Whatever has been said about the importance of this Sunday's NFL Final, it at least offers us a glimpse as to what Damian Cassidy feels his best Derry team is. With injuries to Fergal Doherty, Sean Martin Lockhart, Patsy Bradley and Barry McGoldrick and the unfortunate absence of Niall McCusker, the selection has been impaired; but it could be viewed as what Cassidy sees as the strongest side at his disposal.
It seems that he feels Enda Lynn and Brian Mullan are his best options at wing-forward and that a fit Mark Lynch is the preferred option to play alongside the Bradleys in the forward line. Chris McKaigue will get his chance at right half-back.
But missing so many players - mostly almost-certain starters at that - leaves a hole in any team selection, and presents a blow to Derry's hopes of successfully defending their NFL crown. The late injury to Barry McGoldrick poses particular problems. He has fitted well into the centre half-back role, and Derry will now look to Barry McGuigan to cover this position.
Ironically, the Slaughtneil man started the NFL campaign at centre-back against Mayo, and proved his versatility by playing in the forward line in latter games - scoring two points against Dublin.
In the midst of these injury problems the silver lining is provided by the fact that the Derry management will get the ideal chance to assess further options one more time before the season starts in earnest.
Assistant manager Kevin Madden is keen for each player to take their chance:
"When a door closes for somebody, it opens for somebody else. If those players were playing, certain players wouldn't be getting an opportunity. So it's a chance for those players to send out the message that they are capable of playing championship football, and no better team to test them against than Kerry."And that is the beauty of this Final. It allows a young, progressing Oakleaf side to face the best team in country (currently) on the greatest stage of all. It may 'only' be an NFL decider - there are loftier ambitions for later in the summer - but playing Kerry in Croke Park is ideal championship preparation.
Derry suffered a two point defeat to the Kingdom in March, and Damian Cassidy is well aware that they present a massive test for his side:
"We lost to Kerry and Tyrone in the League, so we know how much work has to be done. We'll know more about where we stand after Sunday. There's no better way to find out than playing Kerry in a final in Croke Park."Derry's league ambitions have been well documented, and whether a win on Sunday is secured or not, we won't find out how great a success this NFL campaign has been until they play their final game in the summer.
The fact that Derry have reached the final by playing experimental sides throughout the group stage certainly proves that the Oakleafers are progressing in terms of squad strength and competitiveness, something that has been lacking in previous years. Kevin Madden has been happy with the side's progress so far this season:
"We set out to use the league as an opportunity to develop a squad and a competitiveness within the squad, that nobody would be sure of their place and there would be competition in, if not every position of the field, every line on the field, and certainly we've done that. We want this game to bring us on a step further and we want a performance from the players that will indicate we're one step closer to being ready for championship football on May 24."But what of Sunday's game? There has been much talk about Kerry providing a huge test, but this isn't lip-service. Make no mistake, this will be Derry's toughest game of the year so far, and a weakened side might struggle against a Kerry team who have one or two points to prove this season.
Jack O'Connor has a number of wrongs to right. Three final defeats in 2008 were hard for the Kerry players and fans to stomach. While his side's season won't hinge on National League success, it represents the first step on the road to redemption.
So, Derry will face a determined Kerry side. We saw signs of it at Bellaghy when they overcame an early four-point deficit to record a comfortable two-point victory.
Overall, Derry played poorly in that game. They failed to penetrate the Kerry defence, and the system of play Damian Cassidy has been trying to implement withered in the bitter wind and rain. When Eoin Bradley saw the line after a yellow card, Derry lost all ball-winning ability up front, and only frees kept them in touch.
But it was the application of strong Kerry pressure, composure on the ball, and the ability to squeeze Derry's attacks before they had even started, that was the downfall of the Oakleafers that day.
Have the lessons been learned? Sunday will tell us a lot.
Derry have a stronger forward line available, with Paddy and Eoin Bradley joined by Mark Lynch. These are forwards with the power and pace to win their own ball, and the accuracy to take their scores. A relatively depleted Kerry defence will be tested.
It may not be enough to win the game however. Derry have defensive difficulties of their own, and with Colm Cooper fit to start for the Kingdom, they have more than enough firepower up front to do serious damage. Kieran Donaghy will renew acquaintances with Kevin McCloy, while Tommy Walsh and Darren O'Sullivan contain their own differing threats.
Keeping so many Kerry factions quiet looks like a difficult task for this Derry side, while they must try to rack up a decent score of their own. This seems more difficult by virtue of Derry's current goal drought. Not since Eoghan Brown's goal against Westmeath have the Oakleafers raised a green flag. That's five games without a goal. That's a worry.
It is a sign that Derry are failing to create room for attacking runners from deep. The hope is that the likes of Joe Diver and Enda Lynn can cut through the middle on Sunday (just like Fergal Doherty did in Parnell Park last year) as it seems inevitable that Derry will need to hit the net to win this game.
So, it's a reasonably pessimistic outlook as the final draws nearer, but we know in Derry, more than most, that League success is not critical. Cassidy is well aware:
"There is plenty of evidence to suggest that when Derry do well in the National League, they look forward to quite a short summer but that is my job, to try and crack that mentality. We have to ensure we have a group of players that understand championship is the be all and end all. You can't live in the past, with what's happened with other players and other teams."Derry may fall short on Sunday, but the game will be extremely beneficial either way. Monaghan looms in just four week's time and the NFL Final will provide us with an indication of how well Derry are prepared for Championship action. As the manager says, there's no better way to find out than playing Kerry in a final in Croke Park.
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