Ulster SFC quarter-final preview

Monaghan v Down:Monaghan are looking for their first win over Down since 1988, which, coincidentally, was also the last year they claimed the Ulster football title. While few people are predicting them to go as far again this year, they certainly have the ability to overcome Down.

Séamus McEnaney will have Monaghan perfectly primed for this. They enjoyed an impressive league run, which ended with the Division Two semi-final loss to Meath, and there's consistency now in both the team line-up and style of play.

Talented under-21 forward Shane Smith makes his first championship start, as does Donal Morgan at corner back, but there's only one change in personal from the league semi-final, with Conor McManus dropping out of the side in favour of Eoin Lennon, who returns from injury to start at midfield.

Rory Woods and Dermot McArdle are both notable absentees through injury, but there is plenty of experience elsewhere with team captain Damien Freeman at left half forward. Smith and fellow under-21 Ciarán Hanratty are joined in the full forward line by Thomas Freeman.

Down were surprisingly stop-start in their draw and subsequent replay against Cavan, and it took two unheralded substitutes Paul McComiskey and Stephen Kearney - who each hit 0-2 in the replay - to see them home.

Yet, Down finished that game playing their best football in a while. The problem since then is that some of their key players such as defender Dan McCartan and midfielders Paul Murphy and Dan Gordan have had only limited training because of injury.

Down still look to have the greater potential to progress, especially as Benny Coulter is due a big game. It promises to be a typically tight and hard-fought Ulster tie and, in that regard, whoever does emerge will have earned it.

MONAGHAN: S Duffy; C Flanagan, G McQuaid, D Morgan; D Mone, V Corey, JP Mone; E Lennon, P Finlay; D Clerkin, S Gollogly, D Freeman; C Hanratty, S Smith, T Freeman.

DOWN: M McVeigh; J Clarke, D Rooney, K McGuigan; R Murtagh, B Grant, M Cole; D Gordan, J Lynch; J McGovern, A Carr, R Sexton; D Hughes, P Downey, B Coulter.