McKenna Cup Preview

   

Tonight sees a full schedule of matches in the Dr McKenna Cup including the first appearances of the tournament for Tyrone and Fermanagh. The betting for tonight’s matches is as follows (all matches 7.30pm unless stated otherwise)

1/4 Tyrone 8/1 U.U.Jordanstown 10/3

5/4 Monaghan 7/1 Cavan 8/11

4/11 Derry 8/1 Queen’s University Belfast 5/2

1/6 Armagh 10/1 St Mary’s Belfast 9/2

11/8 Antrim 15/2 Down 4/6

3/10 Donegal 15/2 Fermanagh 3/1 (8.00pm)

 

There are very strong favourites in four of the six games with the favourites looking nailed on and not worth a bet at the prices. In the other two games though it is the outsiders I fancy to spring a surprise in.

A lot has been made of the absentees in the Monaghan panel for the McKenna Cup but the newcomers still played reasonably well against a much fitter Queens team on Saturday afternoon. The Farney men lost by four points but kicked sixteen wides during the match. They showed enough against Queens to show that there is definitely potential in a few of the new faces and when you add to this the experience of Dick Clerkin and Paul Finlay I think they should have enough on show to edge the match tonight against the Breffni men. Cavan started their campaign with a two point loss at home to Derry and are still missing their star man Seanie Johnston so I think home advantage will allow Monaghan to take the points tonight.

Antrim play host to Down tonight at Casement Park and are a massive price at 11/8 given the circumstances. Antrim come into the match after a good win at the weekend albeit against the students from St Mary’s. Down were beat by local rivals Armagh in a tight encounter at Pairc Esler where both defences under performed. Down have named the same defence from Saturday night which doesn’t inspire confidence, two of the players actually play most of their football in the forward lines for their respective clubs. It is hard to see how they will cope against the lively duo of CJ McGourty and Paddy Cunningham. Down also rest Martin Clarke and Benny Coulter from the team that played on Saturday night. They were two of the better Down players on the night and helped prevent Down from taking a hammering, Benny bagging 2-01 himself. Danny Hughes and Mark Poland come in to replace the pair. It is the Down defence though that gives the most to worry about and Antrim should win this match by a few points.

All star duo Coulter and Clarke rested from the starting line up against Antrim tonight.

Tournament outright betting:

Tyrone 2/1

Derry 7/2

Armagh 7/2

Donegal 9/2

Down 9/1

Antrim 9/1

Queens 10/1

Fermanagh 16/1

Cavan 20/1

Monaghan 33/1

U.U.Jordanstown 40/1

St Mary’s Belfast 66/1