All-Ireland SFC quarter-final

Tyrone v Monaghan

Croke Park, Saturday, 4pm

Live: Sky Sports 5

With the clock running down on a mostly drab summer, you can tell that the general ache for excitement has reached a tipping point when you hear folk say they’re looking forward to Tyrone v Monaghan. Proof that people will talk themselves into anything given the right circumstances.

The succession of blow-outs last weekend has fairly lowered the bar for what people want to see in their All-Ireland series. Right now, it seems to be set at the result being up for grabs going into the last 10 minutes and not a whole pile more. How else to explain the gathering hum of expectation around what is, in all likelihood, going to be a grim, grinding battle of wills?

This is their fourth meeting in five seasons, their sixth in 10. You would say that familiarity has bred contempt, except that the border between the two counties has long since had that covered. You have to go back to 2005 to find the last time one of these sides put two goals on the other. If you are expecting a classic here, you’re either not paying attention or you have some pretty niche tastes.

Packed defences

There will be a lot of the following in Croke Park for Saturday’s first game. Packed defences, bunching inside the 45s, slow build-up play, balls kicked backwards, misplaced passes, interceptions, fouls, frees and cards of many colours. The 9 to 2 available about there being no goals in the game looks the bet of the weekend.

As to who will emerge from the tie to meet Kerry in an All-Ireland semi-final, Monaghan would appear to have a slightly stronger wind at their back. Though formlines can’t really be trusted to have much credibility, they’ve beaten two All-Ireland quarter-finalists this summer already in Fermanagh and Donegal. Tyrone’s passage through the qualifiers has been doughty and restorative but their best performances have come against Tipperary and Sligo. This is undeniably a step up.

For the first time in a long number of years, Mickey Harte seems to have mostly settled on a preferred line-up. Aidan McCrory, Ronan McNamee and Cathal McCarron are a solid core at the back, with McCarron the man most likely to be sent onto Conor McManus as his full-time job. He will have plenty of part-time help, as Tyrone have developed an admirably mean defensive structure.

Counter-attack

Just like Monaghan, they will attempt to counter-attack from turnovers. If Mattie Donnelly, Colm Cavanagh and the excellent Peter Harte can process enough possession to feed to the inside four of Mark Bradley, Seán Cavanagh, Darren McCurry and Connor McAliskey, Tyrone have the makings of a decent score in them.

Where Monaghan can gain the upper hand, however, is in cutting off the supply. Colin Walshe and Ryan Wylie can conceivably excise McAliskey and McCurry from the game and Karl O’Connell’s lightning running could give Bradley more work to do on the back foot than on the front.

Both teams will surely make changes, having turned the dummy team into an art-form down the years. But apart from Drew Wylie – whose return from knee injury is said to be imminent – there isn’t a massive amount of jiggery-pokery for either side to pull that would significantly change the sort of game we will see.

It will be tactical and low-scoring, with very little to choose between the two sides in terms of free-taking – McManus and McCurry are two of the best in the business, ditto the goalkeepers. It would be no shock to see Tyrone rain on the Ulster champions’ parade but Malachy O’Rourke’s side have been equal to every challenge this year and they have some making up to do for 2013. It can see them through.

THE LOWDOWN

MONAGHAN: Rory Beggan; Vinny Corey, Colin Walshe, Dessie Mone; Ryan Wylie, Neil McAdam, Karl O'Connell; Fintan Kelly, Owen Lennon; Darren Hughes, Dermot Malone, Kieran Duffy; Conor McManus, Kieran Hughes, Owen Duffy.

TYRONE: Niall Morgan; Aidan McCrory, Ronan McNamee, Cathal McCarron; Ronan McNabb, Joe McMahon, Peter Harte; Colm Cavanagh, Mattie Donnelly; Tiarnan McCann, Mark Bradley, Conor Meyler; Darren McCurry, Seán Cavanagh, Conor McAliskey.

Referee: Marty Duffy (Sligo).

Last meeting: June 15th 2014, Ulster SFC quarter-final, Clones – Monaghan 1-12 Tyrone 0-14.

Betting: Monaghan 4/5, Tyrone 13/8, Draw 15/2.

Injuries: Drew Wylie looks to be close to a comeback for Monaghan, Cathal McCarron returns for Tyrone.

Just the ticket: Adult €30; Hill 16 €20; Student & Senior €20 (Cusack and Davin only); U16 €5.

Verdict: Monaghan