The bookies seldom get it wrong and that’s why the world is full of beaten dockets.
They have made Scotstown a whopping 1/8 to beat newly crowned Fermanagh county champions Erne Gaels in the Ulster Club Football quarter-final in Brewster Park next Saturday.
The Gaels bridged a 43-year gap by beating a fancied Enniskillen Gaels by 1-13 to 1-09 while Scotstown accounted for Clontibret by 1-10 to 0-08.
Scotstown have won four Ulster club titles and 23 Monaghan titles as well as eight county titles In the past decade in Monaghan.
And they only lost by two points to eventual All-Ireland winners Glen in last year’s Ulster final.
That is ferocious pedigree by any standards and with players of the calibre of Rory Beggan, Shane Carey, Conor McCarthy, Ryan O’Toole, Kieran Hughes, Darren Hughes and Kieran Hughes, it is easy to see how they are rightly the hottest of favourites.
Full-blooded Erne Gaels manager Declan Bonner joined in the understandable massive celebrations in the Donegal border village-but the focus is now firmly focused on Scotstown.
“It was right to enjoy that great victory as 43 years is a mighty long time.
“The boys showed great character in both the wins over Derrygonnelly and Enniskillen and we are just so proud of them and this win has given a great boost to the whole.
“Everything that could go wrong against Enniskillen did go wrong in the first-half.
“We lost a huge player Brian Mullin to injury, Shane Rooney got a black card and we went five points down.
“But the lads kept calm and showed great character to come back and win the game in style.”
And he does not buy the “nothing to lose card as no-hopers.”
“I would not even say that and anyone that knows me knows that we will be going all out on Sunday and the fact that it is an Ulster club quarter-final is even more motivation.
“Games like that don’t come around too often and I know we have lost Brian Mullin who is a vastly experienced player, but this is a very strong squad and that showed when Brian had to go off early on with a shoulder injury.
“We have a full squad otherwise.”
Bonner took over an Erne Gaels side at the start of the year- a side who were said to be mentally fragile after losing two county finals on the trot.
But they showed huge character and desire to come back from so much adversity in the final against Enniskillen to take their first title since 1981.
“We gave a real composed professional performance in the second half," he added.
“We have tightened up the defence and we are getting the balance right and every player has to buy into a structure with a specific role and that takes time, but I feel we are improving all the time.
“They are very hard working and Ciaran Smith has done a great job with the S and C which leaves it easier for Paul Brennan and I at the training.
“It takes a lot of time and hard work and Scotstown are one of the top teams in Ulster if not Ireland.
“They are fancied to win Ulster and it is a great challenge but one I am looking forward to.”
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