Monaghan United -v- Derry City
Credit:
Monaghan United will be bidding to keep their hopes of a return to the Premier Division after an eight-year absence alive when they welcome champions elect Derry City to Gortakeegan on Saturday night as the exciting First Division title race comes to a close. Monaghan enjoyed a magnificent run of form in recent weeks to overtake Derry but last week’s shock defeat by Mervue United ended any chance of a first ever senior trophy making its way to the Ulster venue, with the Candystripes set to rejoin the top flight just a year after relegation – a defeat and an eight-goal turnaround in goal difference with Waterford United the only way they can be deprived of top spot.
Cooke keen
And Monaghan manager Mick Cooke, who already congratulated Derry on winning the league, is keen to ensure that a fine season ends with some reward. “Last week’s result against Mervue was most disappointing for everyone involved,” Cooke admitted. “It ended our dream of winning the league but fortunately not our chance of promotion. However disappointing the outcome at Terryland Park was we should not let it overshadow the season we’ve just had. The right result tonight would still see us in second place – a position only once previously achieved by the club. We also had an excellent run in both cup competitions. In the league we took points off all of the other sides by defeating all but one of them. The ‘Cups’ also saw victories over Premier Division sides Bohemians and Dundalk. It was unfortunate for us that this was the season Derry had to join the First Division.
Derry benchmark
“It looked for a good while that the First Division was going to be a one-horse race,” he added, “with Derry galloping out of sight. They might have dropped down a league but the Candystripes never lost their Premier Division standards and are a class act. I am not surprised that their stay was short. After our first encounter against Derry we knew what the benchmark was if we were to be successful in the league and I believe that we have come up to that mark. I remember at the start of the season looking down the schedule of games and noting that the final one of the season was at Gortakeegan against Derry and hoping that it would be an important game for us and that is how it has panned out. If we are to travel up with Derry to the Premier this season it is imperative that we win this game.” For the game, Cooke must plan without influential duo Karl Bermingham, who misses out through injury, and Seán Brennan, who serves a one-match ban as a result of accumulating eight yellow cards.
Vital point
Derry boss Stephen Kenny, who is without the suspended Michael McCrudden, is expecting to achieve promotion for the second time having also brought Premier Division football to Longford Town in 2000. “The league title has not been won just yet and while we're certainly 99.9 per cent there, we want to finish the season on a high,” Kenny told the Derry Journal. “After the Finn Harps match, many people were disappointed that we didn’t win that game but it just goes to show you how competitive this league is. It has since transpired that the point won against Finn Harps could well be the point that wins us the First Division title. Given what happened over the weekend, it was a crucial point for us. We had expected a final day showdown against Monaghan and we will continue to prepare in that frame of mind. We were back training on Sunday, we had a session in the gym on Monday and we'll be training on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday to prepare for that game.
Due reward
“We will not be complacent in any way and it would be a very special night for us to receive the trophy in Monaghan and bring it back to Derry,” he added. “Neutrals have suggested it has been the most competitive league in years, so we always had to be on our guard. But it will be a great feeling to win it and I believe the players are deserving of that for their efforts this season. They’ve been fantastic. We have a superb group of players, the vast majority of which have experienced their first full season at this level and they will continue to improve. They have adopted a tremendous attitude; they’ve trained very hard, week in and week out without complaint. They’ve enjoyed their training and the quality of the football they have exhibited. They have continued to work hard for each other and, hopefully, they will receive their just rewards this Saturday night in Monaghan.”
Monaghan United
Injured: Karl Bermingham
Doubts: None
Suspended: Seán Brennan
Derry CityInjured: None
Doubts: None
Suspended: Michael McCrudden
Referee: Phil Caschera (Dublin)
extratime.ie prediction: Monaghan to miss out on the playoffs. 2-1 Derry.
Cooke keen
And Monaghan manager Mick Cooke, who already congratulated Derry on winning the league, is keen to ensure that a fine season ends with some reward. “Last week’s result against Mervue was most disappointing for everyone involved,” Cooke admitted. “It ended our dream of winning the league but fortunately not our chance of promotion. However disappointing the outcome at Terryland Park was we should not let it overshadow the season we’ve just had. The right result tonight would still see us in second place – a position only once previously achieved by the club. We also had an excellent run in both cup competitions. In the league we took points off all of the other sides by defeating all but one of them. The ‘Cups’ also saw victories over Premier Division sides Bohemians and Dundalk. It was unfortunate for us that this was the season Derry had to join the First Division.
Derry benchmark
“It looked for a good while that the First Division was going to be a one-horse race,” he added, “with Derry galloping out of sight. They might have dropped down a league but the Candystripes never lost their Premier Division standards and are a class act. I am not surprised that their stay was short. After our first encounter against Derry we knew what the benchmark was if we were to be successful in the league and I believe that we have come up to that mark. I remember at the start of the season looking down the schedule of games and noting that the final one of the season was at Gortakeegan against Derry and hoping that it would be an important game for us and that is how it has panned out. If we are to travel up with Derry to the Premier this season it is imperative that we win this game.” For the game, Cooke must plan without influential duo Karl Bermingham, who misses out through injury, and Seán Brennan, who serves a one-match ban as a result of accumulating eight yellow cards.
Vital point
Derry boss Stephen Kenny, who is without the suspended Michael McCrudden, is expecting to achieve promotion for the second time having also brought Premier Division football to Longford Town in 2000. “The league title has not been won just yet and while we're certainly 99.9 per cent there, we want to finish the season on a high,” Kenny told the Derry Journal. “After the Finn Harps match, many people were disappointed that we didn’t win that game but it just goes to show you how competitive this league is. It has since transpired that the point won against Finn Harps could well be the point that wins us the First Division title. Given what happened over the weekend, it was a crucial point for us. We had expected a final day showdown against Monaghan and we will continue to prepare in that frame of mind. We were back training on Sunday, we had a session in the gym on Monday and we'll be training on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday to prepare for that game.
Due reward
“We will not be complacent in any way and it would be a very special night for us to receive the trophy in Monaghan and bring it back to Derry,” he added. “Neutrals have suggested it has been the most competitive league in years, so we always had to be on our guard. But it will be a great feeling to win it and I believe the players are deserving of that for their efforts this season. They’ve been fantastic. We have a superb group of players, the vast majority of which have experienced their first full season at this level and they will continue to improve. They have adopted a tremendous attitude; they’ve trained very hard, week in and week out without complaint. They’ve enjoyed their training and the quality of the football they have exhibited. They have continued to work hard for each other and, hopefully, they will receive their just rewards this Saturday night in Monaghan.”
Monaghan United
Injured: Karl Bermingham
Doubts: None
Suspended: Seán Brennan
Derry CityInjured: None
Doubts: None
Suspended: Michael McCrudden
Referee: Phil Caschera (Dublin)
extratime.ie prediction: Monaghan to miss out on the playoffs. 2-1 Derry.
