Monaghan men looking to build on recent good runs

IF their recent runs at the INDO Inter Counties championships are anything to go by, then Monaghan darts is certainly on the up.

Over recent years, the county has competed in the final and semi-finals of the shield, and also made it to back-to-back quarter finals in the main cup competition.

If the team is to be at the business end of either competition again this year they will have to do so without the 2024 WDF world champion Shane McGuirk after he recently won his professional PDC tour card.

Monaghan county chairman Michael McNeaney said: "A player of Shane's ability would be a big loss to any county, but at the same time it will give other lads on our team a chance to step up.

"We have one or two new players this year who will be coming in to experience the Inter Counties for the first time and also some experienced players who know what it's all about coming back into the squad too.

"So hopefully we will have the balance right and have a good crack at it in Killarney."

The Monaghan team are going into the Inter Counties having recently made the final of the Fairways Cup in Cavan, only just losing out in a thrilling final to the host county.

Michael said he hopes this will stand to them when they step up to the ache this weekend.

He added: "We had a great comeback against Louth in our semi-final as we needed to win the final three games in that match to progress and the lads did just that.

"We also came back strongly against Cavan in the final, and although we just lost out in the end, the backing the whole team was giving each other was great to see.

"If we take that attitude into Killarney then there is no reason why we can't compete with the best of them."

MONAGHAN SQUAD: Garry McQuillan (captain), Michael McNeaney, Joe Cawley, Justin Cawley, Norman Graham, Ollie Lennon, Brian Smith, Dean Crawley, Marty Burke, Ben McCaffrey, Louis Moyna, Conall McCann, Dan McEntee,  John McDonald, Enda McQuillan, Danny McDermott. MANAGER: Keith Falkiner 

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