Paul Finlay is under no illusions as to the importance of this weekend's Ulster SFC final.

For the second successive year, Monaghan and Donegal lock horns at Clones in the Anglo-Celt Cup decider and Farney County veteran Finlay accepts that the game is of vital importance to both camps.

"It's a massive game for both teams," the Ballybay clubman notes in The Irish Examiner. "Donegal have different things going on: three in four years and us going back to back so it is a massive game for both teams.

"That said, I don't think either team will be looking at those sort of stats too much before the game. If you start looking to those sort of things you are losing what you should be concentrating on.

"We set out our stall from the start of the year. Malachy [O'Rourke, manager] asked us a few questions as a group about what our ambition was and where did we really want to go. Nobody in the room that evening said we wanted to take a step back.

"It was all about progressing and trying to bring the team and the squad forward whatever way we could and try to get better, looking at the performances of 2013 and how we could improve going forward. You just become part of that and buy into it." Tweet

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