GAA: Derry and Monaghan go head-to-head as Donegal await in Ulster SFC final
Athletic Grounds, Armagh (4pm)
It's decision time in the Ulster Senior Football Championship today.
Derry and Monaghan will meet in Armagh's Athletic ~Grounds at 4pm, with the winner booking their place in the provincial decider in Clones in a fortnight's time.
Declan Bonner's Donegal await the victors, and whoever comes on top in today's clash will go in as underdogs on May 29th.
The Tir Chonaill men have been in 9 of the last 11 finals, lifting the Anglo-Celt 5 times since that run began in 2011. They missed out on last year's decider as eventual All-Ireland champions Tyrone edged out Monaghan, while the only other year they haven't been involved in a final since 2010 was 5 years ago, when Tyrone beat Down.
But the current Sam Maguire holders are out of the running for this year's Ulster title after being comfortably beaten by Derry in the quarter-finals.
Rory Gallagher's Oak Leafers are in resurgent form in 2022.
They just missed out on promotion to Division 1 of the National League and their humbling of Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher's Red Hands - they won 1-18 to 0-10 in Omagh's Healy Park - has made many sit up and take notice.
From Monaghan's perspective, they had very little issues getting past a struggling Down in their quarter-final clash.
Seamus McEnaney's had a facile 0-23 to 2-7 win in St Tiernach's Park and, given their recent pedigree in the competition, will arguably go into today's game as favourites.
Although the last time they won it was back in 2015 with victory over Donegal, they were only beaten by eventual All-Ireland champions Tyrone 0-16 to 0-15 last year.
In 2022, the Farney men have looked good.
With the ageless Conor McManus leading the line alongside new face Gary Mohan, they provide a potent scoring threat.
However, it's Jack McCarron who has been one of their stars this year.
He was the hero on the final day of the National League, scoring the winning point to seal a breathless 3-13 to 1-8 won over the mighty Dublin - it kept Monaghan in the top flight for at least another year and relegated Dessie Farrell's side to Division 2 - something that would have been unthinkable just 12 months previously.
It could well be a case of which in-form forard comes out on top that has the biggest bearing on today's match.
Will it be McCarron or Derry's Shane McGuigan? Or will someone else become the hero?