The following is the Derry team to play Dublin in Saturday's NFL game at Parnell Park: B Gillis, B McAlary, G O’Kane, D McBride, C Kielt, M Lynch, L Hinphey, Patsy Bradley, F Doherty, J Diver, J Kielt, A McCartney, E Lynn, C O'Boyle, A McLaughlin.
Following last week's victory against Tyrone, Derry will travel to Parnell Park to face Dublin, and they'll do so with a new-look full-forward line.
Last Saturday evening in Celtic park, Eoin Bradley and Raymond Wilkinson hit 1-6 between them. This week they don't feature. Bradley has been hit by the first of this year's "retrospective bans" by the CCCC, while Wilkinson has a knee injury. Declan Mullan, who impressed when brought on last week, is also injured. Enda Lynn, Caolan O'Boyle and Craigbane's Aidan McLaughlin enter the fray and complete the full-forward line. Concerns immediately surround the potential lack of scoring-power - against a Dublin side that restricted Kerry last Sunday.
It remains to be seen if all three will play as their shirt numbers suggest. O'Boyle will be the focus of attack at full-forward, but McLaughlin is predominantly a club midfielder, while Lynn is most naturally deployed as a half-forward and had a decent league campaign there in 2009. It is probable that Lynn will play in a role similar to Wilkinson against Tyrone - foraging around the half-forward line to pick up loose possession whilst trying to find space for scores in the 30-yards zone. It will be a tough act to follow as Wilkinson was impressive against the Red Hands.
Subsequently, there will be pressure on O'Boyle to perform at full-forward (which many people regard as his most effective position), but the greatest scoring responsibility of the evening is likely to fall on James Kielt. Six points last weekend was an excellent return, and with Derry experimenting in the inside line, he'll need to be at his best again to keep the Derry half of the scoreboard ticking over. Seamus Bradley, Brian Mullan and Barry McGuigan are likely contenders to enter the contest if the Derry forward line requires a refresh.
Derry's first nine remains the same however. Damian Cassidy clearly feels that enough experimenting is happening in the forwards, so he has sensibly opted for continuation in defence/midfield. This will give Gerard O'Kane and Mark Lynch the chance to further impress in their central roles, while keener eyes will focus on Charlie Kielt following an impressive half-back display against Tyrone. Tomorrow night he'll have to keep tabs on Paul Flynn, who was Dublin's hero last week in Killarney, scoring 1-2.
That brings us to the Dubs. Manager Pat Gilroy has spent the whole week trying to cool down expectations following victory over the All-Ireland champions, but his side should be on a high after that win, and it is unlikely they will succumb in a similar manner to when the Oak Leafers visited last March. They too continue with an experimental forward division. Alan Hubbard and David Henry are corner-backs by trade, but they will be stationed at the other end of the pitch. That raises questions about Dublin's scoring threat also - will they have the firepower to really trouble Derry?
Bernard Brogan will start on the bench, while his brother Alan and Conal Keaney are injured. With Eoin and Paddy Bradley and Enda Muldoon out for Derry also, both managers will find out a lot about the strength in depth of the forwards in their respective squads.
It all points to a low-scoring affair, with the 1-18 Derry tallied last weekend - or indeed the 0-20 racked up against Dublin last year - unlikely to be repeated. Damian Cassidy has urged his players to enjoy the unique atmosphere generated by a game against the Dubs, but they might not get the chance to enjoy it too much as this game is likely to be a scrappy struggle, settled by a single goal.
Last week I was happy to predict a Tyrone victory, but the Oak Leafers proved me wrong, with a solid showing from their central spine laying the foundations for victory. With the exception of Eoin Bradley, that spine will remain at Parnell Park, and it might just be enough to help Derry to a narrow win.
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