Ballybay’s joint-manager Mark Doran insists the Monaghan champions will give midfielder Aaron Toner every opportunity to prove his fitness ahead of Saturday’s Ulster Club SFC preliminary round clash with Crossmaglen.
The champions of Monaghan and Armagh meet at the Athletic Grounds with All-Ireland champions Kilcoo awaiting the winners in next weekend’s quarter-final.
The Pearse Brothers defeated Scotstown to deny 'An Bhoth' a hat-trick of Monaghan titles, but lost out when the sides met in the League final less than a week later.
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That defeat also resulted in Trainor picking up a quad injury and Doran revealed that the midfielder is an unlikely starter this weekend.
“We played Scotstown in the League final the Friday after the Championship final. Aaron Toner, who plays midfield for us, picked up an injury - he pulled up after 20 minutes,” said Doran.
“I’d say he is a massive doubt as he has done no training. It is a quad injury and, at the minute, he probably won’t start and the clock is against him.
“I know Aaron is doing all he can to try and make it, but he would be a big blow for us if he isn’t available.
“We wouldn’t have the biggest squad in the world and Aaron is a massive doubt at this stage.”
Trying to defeat Crossmaglen is challenging enough without missing one of their first-choice midfielders.
Ballybay are rated as 7/2 chances for victory on Saturday night while Cross are odds-on at 2/7.
With the Armagh decider being played one week after the Monaghan final, Doran and Jerome Johnson Snr were able to attend the Athletic Grounds to watch Crossmaglen defeat first-time county finalists Granemore 1-19 to 0-10.
“To be fair, we didn’t even look at the draw and we didn’t know until after the Championship who Monaghan played,” stated Doran.
“Once we won the Monaghan Championship, the Armagh final hadn’t been played yet, so we were able to come and watch Crossmaglen. They were very impressive.
“I was looking through some figures the other day - Cross have won 11 Ulsters, 46 Armagh Championship and six All-Irelands. Ballybay haven’t won a game in Ulster.
“It is a bit like ‘David versus Goliath’, but we are Monaghan champions. Nobody is under any illusions in Ballybay of the task that is ahead of them.
“It is an opportunity and all we can ask is that everyone in Ballybay gives it their all for that 70 minutes and, hopefully, that’s enough to get us over the line.
I think Cross won their quarter-final by 10 points, they won their semi-final by 15 and they won their final by 12 points.
"County Championships aren’t easy to win, but when you look at the scores Cross are racking up, they seem to be doing it very impressively.
“To be fair, we were sitting watching them thinking we’ve definitely drawn the short straw.
“Cross are probably the most in-form team in Ulster at the minute with the way they are playing and the scores they are racking up.”
While Doran may be correct in his assumption that Cross are the form team heading into the Ulster Club series, Ballybay also caught the eye when they ended a 10-year await to lift the Mick Duffy Cup last month.
They edged out Scotstown by three points in the decider in Clones, but had nine points to spare over Clontibret in the semi-final and scored a 3-13 to 0-8 win over Truagh in the quarter-final.
Doran feels Ballybay’s win over Scotstown in the group stage instilled a renewed belief and confidence within the squad.
“I got my eyes opened last year when you see how competitive the Monaghan Championship is,” said the Down native.
“I know Scotstown had been getting to finals and dominating, but they weren’t hammering teams and beating them out the gate.
“This year we were drawn in a group in the ‘group of death’ with Donaghmoyne, Aughnamullen, Scotstown and Clontibret. Three were coming out of that group and two didn’t.
“We played Scotstown in the first game and, at the time we won the game, I thought ‘that’s not the time to beat’ them - it was only when I got into the changing rooms I fought out it was 20 years since Ballybay beat Scotstown in a Championship game.
"It was good to give the Ballybay players belief that they can beat Scotstown.
“The Monaghan club Championship is a great Championship. It is competitive. If you go through the results, every game is a battle.”
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