IF THE BALANCE of power in Ulster football is shifting, tomorrow is Donegal’s chance to tilt matters back in their favour.
Just when Jim McGuinness’s side seemed to be taking control of the province, Monaghan have proven themselves to be worthy adversaries, winning two of the sides’ three meetings in the last year — the two that really mattered.
They were the ones who scuppered Donegal’s bid for a provincial three-in-a-row last summer, sparking wild celebrations of their own with a first Ulster title in 25 years.
And while Donegal got one back in the league this spring, it was Monaghan who had the last laugh when they snatched the Division 2 title from under their rivals’ noses.
“It wasn’t an ambush,” Donegal captain Michael Murphy says, reflecting on that lost Ulster final.
“We’ve played them underage all the way up and in senior they’ve had the upper hand, even in a [2007] qualifier in Omagh and a [2008] game in Ballybofey. We always treat them with respect whatever level we play them at.”
The record skews even more towards the Farney the further back you go. Of 12 Championship meetings between the sides, Monaghan have won nine to Donegal’s three.
“Initially we were both trying to get over the line for so many years,” Murphy says.
A lot of supporters followed both teams and there’s a burden there which is replaced by a confidence. But now the burden is back again and we’re trying to win medals.
He knows that Donegal need to redress the balance, and maybe even use the hurt of recent years as a little bit of motivation, but he warns against letting past encounters weigh too heavily.
“Monaghan have players who are stepping up, even new match-winners in the drawn game [against Armagh] that dragged them over the line.
“Armagh came back and they were in a tricky place in the first game but they had players who got them through it, and then the Hugheses and McManus were hugely important [in the replay].
“They’ll be experienced there and they have had upper hand on us on two occasions.
“You can’t be thinking about records too much. They’ll have confidence in that but we can’t focus on that.”
