Still living for the championship thrill

Deliverance time? Six months on from the All-Ireland B success, and with the mud and grime of league football scoured off boots, Monaghan's players have an extra spring in their steps. On Sunday, at Clones, Eamonn McEneaney's men meet Fermanagh in the first round of the Ulster championship and everyone within shouting distance of the border that separates the two counties knows that the stakes are high. Enormously high.

This is real football. Of course, there is the added spice that these two teams met in that B final. But, in championship terms, it's a unique assignment. Indeed, the last time the two of them met in a championship game was back in 1968, and that time the first meeting ended in a draw. Monaghan won next time out.

As a player, McEneaney chomped at the bit for championship football. He's the same as a manager. "This has been a long time coming around," he conceded. "It's the best part of six months since the B Championship and, by and large, things have gone pretty good.

"We had a 50-50 National League. We won three, drew one, and lost three and you'd be happy enough with that in any year - and, even though we ended up getting relegated on scoring averages, I think the lads realise that league football is entirely different from championship football. In the league, one Sunday you're playing in good conditions and the next you're playing on a wet, cold day and a bad pitch. At least at this time of the year you know the conditions are likely to be good."

And yet, one of the ironic things about the build-up to Sunday's match are the large casualty lists of both sides. How is it that teams without a serious, competitive match in almost two months aren't going into the biggest day of the year with full-strength squads?

"There is a tremendous amount of wear and tear on players. If you think about it, most players have had 10 or 12 matches with their clubs since the National League ended," he said. "In fact, recently, some players had six games in eight days - sure professional footballers wouldn't be asked to do that. But, if you're trying to prepare a team for the championship, you have play games."

One of those matches, incidentally, was a McKenna Cup semi-final against Derry and McEneaney was so stretched for players, mainly due to injuries, that he ended up putting on defenders as attackers. Hardly what you want in the run-up to a championship game. "Certainly not an ideal situation," admitted McEneaney, "but I'm happy with all the lads who'll be playing on Sunday."

In his third year as manager, McEneaney can now only fully appreciate the efforts that long-serving managers like Meath's Sean Boylan and Down's Pete McGrath have put in over the years. "It is a huge job, even here in Monaghan, and I admit I didn't realise fully what you have to put into it before I took it on."

Can a manager enjoy it? "When we win . . . and when the games are over . . . and when we have the result."

McEneaney has instilled a winning ethic into Monaghan football. Last year, the provincial under-21 title and the B title were annexed. It means, after losing to Derry in their opening games for the past two years, Sunday's game can be approached with some purpose.

"Fermanagh and Monaghan look on this match in exactly the same light," says McEneaney. "Both know they can win it. Both sides have the same rationale in terms of what we can do. I expect a good championship game, and a good championship crowd. The ground won't be packed, but two neighbouring counties will always bring a good crowd and anyone that does go along can expect a nice day."

For any manager, though, it'll only be a nice day if it's a winning day.