Saffrons Spice Things Up

I only managed to catch the last ten minutes of Saturday night's game in Clones, but if Cavan were playing like that for the whole of the game then they deserved to get beat. And if the first sixty minutes were as bad as the closing stages, then I'm glad I saw very little of it.

But very few people in Antrim will care about the quality of football on offer, as their 39-year wait for an Ulster Final appearance has finally come to an end. Unfortunately, I'll not be holding too much hope for Liam Bradley's side in the decider at Clones. I expect Tyrone to win comfortably enough - they have too many good players all over the pitch for Antrim to stop them. No matter how much the Saffrons huff and puff, the greater quality at the disposal of the Red Hands should shine through without too much resistance.

Antrim would be best advised to forget about who they are playing in the Final. If they get bogged down (as may have happened Derry) in trying to snuff out Tyrone, then they won't let their own strengths come to the fore. Antrim have showed passion, belief and confidence in abundance in the opening two rounds, and retreating back into their shell will do them no favours in a Final, where many people are only predicting the margin of Tyrone's victory.

And they're probably right, because let's face it... the Final could be a massacre.

Where's that handicap market?

And then there was One...

Most football commentators appear to be of the firm opinion that there is no point in playing this year's Ulster Final. In other words, when the silverware is handed out in Clones on 19th July, it'll be into the hands of Tyrone's captain. There's no doubting that in my mind also, but it figures then that tomorrow's Ulster semi-final between Antrim and Cavan is also meaningless.

So, instead of playing an Ulster semi-final tomorrow evening it should be played as some sort of "qualifier qualifier" (if you get my meaning), with the winner going into Round 4 and the loser joining Derry in Round 2. And just forget about the Ulster Final. That would save a lot of time and energy, but the winners still get their rightful reward.

Both sides will obviously point to the fact that they'll be all the better for playing in an Ulster Final, and it will be a great occasion etc. but believe me guys... it won't be great at all. It will be an awful experience.

Just for the record, I think that Cavan should have just about enough for Antrim in tomorrow's game. All round, they are a better balanced side with greater individual talent. They are also a more experienced team; with Antrim (to my knowledge) not having featured at the newly (early 1990s) renovated Clones in a Senior Championship tie. Antrim have players who have won Sigerson and Ulster Club titles, but this is a different level and I wonder how hard it will be for them to repeat their heroics from Ballybofey.

Cavan's edge in the forward line might just prove the telling difference, and with it give the Breffni-men the privilege of getting their backsides handed to them by the Red Hands in July.

More Doom and Gloom than 'Va Va Voom'

A few lengthy days have now passed since the disappointment of Sunday's performance in Casement Park. The second round of the Club championships is already underway, and this is usually as good a way as any to cast inter-county aspersions aside for one long weekend. However, Ballinderry's suspension from this year's Senior Championship has cast a huge shadow over this weekend's games, and is likely to linger for the remainder of the competition.

It has been a poor month for Derry football - both on and off the field - and at this rate, the season ain't going to get much better.

Anyway, to Casement Park then (gulp!), and Thursday is probably a safe enough distance from which to look back at Sunday's proceedings, and the many thoughts that have followed.

A quick scan at Monday's depressing bunch of papers outlined in heavy bold what we all already knew - Derry had not been good enough. And to make matters worse, most commentators all seemed to agree that Sunday's win was a mere stepping stone for the all-conquering Tyrone, as they brushed the derby challenge aside without having to barely break a sweat.

Monday's edition of The Irish News could have been mistaken for an issue of Top Gear (I assume there's a magazine to accompany this questionable TV show... Google confirms that - predictably - there is), such was the leaning towards vehicle metaphors by their writers. Kenny Archer must shoulder most of the blame for his piece that claimed Derry failed to match Tyrone's "va-va-voom". I can't disagree with much of that, but saying that Derry had been crushed "as if they were a tax-dodger’s vehicle" was perhaps a bit much!

Paddy Heaney continues the theme by saying that the Oaks had been "tanked", and that Tyrone would now "refuel before preparing to dismantle either Antrim or Cavan on July 19." He also tells us that Tyrone are looking close to being the finished article. Many Derry fans - if they weren't doing so already - will start to nod in resigned agreement, having witnessed Sunday's game.

Eamonn O'Hara chose to use the tried and trusted Shakespearean theme to tell us about Derry's "midsummer nightmare". The "toil and trouble" bit certainly rings true, but he neglected to tell us that the great bard never wrote a tragedy such as this. Any romantic tales will be put away for another day as the qualifier route looms for the Oakleafers.

Before I leave the Irish News' extensive offerings I must question Brendan Crossan's match report. He claimed the following: that "Eoin Bradley was lucky to escape with a yellow card after kicking out at Ryan McMenamin"; Barry McGuigan was also lucky to escape red after "gratefully accepting a yellow" (for his clash with Brian Dooher); and that Kevin McGuckin "pursued and lashed out at Sean Cavanagh". Three innocuous incidents in the course of the game that were highlighted and dressed-up. Tyrone were obviously blemish-free.

Time to move down to the southern press, and there's Sean Moran of The Irish Times banging on about a "driving-seat". What was in the tea in that pokey Casement press box anyway? He outlines the all-too evident differences between the sides:

"Tyrone were simply too accomplished for their struggling opponents. Their drifting, support game is so well practised that they can effortlessly enact complex strategies. This constant, meaningful movement – players picking out each other accurately and at pace and moving into space – was in contrast to Derry, who rarely managed to elude their markers when attacking and more than once the attacking runner showed little vision of which colleagues had got free and where."

Moving to The Irish Independent, and Martin Breheny's report talks about Tyrone "cruising" into the Ulster Final (hmmm... I should probably give him the benefit of the doubt!):

"Derry were far too predictable in their movement and were ultimately let down by a power failure in attack. Three of the starting six were replaced but it made no appreciable difference on a day when Derry's All-Ireland prospects took a serious knock."

A knock indeed, and one from which Derry have less than three weeks to dust themselves down, to try and stitch their season back together, piece by piece.

At least there's always someone worse off than yourself, and it is Roscommon who are holding that most dubious of honours this week. After their 20-point drubbing by Mayo at Castlebar, the Roscommon Herald likened their side's performance to that of the Kilkenny footballers...

Hopefully things won't get that bad for Derry!

The Longest Day

Unfortunately today's defeat to Tyrone doesn't require much analysis. We were beaten by a better team, plain and simple.

We have found ourselves at the juncture that has become so familiar since 2000, and Damian Cassidy will have a job on his hands to lift his players for the qualifier campaign that lies ahead. But it's hard to even consider that particular route tonight, after such a convincing loss to our closest rivals.

Today proved how good Tyrone really can be. Not only do they have a well-oiled system in place, but they have top-quality players in every sector of the field to carry it out effectively. They have a serious strength in depth also, that enables them to push on at certain stages of the game just when the opposition feel that they are getting to grips with them.

And they displayed all those qualities today, showing the country once again, that they are the complete team, and will take some stopping in their quest to win back-to-back All-Ireland titles. Today, almost every Tyrone player carried out their task to the letter. Without playing at their best, they won all the key battles, and took the chances required to win the game.

Derry weren't at the races.

Right from the start we looked lethargic. Playing without so many key players obviously didn't help, but the players on the field just couldn't get to grips with the task in hand.

Firstly, we were outplayed at midfield. It doesn't matter what type of system you are trying to impose on a game, if you don't win primary possession you are going to be in trouble. Kevin Hughes was outstanding for Tyrone in this sector, whilst Derry failed to impress on the breaking ball stakes. Joe Diver had a good game, but too often he was left isolated in the middle third. The Paul Murphy experiment at midfield didn't work. The Dungiven man seemed to play in an overly defensive role, and couldn't get into the game. His substitution midway through the first-half highlighted Derry's midfield problems. With Fergal Doherty, Enda Muldoon, Patsy Bradley and James Conway all unavailable these problems were unlikely to be overcome.

Derry found themselves three points in arrears at half-time, and most Oakleaf fans in the 24,000 crowd could be forgiven for being happy enough. In defence Gerard O'Kane and Sean Lockhart did excellent jobs in curtailing Sean Cavanagh and Stephen O'Neill respectively, but the problems were appearing elsewhere. Martin Penrose had given Kevin McGuckin a torrid opening period, while Tommy McGuigan was deadly accurate in front of the posts. We could live with a three-point deficit.

Derry's attacking machine had failed to kick into gear. In the system that we are trying to play, the wing positions are pretty much key. Enda Lynn and Eoin Brown failed to provide an attacking outlet, allowing Jordan and Harte to impose themselves in a familiar manner. Between centrefield and half-forward problems and the effective pressure Tyrone continuously applied, Derry's system failed to initiate.

It's a human trait that when people find themselves under pressure, they revert to type. Derry ran down blind alleys, played the ball backwards, and allowed Tyrone to gobble up possession. Attributes synoymous with poor Derry performances in recent years. The ball wasn't moved directly to the forwards, or to wide areas. There were no counter attacks. And failure to win primary ball exacerbated the problem.

Tyrone ruthlessly and efficiently exposed Derry's frailties, and were able to call upon Brian Dooher, Brian McGuigan and Colm McCullagh off the bench. A show of strength that highlighted Derry's problems in this very area. Seamus Bradley replaced Murphy and caused some problems in the forward line, but Caolan O'Boyle and Gavin McShane came on to make their championshiop debuts, and could not have been expected to seriously influence the game.

Derry only managed two points in an excruciating second-half performance. Dooher helped Tyrone turn the screw and suddenly they were out of sight. Eoin Bradley helped carried the fight from deep positions, while Barry McGoldrick tried to break through from defence at every opportunity. Derry could only manage to kick ball down Tyrone's throat however (as Paddy Bradley and Mark Lynch found themselves well shackled), before the Red Hands broke free at pace. By the time Kevin McGuckin saw what looked like an extremely harsh red card, the game was clearly up.

It will be a despondent Derry squad this week. Understandably so. They didn't perform. They allowed Tyrone to overrun them, and they seemed to play with a lack of belief in themselves at times. That won't do against Tyrone. Derry have players to come back in that will help the cause, but Damian Cassidy might have to reconsider things before the first qualifier game. He will understand now, if he didn't know already, that success with Derry cannot be achieved overnight.

The Oakleaf supporters will be disillusioned also this evening, as a clear gap between ourselves and Tyrone was brutally exposed at Casement Park. Anyone believing Derry could win today (including myself!) was perhaps a little too hasty in applying an optimism towards a weakened Derry side, up against Tyrone's power, pace, strength and efficiency. It should be remembered that Mickey Harte has been moulding his Tyrone masterpiece for almost seven years now; Damian Cassidy has only just got his hands on the clay.

After today's harsh lesson, the season will still continue. Derry's hand should be strengthened the next day, but the lesson might have to be learned fast.

Derry: B Gillis, K McGuckin, SM Lockhart, G O'Kane, C McKaigue, B McGuigan, SL McGoldrick, B McGoldrick (0-01, f), J Diver, E Browne, P Murphy, E Lynn, E Bradley (0-04, 1f, 1 '45'), P Bradley (0-01, f), M Lynch. Subs: S Bradley (0-01) for Murphy (22), N McCusker for SL McGoldrick (54), C O'Boyle for Lynch (55)

Derry Must Take Giant Leap

The following is the Derry team to face Tyrone in Sunday's Ulster SFC semi-final at Casement Park: B Gillis, K McGuckin, SM Lockhart, G O'Kane; C McKaigue, B McGuigan, SL McGoldrick; B McGoldrick, J Diver; E Brown, P Murphy, E Lynn; E Bradley, P Bradley, M Lynch

His hands have been tied with injuries and suspensions, but Damian Cassidy has still managed to select a reasonably bold starting fifteen for this massive game. Dropping Kevin McCloy is a big move, while Eoghan Brown's selection is a minor risk; but in the circumstances there were few other options available (perhaps Paul Young, Gavin McShane and Caolan O'Boyle were staking claims - though it would be a big jump up in level for the latter two who have yet to feature in competitive football for Derry).

We're still only at the Ulster semi-final stage, but since 2000, this has been the very point of the Summer where Derry's wheels have fallen off the wagon. Tyrone, Donegal (twice), Armagh, Monaghan and Fermanagh have all inflicted defeats that have left deep wounds.

Ironically, Derry's barren Ulster decade has coincided with the introduction of the qualifier system in 2001, and an Ulster Final has not been reached since. It could be put down to a mindset that is happy to have the safety net of the back-door, but excuses are wearing thin. The truth is, we need to win an Ulster title. Soon.

And there's no time like the present. The fact that the All-Ireland Champions Tyrone currently stand in Derry's way should be a help rather than a hindrance. Derry have failed against so-called weaker opposition in previous campaigns; a derby semi-final meeting with the Red Hands should focus the mind. It's time to take their scalp and make a serious push for an Ulster title. Derry have been beaten with the 'under-achievers' stick for too long. We must now take that extra step to become 'serious contenders'. We can do that on Sunday.

We all know winning football games isn't about mindsets however, and Derry's squad is wearing a little thin ahead of Sunday's game. Injuries and suspensions have weakened the Oakleaf hand, and the bookies would appear to concur (with 9/4 available about an Oakleaf victory), but this team must expect to win. Doherty, Muldoon, McCusker and co. will be missed, but the players coming in are capable of doing enough to achieve victory.

This is a huge test of Damian Cassidy's credentials as manager, pitting himself directly against Mickey Harte. In the absence of some key players, Cassidy's preferred system of play will be tested rigorously against a full-strength Tyrone. I believe it has the capacity to obtain the result we all crave, but Derry need to work hard from the start in every sector of the field.

The wing-half forwards must push closely on the dangerous pairing of Davy Harte and Philip Jordan. These two have been crucial performers for Mickey Harte in recent seasons. They display an ability to break onto possession in their own half before finding ample space in opposition territory to both create and take scores. Derry cannot afford to let them find their rhythm at Casement Park. It will be a baptism of championship fire for Eoghan Brown, who will have his work cut out. Conversely, Derry's wing-backs must be willing to push forward at every opportunity, creating an attacking outlet, whilst keeping Tyrone on the back-foot.

Barry McGoldrick is likely to continue his sweeping role in defence. He must keep constant tabs on the roving influence of Sean Cavanagh, and the playmaking abilities of Tommy McGuigan and Owen Mulligan. The Derry defence as a whole (which incudes the welcome return of Sean Martin Lockhart) must focus dilligently on thwarting Tyrone's attacking machine, as they seek to set up scoring opportunities for McGuigan, but more pertinently Stephen O'Neill. And this attacking machine starts with John Devine in goals. The Derry forwards must press high from the second Devine looks like seizing up one of his short kickouts.

This all makes up part of how we expect Derry to play, but the Oakleafers shouldn't concentrate too much on stopping Tyrone. We must impose our own game on them, and I'm sure Cassidy will have made his players aware of that in the past couple of weeks. This means the likes of Sean Leo McGoldrick, Chrissy McKaigue and Gerard O'Kane will support the attack, helping to create scores for the Bradleys and Lynch, while Joe Diver will be tasked with breaking through the Tyrone middle third to add an extra dynamism to Derry's offensive play. It's easy to put it into words I suppose, but a little more difficult to practice on the field of play. Especially as Tyrone will probably play a sweeper of their own (most likely in the shape of Joe McMahon), while Conor Gormley, Ryan McMenamin and Justin McMahon will be given specific man-marking duties.

Derry must not leave their full-forward line isolated, and they will want to avoid playing long hopeful balls into this area (where Tyrone will sweep up with ease). This, generally, has been removed from Derry's play under Cassidy, but was prevalent during the NFL game in Omagh, when Derry kicked susbstantial ball away during a poor first half. Players like Enda Lynn and Barry McGuigan will be tasked with getting fast accurate ball into the full-forward line, with Eoin Bradley spending time in the half-forwards to try and stretch a flexible Red Hands defence.

And this is Tyrone's strength: flexibilty and adaptability. Players for any position. This is why they are so hard to play against, and exactly why Derry must concentrate on their own game - it's impossible to second-guess Mickey Harte's side. Against Monaghan, Derry's planned system of play more or less went out the window, but Tyrone play a different brand, and as such, each Derry player muct focus solely on his task from the throw-in.

It's a big ask, but if this Oakleaf side can produce the necessary work ethic, and prevent Tyrone from finding their flow (we don't care if it ain't pretty!), then Derry have enough talent to win this game, and finally put themselves on the Ulster Final stage.

This is a massive opportunity for Derry to show the rest of the country that they are capable of greater things.

Tyrone Unchanged

Whether or not we can take Mickey Harte's team selection for Sunday at face value is another story, but the Tyrone manager has named an unchanged side for the Ulster semi-final against Derry:

J Devine, PJ Quinn, Justin McMahon, R McMenamin, D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan, K Hughes, E McGinley, M Penrose, T McGuigan, Joe McMahon, S O'Neill, S Cavanagh, O Mulligan

The headline from this will be that Brian Dooher has to settle for a place on the substitute's bench, but you would have to imagine the Tyrone captain playing a key role at some stage in this game, especially when Harte is going about uttering this kind of stuff:

Brian Dooher is a real rock. He is simply irreplaceable — I don’t know what we are going to do when he decides to call it a day. We are very fortunate to have him as captain and I just wish he was 24 instead of 34.

Luckiest to keep his place is Martin Penrose, and this is probably the position where Dooher or even Colm McCullagh could come in.

After all, Tyrone have a fully-fit squad from which to pick, so you get the feeling we might get a surprise or two yet in their line-up.

We'll not find out until Sunday.

The Sweetest Thing

Finally, after all the talk of suspensions, appeals and injuries, the week of the Tyrone game has arrived, and we can actually look forward to a game of football (at least, that's what we've been promised).

And no better game to look forward to than one against the Red Hands. The old enemy. If there's a game you don't want to lose... this is it. Any sort of victory tends to be very, very sweet.

There have been some games against Tyrone over the years that we'd rather forget, but in the past twenty years Derry have come out on the right side of some memorable encounters.

1991: (USFC Preliminary Round) Tyrone 1-08 Derry 1-09
It's hard to believe it's been 18 years since Damian Cassidy's last minute goal beat Tyrone at Healy Park. In fact, that's just about all I can remember about that particular game. That, and Adrian Cush's goal shortly after half-time that had Derry on the back foot until Cassidy's last-gasp intervention. It was a hot May day in Omagh, and at the end of it all, Derry were still only the first round proper.

1992: (USFC Preliminary Round) Derry 1-10 Tyrone 1-07
The following year brought another preliminary clash (back in the day when the Ulster Council only bothered holding a draw every two years). It was an all-ticket affair at a scorching Celtic Park, with the game shown live on BBC (a rare thing in those days... possibly the first Ulster SFC game to be televised live).
Dermot Heaney's goal in the opening minutes proved the difference. Eamon Coleman was smiling post-game: "we proved today that we're the better team!" After beating Down in the Ulster semi-final we could almost smell Sam. Shame we forgot about the Anglo-Celt. Donegal took care of that.

1997: (USFC Semi-final) Derry 2-15 Tyrone 2-03
'95 and '96 hurt bad. Actually 1995 probably stills hurts more than most. 1997 brought us back to Clones for the third consecutive year, and Derry dominated a Tyrone side who appeared to lack the heart for another crack at an All-Ireland title. The Oakleafers cantered to a 12-point win. It's hard to know which was the funniest moment from the match: Joe Brolly blowing kisses at the Tyrone fans, or Finbar McConnell knocking Brian Mullins hat off and throwing it away!

2001: (All-Ireland Quarter-final) Derry 1-09 Tyrone 0-07
Arguably the sweetest of all Derry victories over Tyrone. It was a dour contest at Clones, and it appeared that Tyrone were beaten from the second the draw was made, as Derry could exact revenge for an Ulster semi-final defeat a few weeks earlier. Peter Canavan was red-carded and Paddy Bradley bundled the ball just about over the line to clinch victory. Tyrone became the first Ulster champions not to play in an All-Ireland semi-final as the Oakleafers took their place. Sweet indeed!

2006: (USFC First Round) Tyrone 0-05 Derry 1-08
Another sweet victory over the Red Hands. The then All-Ireland champions famously failed to score in the first-half at Healy Park as Derry took a six-point lead. Kevin Hughes saw red for a punch on Liam Hinphey, and Enda Muldoon capitalised on some good work from Paddy Bradley and Barry McGoldrick to score the game's only goal. I've heard it said and seen it written that this was an awful game to watch.

Let's be fair... it was a thing of beauty.

Hurlers Look for Final Chance

It's been something of a topsy-turvy 2009 season for Derry's hurlers. After a decent start to the Division 3 NHL campaign, promotion was not forthcoming following a run of disappointing results. The Christy Ring Cup also came and went with a loss to Kerry swiftly following a facile victory over Wicklow. But Brian McGilligan's side still have a chance to save their season in this weekend's Ulster SHC semi-final against Down.

All year, the Dungiven man has lamented his side's inability to defend effectively, and the shipping of big tallies has led to inevitable defeats. After an NHL defeat to Kildare in March McGilligan claimed that "the couple of free goals in the first half tore the arse clean out of it”; following defeat to Kerry in the Christy Ring Cup three weeks ago he made a similar observation saying that after "a couple of silly mistakes and a couple of bad goals, the backside just fell out of it".

There appears to be a problem in the region of the derriere!

Ironically, against London in the Ulster quarter-final it was Derry who relied on a flurry of goals to see off a strong exile challenge (4-10 to 3-12). But Brian still wasn't happy:

"We wouldn’t win a Nicky Rackard on that performance. It was the worst I’ve seen from a Derry team for a long number of years. We were just very lucky to get the goals at the right time."

It's no surprise then that he feels Derry need to show a big improvement to overcome the Mournemen:

"It's going to be a mighty hard task. On the London performance, not a chance."

In Thursday's Irish News, he even goes so far as to say that Derry will need "a miracle" to beat Down. That's one way of getting the player's fired up!

If Derry do manage to win they will set up an Ulster Final clash with Antrim, who will no doubt be fresh after their short-lived appearance in the Leinster SHC.

Cork Can Still Finish Job

It was quite ironic that Cork, who spent most of last year trying to catch up with Kerry (sometimes accomplishing it, but ultimately failing), last Sunday found themselves being chased by the men from the Kingdom. And they were caught. Just about mind, but they were caught nonetheless.

Given the route that the eventual losers of this tie will have to negotiate in the qualifiers, this Munster semi-final is an arguably more important clash than last year's Munster Final. And having got themselves into a winning position, Cork will be right to kick themselves for not finishing the job.

For three-quarters of the game in Killarney Conor Counihan's side displayed power, pace and poise that Kerry couldn't live with. But the Rebels had one problem... their full-forward line just didn't produce the goods. Masters, Goulding and O'Connor, whose physical presence doesn't match that of the rest of the Cork team, struggled against a fairly accomplished showing from the Kerry full-back line, with Marc O Sé at his imperious best. Cork simply couldn't get the scores required to win the game.

It meant that Kerry, who had an off-day in terms of creation and finishing were let off the hook, thanks in the main to some dead-eye cool accuracy from substitute Bryan Sheehan.

It was an exciting game that did much to blow away any bordeom still lingering from the low-quality offering from Breffni Park the evening before, and the good news is that there is a replay to come this weekend.

It will be interesting to see how both sides approach their second battle in six days. There appears to be more questions than answers surrounding Kerry. For Saturday's replay they have named Tommy Griffin alongside Dara O Sé in an all-new midfield pairing. Sunday's hero Sheehan replaces Captain Darran O'Sullivan in the full-forward line while Tadgh Kennelly will continue to find his Championship feet, but this time at left-half forward. Jack O'Connor will hope another game against Cork will resolve some persisting selection issues. A more settled and motivated Rebels side might just have enough resolve to shade it.

The Kingdom wouldn't fancy a treacherous back-door spin, but it might afford them the fine-tuning they need before Croke Park comes calling in late summer.

Casement Makes Little Appeal

We were led to believe that the choice of venue for Derry's Ulster semi-final against Tyrone was between Clones, Casement Park, Ballybofey and Breffni Park. Casement got the nod, but if the decision was left to myself, and patently it was not, Casement Park would probably have been choice number four.

Given the distance required to reach the Donegal and Cavan venues that is saying a lot!

There's probably little point in getting bogged down over the choice of venue, but Casement Park is generally an atmosphere-less ground that offers little excitement and energy. Clones, for all its faults, is a decent Championship venue. It has ampled seating, plenty of which is covered, and the town itself is a welcoming one for match-goers.

Casement Park has the so-called advantage of "getting away quickly", but this tells us more about the surrounding area - devoid of any GAA soul - than anything else.

Of course, Tyrone players and fans will have to endure Casement too, so it's a level playing field for both sides. But I feel the need to alert you - if you were not already aware - of Derry's poor record at the West Belfast venue.

Since 1993, when Derry overcame Monaghan at the Ulster semi-final stage, the only team the Oakleafers have beaten at Casement is Antrim. And even that hasn't been the formality it should be, with the width of Anthony Tohill's fingertips saving Derry from its darkest day in 2000.

One of Derry's worst recent displays came at Casement in 2003, when a rampaging Tyrone tore through the Oakleafers in a first-round replay to record a 9-point victory.

In 2007, Casement was also the scene for one of the most miserable days any Derry supporter has had to suffer. And Derry weren't even playing! A cold and wet June day rendered the first-round clash with Antrim unplayable due to a waterlogged pitch. The announcement came about twenty minutes before the match was due to throw-in, and any Oakleaf fans unfortunate enough to be there had already endured an insufferable Ulster Hurling Final between Antrim and Down.

Barely three weeks later, and we were back again for another fun-filled Sunday afternoon in Andersonstown. Derry started as favourites against Monaghan in the Ulster semi-final. Enough said.

Derry's 10 year Championship record at Casement Park:

1999: Derry 2-15 Cavan 2-15
2000: Antrim 2-08 Derry 0-14
2000: Antrim 2-05 Derry 1-17 (replay)
2001: Antrim 0-07 Derry 0-10
2002: Antrim 0-06 Derry 0-16
2002: Tyrone 1-17 Derry 1-12
2003: Tyrone 0-17 Derry 1-05 (replay)
2005: Armagh 1-11 Derry 0-10
2007: Antrim 0-10 Derry 1-13
2007: Monaghan 0-14 Derry 1-09

Perhaps this poor record is where the root of my antipathy for Casement Park really lies. I will probably have slightly more time for the venue if Derry manage to beat Tyrone there next Sunday.

Morrison Riled by Programme

Football is no stranger to poor excuses after a team loses a match. We've heard all manner of stuff coming out of the mouths of managers, players and coaches in the aftermath of defeat.

Blaming the absence of players through injury or suspension is a pretty popular one. Some managers might put defeat down to a series of missed chances or poor defending.

The poor state of some pitches also gets an airing in post match interviews, while a bad refereeing performance could also bear the brunt.

Sometimes you might even get the odd player or manager putting a defeat down to plain bad luck.

Not John Morrison.

After their defeat to Roscommon at the weekend, Leitrim's assistant manager didn't blame his players, the officials, or even the weather.

Nope. He blamed the matchday programme!

Morrison has cited an article in the programme outlining Leitrim's poor home record as a contributing factor to the side's "lack of self-belief":

"Who put those articles in the programme? ‘Leitrim never win at home’, ‘Leitrim have never beaten Roscommon’ and so on. They might have just said ‘lie down there until we whip you again’. The mindset and perception has to change in Leitrim and the likes of that programme do little to change attitudes."

Translating the publishing of these (factual) statistics into a possible reason for defeat surely borders on ridiculous.

The programme pointed to Leitrim's record at Carrick-on-Shannon that contained only seven wins in 49 games.

You can make that 50 games now John.

It's Tyrone

It was something of a relief to spend Sunday afternoon watching a game that didn't involve Derry or Monaghan. The coverage the game received last week reached saturation point, and as I have outlined already most of it was over-the-top hyperbole.

So when switching on The Sunday Game to see Tyrone take on Armagh, it was something of a surprise to hear Pat Spillane and Colm O'Rourke still talking about the game at Celtic Park. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. The duo were making a point about how their own reaction to the match was totally justified.

What was it that Shakespeare said about those who protest too much?

Anyway, this week's game at Clones seemed to have sufficient footballing entertainment and excitement to please the quality assessors at RTÉ, and Ulster football breathes again.

Despite only playing well in patches, Tyrone always appeared to be in control of the game, and when going eight points up early in the second half they probably (at least sub-consciously) eased off a little. Armagh did well to close the gap, but late points from Stephen O'Neill and Brian Dooher outlined the extra quality Mickey Harte has at his disposal.

Tyrone's victory sets up what will be an eagerly-anticipated Ulster semi-final against Derry on June 21st. Tyrone will be favourites after a comfortable enough win at Clones where they didn't really get anywhere close to their best. That's a worry for Derry; but the Oakleafers have room for improvement themselves.

Another worry is the not-totally-unexpected news of suspensions emanating from the Monaghan game at Celtic Park. It looks like Derry have been dealt the rough end with Brian Mullan and Fergal Doherty both expected to be handed eight-week bans. (The good news is that if Derry reach the Ulster Final, both would be free to play.)

Thomas Freeman also looks like picking up an eight-week suspension, while both counties will be hit with €10'000 fines.

That seems particularly harsh... to the point that I've even found myself agreeing with Banty McEnaney who questions the validity of handing out "professional fines" in an amateur sport.

Probably not the last we've heard of all this. The only winners this week appear to be Tyrone.