are the team everyone wanted to avoid in the draw. They face a tough game against Wexford. Jason Ryan has an ability to organise his team well and they will give everything at Wexford Park. But the depth in Cork’s panel should be enough to pull them through.

I hope the focus will return to football this week and not what follows in the aftermath of matches. Louth can rightly feel very sorry for themselves after what happened last Sunday. The performance of the referees, umpires and officials simply was not good enough. Louth must now focus completely on their next game. They are capable of reaching the quarter-finals and can forge happier memories of the summer by doing just that.