League Final a Bonus

So, as it happens, the performances of experimental Derry teams (including at least five changes for every single game) have been good enough to land the Oakleafers their second successive NFL Final meeting with Kerry.

The Irish Times match report from Glen on Monday described qualification for the Final as "a timely bonus" for Derry. And despite having loftier ambitions for later in the year, Damian Cassidy seemed happy to find his side in a League decider:

“It’s something to look forward to, there’s nothing wrong with another game. We’ve done it without emptying the tank, we’ve used the league the way I felt we need to use it and here we are. The game is in two weeks’ time and it’s a good bridge in terms of closing the gap to May 24th.”

Most of the paper talk predictably focused on Derry's hope to manage league success a little better than last year. A Colm Keys article in today's Irish Independent features an interview with Mark Lynch who cautions against Derry losing their "championship focus":

"Last year it was nice to win and maybe we got carried away as it showed in our championship performances. This year we are just looking at every game. We were looking at our performance against Donegal and it was just a bonus that we got through to the final. We will just be looking for a good performance to see where we are really standing."

The same scribe pointed to Damian Cassidy's squad development for the championship, rather than focus on the Final meeting with Kerry, in his Derry v Donegal match report yesterday:

"Foremost is his desire to forge a belief among his players that they can survive without their inspirational midfielder Fergal Doherty and talismanic forward Paddy Bradley, something that hasn't been quite apparent in recent seasons. Both were injured yesterday -- Doherty for the third successive game -- yet they thrived"

A sobering reminder (if one was needed) about Derry's failure to capitalise on previous League victories is also provided:

"League successes in 1992, '95, '96, 2000 and 2008 have never led to anything more than a hollow feeling at what might and should have been. The perception that Derry lost their way after beating last year's All-Ireland champions still lingers."

The build-up to the NFL Final with Kerry starts now, but the minds of the manager, players and even the press, are very much focused on the Championship.