Grounds for Complaint

In the murky world of NFL venue selection, it appears that the Club with the best playing surface is King. That's how it's looking today anyway after it emerged that the venue for Derry's NFL game against Kerry has been switched from Ballinascreen to Bellaghy.

Derry manager Damian Cassidy had expressed concern about the standard of the pitch at Ballinascreen; and with the surface at Bellaghy regarded as one of the best in the county, the Derry County Board has moved the game accordingly.

Unsurprisingly, this decision has caused some consternation in the Draperstown area, with St. Colm's Chairman Lawrence Cleary making his feelings clear in the backpage of today's Irish News:

"We are really disappointed. I cannot understand how they can make a decision on a pitch 18 days before the match. At the end of the day, Derry beat Westmeath by 14 points and they scored 1-18. I can’t see what the problem is. We spent a lot money in our preparations for these matches. We put in new fencing and built new dugouts. We are really annoyed about this."

It is easy to sympathise with Ballinascreen. The Westmeath game was run in excellent fashion, and they will have had preparations in place for the arrival of Kerry. But the Derry management team are entitled to have their players play in the best conditions possible; especially at the beginning of a hectic month in which the Oakleafers will play four games in 21 days. If this means playing Kerry on a firm surface at Bellaghy then we should accept this as being beneficial to the Derry Senior footballers.

The choice of NFL venues has caused problems in other counties in the past. It seems to be a perennial issue in Donegal, where their most recent NFL game against Mayo was moved from Ballyshannon to Letterkenny (and also from a Saturday evening throw-in to an afternoon throw-in) just so that O'Donnell Park could see some inter-county action this season. That was a minor problem compared to 2007 however, when a League match against Fermanagh in Ballybofey had to move dates because it clashed with Mass!

Now there's a lenten sacrifice...

Kerry Strengthened for Derry

Kerry started their 2009 NFL campaign in convincing fashion with a dismantling of Donegal in Round 1 followed by a solid victory over Tyrone a fortnight later. Derry are next on the agenda for the Kingdom, and an already tough task for the Oakleafers has just been made tougher.

The Irish Times today reports that Jack O'Connor's squad has been boosted by the arrival of Tomás Ó Sé, Tom O'Sullivan, Michael Quirke and Kieran Donaghy. It is also likely that former Sydney Swans star Tadgh Kennelly will be in the 24-man panel that travels north. Apparently Kennelly has been in 'outstanding' form for Listowel Emmets recently and is pushing for his Kerry place. If he does play against Derry it will be his first inter-county appearance since arriving back in Ireland from the AFL. The interesting debate about Kennelly surrounds the position in which he would be most effective. I think you could play him anywhere on the pitch, but the rumours coming out of Kerry suggest that Jack O'Connor might try him in the problem full-back position. Time will tell on that one.

On top of all this, Darragh Ó Sé is expected to be back in Kerry training this week, qaushing all rumours of a possible inter-county retirement. Kerry will however, be without the impressive David Moran, and Young Footballer of 2008 Tommy Walsh for the Derry game. They will be in preparation for U-21 duty against Cork.

So, it looks like we are going to have an interesting clash next weekend, and I'm sure Damian Cassidy will be relishing the task that faces his new-look side. A strengthened Kerry will provide a brilliant test for Derry at the beginning of a hectic NFL schedule in March.

Round Found

Call off the search. It appears that the CCC have recovered the Round of championship football that was missing when they first informed us of the new Derry club championship format for 2009. Along with a few others, I expressed my concerns about this at the time; but after an announcement last week, it now appears that the CCC have rectified the issue.

From Friday's Irish News:

DERRY CCC have tweaked the championship format to iron out an anomaly where a team that wins a game and then loses at the second stage is out of the competition, whereas a team that loses a game and then wins a game at the second stage is through to the quarter-final. There will now be a final qualifier after round two, with these teams meeting to determine who will meet the four teams that qualified with two victories.

There was some debate about the original format throughout the county, especially on the Derry thread of GAABoard. Perhaps the CCC have updated the format based on their recommendations! There will now be an extra "back-door" game after the second round, allowing first round winners to get a second chance.

Despite all this, I still think we should go back to a straight knock-out system. The group format was binned as it contained too many games, but the back-door system doesn't eliminate this problem. There is now the possibility of a club winning the title after having played in six different rounds. Once again, it looks like the 'real' Championship will begin at the quarter-final stage.

NFL Heats Up

After the fireworks of the opening weekend's action in the NFL, Round 2 served up more entertaining fare with high-scoring aplenty and one or two controversial incidents to keep the papers in strong voice for a couple of days. Oh, and Derry are top.

You may have caught a glimpse of the deferred coverage on TG4 of Galway's win over Dublin as you put the kettle on after coming in from Ballinascreen. If you did, you'll have seen an impressive performance from the Tribesmen. There's nothing like a comprehensive victory over the Dubs to put a team on the 'radar'. Usually this is a bad thing, and there'll be pundits and journalists now tipping Galway to win all sorts.

Liam Sammon's team played very well in patches, especially in the first-half, with Padraig Joyce back to his mercurial best. The Galway Advertiser was left drooling over the Killererin man's performance:

"'Genius' is not too strong a word to describe some of his interventions last Sunday. His vision, composure on the ball, and left foot are something to be admired and cherished. The finesse of some of his passes has to be seen to be believed."

High praise. Although hardly surprising, as the same report describes the Galway performance as "epic" and "lyrical". Seriously lads, feet on the ground.

The comfortable nature of Galway's victory might have surprised a few. But when taking a quick glance at the respective forward units, the final scoreline is suddenly explained. Joyce is not the only man opposing defences have to worry about. Players like the in-form Micheal Meehan, Sean Armstrong and Cormac Bane are well capable of racking up the scores. Five of Galway's six forwards notched the 3-12 between them. Meanwhile, over in the blue corner, Bernard Brogan was left fighting a lonely battle.

Dublin could be facing a difficult fight to cling to their newly-found Division 1 status. Westmeath, last year's Division 2 champions, would be the early favourites to join them. The Westmeath Independent struggled to find any positives in the Lake county's 14-point defeat to Derry, claiming that "the second-half performance was a throwback to the dim and distant past to which none of us want to return". That's considerable pessism, right there.

Moving North, and that adorable pairing of Tyrone and Kerry provided one or two talking points in Omagh on Sunday.The Kerryman described the game as 'The good, the bad and the ugly' and it's hard to argue with this assessment of a game that threatened to spill into something very ugly indeed. With regards to the football, Kerry's attack threatened to run amok in the first-half with Gooch Cooper looking particularly lively.

Tyrone were handicapped by the absence of Stephen O'Neill, but they steadied as the game wore on, with the introduction of Conor Gormley helping to nullify Kerry's prowess. The win for Jack O'Connor's side is largely meaningless; he knows what is yet to come. At the moment it looks like both sides are on another early-autumn collision course; and Tyrone, despite defeat, have a menace about them that has been lacking when they've defended Sam in the past.

The benchmark for the would-be challengers won't be dropping any time soon.

Orchard Robbery

While the footballers were busy recording a comfortable victory over Westmeath, Derry's hurlers were at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh committing "daylight robbery" (Brian McGilligan's words, not mine!). Four points down with just three minutes to play in this NHL fixture, Kevin Hinphey came to Derry's rescue scoring a goal and a point in the dying minutes, to finish the scoring at 1-10 apiece.

The Derry manager will have been disappointed with the level of his side's performance, but he appeared to be relieved at having at least salvaged a draw:

“Armagh were by far the better team over the hour’s hurling. We had a few new faces on show today but, even with that, we would have expected to win. We are mighty glad to come away with a point."

Last week I wondered if Derry could make a push for promotion out of Division 3A. Sunday's performance might well have diluted this hope, but Brian McGilligan's side, backboned by last year's successful U21 team, still has plenty of time to improve this season.

Improvement and progress are buzz-words in the Armagh camp also, and the Orchard-men have been making great noises over the past eighteen months about how they are closing the gap on the likes of the Oakleafers. Sunday's result certainly adds credence to the claim, but the Ulster Championship will be their true test. As it will be for Derry, where another performance like this won't see them get off scott free.

Derry Sink Lakemen

It was Valentine's weekend and following a 14-point victory over Westmeath at Ballinascreen yesterday, the Derry players were certainly feeling the love. They entered the dressing-room at both half-time and full-time with heavy applause ringing in their ears. There was no doubt, the Oakleaf following liked what they saw.

And rightly so; because this was an excellent Derry performance. We'll not rush to package things up and place it in a box labelled 'Perfect', and God knows, February is not even close to being the time for waxing lyrical over a team's performance, but Derry are certainly on the right track. Oakleaf manager Damian Cassidy described the win as "encouraging", and this is probably the correct view to take after only the second league game.

The spread of scorers was a particularly pleasing facet of the Derry performance. Eight separate scorers overall. The full-forward line did all that was asked of them. Eoin Bradley led the line well, with himself and Paul Bradley both notching five points. Eoghan Brown's hard-working performance was rewarded when he grabbed the game's only goal. The industrious wing forward duo of Brian Mullan and Enda Lynn both got their names on the scoresheet. Lynn totalled three points and is proving extremely effective as a runner from deep, while Brian Mullan showed constantly to help Derry quickly release possession from defence. Paul Carton and Gerard O'Kane (two points) also added scores from their defensive positions. Put simply, Derry were not relying on one or two men to win a game.

The majority of Derry's scores came from close range. This is something Tyrone have perfected in recent times, and the 30 yard radius in front of goal was a hotbed of activity for Derry throughout yesterday's match. This is a clear part of Derry's new system of play; with the full-forward line leaving space for the half-forwards and attacking half-backs (who, at times, attacked in droves). Sounds simple enough, but the players must show the energy and intelligence to carry it out effectively.

A major talking point before the game was the inclusion of Barry McGoldrick at centre half back. The Coleraine man was outstanding yesterday in what has been a problem position for Derry in recent seasons. He made some telling interceptions, showed power and poise on the ball, and displayed his excellent range of distribution. He will be tried at centre-back again, when other sides may display more attacking intent, pushing him onto the back-foot and asking questions of his defensive abilities; but if yesterday's showing is an indicator, he has the potential to make this berth his own.

In praising Derry though, we must judge the performance against that of their opponents. Westmeath are a tough resilient outfit, but they effectively collapsed in the second period yesterday after putting it up to Derry in the first-half. Denis Glennon was their key threat, scoring three classy points, but his move out the field in the second-half symbolised the problems the Lakemen were experiencing. And it did little to ameliorate them. Derry continued to dominate possession and were able to match this with some clinical score-taking during a final quarter that resembled a training match.

Damian Cassidy will be content with the performance, but Derry's next outing won't resemble a training match. Kerry will be in town. They've had an impressive enough NFL start themselves, and after last year's Final they have a score to settle. That game might provide a more accurate reflection of how far Derry have really progressed so far this season.

DERRY: B Gillis; B Óg McAlary, S M Lockhart, G O’Kane (0-2); P Carton (0-1), B McGoldrick, C McKaigue; F Doherty, J Diver; E Lynn (0-3), J Kielt, B Mullan (0-1); E Brown (1-0), E Bradley (0-5), Paul Bradley (0-5, three frees). Subs: Paddy Bradley (0-1) for Kielt (43 mins), Patsy Bradley for Diver (49 mins), S L McGoldrick for Lynn (56 mins), Paul Young for Brown (59 mins), K McGuckin for B McGoldrick (62 mins, blood sub)

Experimentation Continues

The following is the Derry team to face Westmeath on Sunday at Ballinascreen: B Gillis, B Óg McAlary, SM Lockhart, G O'Kane, P Cartin, B McGoldrick, C McKaigue, F Doherty, J Diver, E Lynn, J Kielt, B Mullan, E Brown, E Bradley, P Bradley

Despite this line-up showing seven changes from the side that started in Ballina, it is by no means an eye-brow raising fifteen. One standout selection however, is that of Barry McGoldrick at centre-half back. It remains to be seen whether this particular experiment is designed to cope specifically with Westmeath's two-man full-forward line, or if the Derry management have long term plans to play the Coleraine man in this pivotal position. McGoldrick certainly has the intelligence and footballing ability to play a sweeper-like role, but Sunday will provide a stern test of his credentials.

Damian Cassidy's NFL experimentation continues unabated. Brian Mullan gets a deserved start in the half-forward line, while James Kielt will open at centre-forward. In the full-forward line, Eoghan Brown and Paul Bradley will get the opportunity to show-off their scoring prowess. These changes don't come as any real surprise. Speaking this week in the Irish News, Cassidy was extolling the virtues of using the league to "take a few chances":

“I could play safe and go out and pick as many of our established players as possible to try and squeeze a win. We could do that. But what would we learn that we don’t already know? We will have learned nothing at all. This year it’s very important that our emerging players be given a chance to develop their experience."

The Bellaghy man is clearly intent on increasing the size of Derry's squad; an absolute necessity if we are to compete with the likes of Kerry and Tyrone, who have a vast personnel ready to be used at will. With players of the calibre of Kevin McGuckin, Paddy Bradley, Patsy Bradley, Joe O'Kane and Barry McGuigan sitting on the Derry bench on Sunday, a clear depth is emerging.

But Westmeath, who go in as underdogs on Sunday, will present Derry with an extremely tough challenge. They sit deep, defend in packs, and try and create space for the dangerous forward duo of Denis Glennon and Dessie Dolan. They are probably the closest thing to Monaghan in terms of their tactics (and Derry could certainly do with practice in that regard!). The Midlanders show two changes from the side defeated by Galway in Round 1, and manager Tómas O'Flaharta expects a difficult challenge:

"I think Derry are one of the teams who everyone will have to keep an eye on for this year. We’re going to be up against it, but we just to keep improving ourselves. We only started four or five weeks ago and Galway showed a few weaknesses in us the last day and we’re trying to work on those.”

O'Flaharta was talking the Westmeath Independent. It's always nice to get a perspective from the opposition county, but in doing so it may be best to ignore the Westmeath Examiner. Their meagre NFL coverage is buried deep beneath headlines about 'Lakeside Wheelers' cycling club, and an U13 soccer blitz that was called off due to snow! Maybe they just don't fancy their county's chances.

Neither do I. With the quality available throughout the Derry squad, I fully envisage an Oakleaf win on Sunday. However, Westmeath have shown in the past how difficult they are to beat, so don't expect it to be comfortable.

A Tale of Two Counties

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. This may be a memorable opening line from a famous novel by Charles Dickens, but it acts as a rather apt description of Derry's recent record against Westmeath. A record that, in many respects, perfectly encapsulates the inconsistencies that have choked Derry's footballing fortunes in this period.

Following an NFL Round 1 victory over Mayo, Derry will face Tomás O'Flaharta's Leinster side this Sunday at Ballinascreen. The Oakleafers have a mixed record against the Lakemen; the high point was Croke Park in 2004, but there have been forgettable clashes besides.

It's been two years (to the day) since Derry last played Westmeath in an NFL encounter at Celtic Park. It's a game that most Derry followers have probably forgotten; not because it was a particularly unmemorable game of football, but because they'll have wanted to erase the memory of what was an especially inept Derry performance. The epoch of incredulity, perhaps.

2007 was the year when the the top four in Division 1A and Division 1B would group to form a new Division 1 for 2008, and when looking back on this particular match it's hard to believe Derry finished in the top four that season. Dessie Dolan was at his playmaking best, while Denis Glennon showed a sharpness in attack that constantly hurt the Derry defence. Trailing by nine points at one stage in the first half, Derry fell to defeat on a scoreline of 3-10 to 1-09. Derry are not often beaten so comfortably on their home turf, but this game should serve as a timely reminder ahead of Sunday's game when most Derry followers will expect their team to overcome the Midlanders.

I wouldn't want to be accused of dampening spirits ahead of this weekend's clash, so I'll cast the mind back a few years earlier to a much more pleasant experience for the Oakleafers against Westmeath. It was an All-Ireland quarter-final clash in August 2004 where Mickey Moran's Derry, fresh from one of those 'Discover Ireland' back-door campaigns, met Páidi Ó'Sé's newly-crowned Leinster champions. Derry hit form in the second half of the opening period; sublime goals from Paddy Bradley and Enda Muldoon helping them to a four-point interval lead. Despite Westmeath challenging back to hold the lead themselves with ten minutes remaining, Derry finished strongly to secure a Semi-Final place (against Kerry) on a scoreline of 2-09 to 0-13. The epoch of belief, maybe; if belief wasn't "too vague" of a word!

Derry may have also played against Westmeath in Croke Park in September 1995... but I'm staying well clear of that one!

Hurlers Open With Victory

I'm sure Mayo's hurlers were delighted when it emerged that their opening NHL Division 3A game against Derry on Sunday was switched to Magilligan due to an unplayable pitch at Banagher. This meant that the men from the Heather County (I kid you not) would have to travel as far as the North Derry coast to get their campaign underway. The Magilligan venue has a long-held reputation for having the driest pitch in the county. It's a claim that must have been sorely tested over the past week or so, but - as much of the county was receiving another fresh carpet of snow on Sunday afternoon - the game was the only Division 3 fixture to go ahead. Although the Mayo squad might have wished for something a little closer at hand.

They probably wished also, that in 70 minutes of hurling they would be able to muster a single point from play. But they managed to get as far as the final whistle without one to their name. That statistic was one of the key reasons why Derry's low tally of nine points was enough to secure a three-point victory (0-9 to 0-6) on a bitterly cold, windswept afternoon. Derry's section also contains teams such as Meath and Kildare, so it won't be easy for Brian McGilligan's relatively young squad to gain promotion to a strong-looking Division 2. Speaking last week, the Dungiven man acknowledged that promotion wasn't yet on the agenda:

"We need to retain our position in the division we're in. We don't want to be dropping down, but I don't think we're strong enough yet to go up."

Sunday's win will go some way to securing Division 3A status as Derry look forward to a game against Armagh next weekend. As for Mayo, they'll probably be happy just to get home.

Whose Round Is It Anyway?

For the second time in three seasons, the Derry Competitions Control Committee presents us with a new format for the Club football Championships. And it goes a little something like this: Win your first round game and you're in Round 2; lose your first round game and you're in, erm... Round 2. Well, in as many words. On completion of the eight first round games, the eight winners will play off against each other for a place in the quarter-finals, while the eight losers will do likewise! The question must be asked: what is the point in having a first round at all?

From Friday's Irish News:

"There will be 16 teams in the first round, with eight winners and eight losers. In the second round, the eight winners from the first round will meet each other, with the four winners going into bowl A for the quarter-finals.
The eight first round losers will also play each other, with the four winners going into bowl B for the quarter-finals. In the last eight, the four teams from bowl A will meet the four teams from bowl B. Thereafter, an open draw will decide the semi-final pairings."

For the past two years the four-team group format has been in place. While its inception was welcome, there was a groundswell of support for its removal. It was argued that it contained too many games (to the detriment of the Derry senior football team); that some games were left totally meaningless; and also that it negated the possibility of a 'smaller' club claiming a big scalp (as the stronger sides could more easily negotiate a safe passage out of the group stage).

Amid these criticisms, County officials have elected to change things. And change was required. However, while trying to strike the ever-elusive happy-medium, the CCC have fallen short of the mark. It is logical to assume that the stronger teams should make it out of the first round. But by playing off against each-other in Round 2, half of these teams will be out of the competition by the quarter-final, whilst the perceived weaker sides will still be in it. Plus, only first round losers will get a second bite. The reward for winning your first game is totally intangible.

So let's get this inside a little nutshell. We didn't quite like the straight knockout; didn't fancy the group format either; and now we're turning up our noses at the back-door system. I can hear them grumbling in Owenbeg as I type: "is there no pleasin' yous?!"

Probably not. In two years time, we'll quite possibly be commenting on the CCC wheeling the straight knockout out of retirement. Can't wait!

Cork Strike Could Hurt Kingdom

It may have just deepened the crisis on Leeside, but surely the rest of the country has been given a huge lift by news that the Cork footballers are threatening to join the Cork hurlers in strike action (only for the Championship, mind).

You've guessed it... we won't have to endure that most horrendous of Championship fixtures: Kerry v Cork in Croke Park. There's been no stopping this particular match-up in recent seasons, with Kerry coming out on top every single time (apart from last year's All-Ireland Semi when Cork somehow managed to salvage a draw, before, naturally, calving to their neighbours in the replay).

Surely the 2007 All-Ireland Final between these sides was one of the worst games to be played under this illustrious billing. Their other meetings in the All-Ireland series have fared little better. Since the introduction of the qualifier series in 2001, Kerry and Cork have met six times in the latter stages of the Championship. The Rebels have won none of these games, and have been beaten by a combined total of 45 (forty-five) points in the process. If the threatened strike ever materialises, the only people likely to be disappointed are the Kerry footballers!

Shamrocks Signal Intent

The appointment of James McCartan as the new manager of Ballinderry Shamrocks will certainly raise one or two eyebrows around the county, not to mention on the Loughshore itself. The current Derry Senior champions are not renowned for looking to an 'outside man' to take charge of their footballers, so McCartan's arrival smacks of a Club that means business for the season ahead. And when I say business I specifically refer to the Ulster Club Championship.

Ballinderry claimed county honours in 2006 and 2008, but on both occasions they fell to Crossmaglen at the Ulster Final stage. In December they were beaten by the Armagh Kingpins in an Ulster Final replay at Brewster Park, and there is no doubt they will hope the former Down All-Ireland winner can help take them that extra step back to the All-Ireland stage (where they were so successful back in 2002).

McCartan managed Queen's University to Sigerson Cup glory in 2007, and last year guided St. Gall's to an Antrim title (however they went on to lose to Cavan Gaels in the Ulster Championship). With Bellaghy, Slaughtneil, Glenullin, Loup, Ballinascreen and Kilrea also under new management, it looks like we could have an interesting Club campaign in 2009. Ballinderry have taken a risk bringing in McCartan, but it will add a fresh impetus to their setup. Soon enough though he'll realise how tough the Derry Club scene is; Ulster will be the last thing on his mind!

Poly Claim Derby-Day Spoils

There was a mass exodus out of Belfast's Holylands area today, as a high percentage of its student population headed to the Dub to watch old rivals Queen's and Jordanstown battle it out in the 2nd round of the Sigerson Cup.

The deli-counter on University Avenue's Spar has never had it so good, with revellers putting all manner of microwave-heated rubbish into their bodies before the game. I'm sure others availed of the marginally-better culinary offerings dished out at Centra in Botanic; while more experienced Sigerson match-goers might even have headed for a fry at Maggie May's. Oul hands. We're all fond of a decent lunch, but on a Sigerson day it's especially important; after all, most will have their eyes and thoughts on the local hostelries post-match. But even more pertinent than that (especially on these bitterly cold afternoons) the stomach needs hot fuel for the long stand up at the Queen's Playing Fields. And when I say 'long' I refer to the hour of football, followed by potential extra-time... followed by even more extra time, not to mention the ever-present danger of a penalty shootout (it has happened before!). Sure beats an afternoon at the library.

There's something of a love affair between Belfast students and the premier inter-varsity competition. This is due in no small part to the rivalry generated between Queen's and Jordanstown. Throw St. Mary's into the mix and there's three teams with very real prospects of laying hands on the silverware. The QUB v UUJ rivalry has been to the fore in recent years. Queen's beat UUJ by a single point in successive semi-finals in 2005 and 2006. A year later in a Sigerson Cup Final at the Dub, Queen's won the title after an extra-time victory over their rivals. They met again at the quarter-final stage last year with the Poly this time coming out on top - in another extra-time battle - en route to collecting the trophy themselves. It has become an annual thing. Add in the fact that matches between these sides divide clubs, houses, families and even the odd relationship, Queen's v Jordanstown has emerged as one of the great rivalries in Gaelic football.

Thankfully this year, Jordanstown managed not to lose the Sigerson trophy they won last season, and so their right to defend it was never in jeopardy (unlike 2002!). And as luck would have it they drew Queen's in the opening round. This meant there would be a decent sprinkling of Derry interest on view. Fresh from reaching the McKenna Cup Final, Queen's could look to Oakleafers Joe O'Kane, James Kielt, Ryan Dillon and Sean Leo McGoldrick (all four of whom started Sunday's NFL tie with Mayo... while the rest of us can barely get off the sofa to join our clubs for a training game!). While Jordanstown were aiming to kick-start successive victorious campaigns under the tutelage of Ballinderry man Adrian McGuckin.

In the end, it was UUJ who emerged victorious this afternoon. The game never reached the heights of recent battles between these sides and, not a particularly friendly affair, the referee Pauric Hughes thought it necessary to show four red cards during the game. Queen's started the day as favourites for the competition, but they struggled for long periods, unable to rekindle their McKenna Cup form. Despite 5 points from Kielt, and a goal from McGoldrick, the Malone Road outfit couldn't get to grip with UUJ's midfield sector. Brockagh clubman Ciaran Donnelly hit Jordanstown's first-half goal from the penalty spot and with Darren Hughes of Monaghan featuring prominently at centre-back and Colm Cavanagh hitting four points from play, the Poly were always in control. They went on to win on a scoreline of 1-12 to 1-6 and will look forward now to the remainder of the tournament.

So it looks like one half of Belfast's student population will be happy tonight anyway; and I'm sure the Queen's followers will be gracious enough to stop at the Bot for at least one pint to help them celebrate.

Big Guns Show Early Hands

We had an interesting weekend's action in the opening round of the NFL. At Croke Park, where all eyes were waiting on the fireworks and pyrotechnics to light up the cold night sky, the Dubs and our lovely neighbours Tyrone reminded us what this GAA lark is really all about. Surely this will go down as an all-time NFL classic, and we'll be doing well to witness a better game during the whole of the 2009 season.

I was under the impression that nights in January were for heavy slogging matches, unbearable training runs, and the sweat dripping down your face forming speedily into ice. Yet here were two teams producing an excellent game of football, with fantastic individual performances on both sides. Tyrone started off in the first-half as if it was August 16. Their movement of the ball and clinical finishing was unstoppable. 1-18 is big scoring in the middle of winter (and they hit that same tally against Monaghan in their previous game in the McKenna Cup). Stephen O'Neill has been their chief protagonist, looking like he's raring to go for the year ahead; and Tyrone in general look like a team on a mission to defend Sam. Bad news for the rest of us.

Dublin's renaissance in the second-half was largely down to Ciaran Whelan turning up at midfield, and Bernard Brogan carrying a serious attacking threat. What a great player he's turning out to be. However, Pat Gilroy has a lot of work to do on this showing as Dublin looked every bit as naive at times as they have done over the past couple of seasons. Time will tell.

Down in Kerry, Jack O'Connor cut a familiar figure on the sideline as he watched his side tear up new McKenna Cup champions Donegal. The Ulstermen had no answer to the forward threat of Cooper, Tommy Walsh and Darren O'Sullivan. But star of the show was David Moran. He's spent a season or two doing an apprenticeship in the half-forward line, but at midfield yeterday he was simply brilliant, totally dominating from start to finish. O'Connor is talking about readying Kieran Donaghy for the Derry match in March. Isn't that something to look forward to?

Derry: A "Quality Ball Club"

Okay, so Derry haven't exactly lit the world up with their Championship performances over the past few years (and that's something I've possibly alluded to often enough, despite the short timespan of this blog), but according to Keith Duggan's Mayo v Derry match report in this morning's Irish Times, Derry are a "quality ball club".

Yeah, I'm not 100% sure what this is supposed to mean either; I guess he reckons that for all of Derry's perceived failings, we still have some excellent footballers at our disposal, and on our day we are capable of mixing it with the best of them. Of course, we all knew this already. Interesting turn of phrase though. It looks like he was possibly filing his report whilst watching the opening stages of last night's Superbowl (a totally different type of NFL). And if he stayed up to all hours to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers clinch the glory, then he values his sleep much less than I value mine.

Continuing the American Sports theme, Duggan goes on to describe the Ballina ground where yesterday's match took place as a “lyric little bandbox”. This is a nod to the author John Updike who passed away last week. Updike famously used this phrase to describe Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox (baseball, I believe). This is possibly the first time James Stephens' Park has been compared to one of America's most famous sporting venues (where, no doubt, quality ball is played). And probably the last.

It was the Red and White socks (I probably should have resisted that one) who emerged victorious in Sunday's opening NFL fixture against Mayo, and the Irish Independent focus their match report around the "chaos" that Damian Cassidy believes the new rules will bring (they've probably brought enough chaos for us already!):

"The fun of it all will come together when we come down to the last two or three games, when the relegation battles are starting to be big strong issues and that's when there'll be a lot more fun around the whole issue"

Indeed. Let's hope Derry aren't around when those "relegation battles" are taking place. We're only allowed the six subs remember.

Derry Claim Victory In Ballina

What an excellent result this one proved to be at Ballina. Two league points on the board from the first outing will delight new manager Damian Cassidy, despite a somewhat experimental side and a few too many enforced substitutions during the game.

In the end, it was James Kielt's second-half goal that proved the difference between the sides (with Paddy Bradley, fresh from his winter sojourn Down Under, on as a substitute to provide the assist). The Kilrea man's performance was possibly the most encouraging aspect of the game. He's had an excellent start to the season, and adds a new dimension to the Derry forward unit. Certainly the new Derry boss, speaking after the match, seemed happy with the influence of Derry's younger players:

"They certainly had a big bearing on this performance. It is great they have stepped up to show they have the quality to play at this level. It sends out a message to the other players that they have the hunger and it will increase competition for places."

The Bellaghy man had to make a couple of changes to the named fifteen. Sean Lockhart was off on paternity leave, so Joe O'Kane slotted in at full-back, with Barry McGuigan coming on for his NFL debut at centre-back.

Unfortunately for McGuigan, he didn't last until half-time. Referee Maurice Deegan showed him a yellow card which rendered the Slaughtneil man unavailable for the remainder of the match. Brian Óg McAlary and Patsy Bradley followed before the half was out. This is surely a worrying aspect for Derry. Corner-back Ryan Dillon was also booked in the second-half, and there would appear to be discipline problems on the field of play which need to be eradicated.

Such a quantity of personnel changes in the early stages of match can cause disarray, but lucky enough, Derry (playing against the wind) found themselves only one point behind at the break (0-6 to 0-5).

Mayo seemed to collapse in the second half; although Kielt's goal sparked a revival in the Connacht men, and they brought themselves level as the game entered the final 15 minutes. But Derry finished stronger, with Paul Carton and Paul Young pointing to help close out the victory.

A welcome start to the NFL campaign. One that has been firmly billed as a chance to blood new talent and get this panel of Derry players ready for Championship football. It wasn't a flawless performance. There were times during the second-half when it looked as though Derry wanted to endear themselves to their hosts by kicking a litany of wides that any Mayo team would be proud of. And the yellow-card issue will need addressing before Westmeath make the journey to Ballinascreen in a fortnight's time.

DERRY: S McGuckian; B McAlary, B McGuigan, R Dillon; P Cartin (0-1), J O’Kane, C McKaigue; F Doherty (0-1), P Bradley; E Lynn, B McGoldrick (0-3 2 frees), SL McGoldrick; J Kielt (1-2), E Bradley, S Bradley (0-1). Subs: G O’Kane for McGuigan (14 mins, yellow), J Diver for P Bradley (19 mins, yellow), P Young (0-1) for McAlary (37 mins, yellow), B Bradley for S Bradley (42 mins), B Mullan for B McGoldrick (52 mins), D McBride for Dillon (63 mins, yellow)

Mayo v Derry Preview

The following is the Derry team to face Mayo at Ballina in the opening round of the 2009 NFL: S McGuckin, B Óg McAlary, SM Lockhart, R Dillon, P Cartin, J O'Kane, C McKaigue, F Doherty (capt), Patsy Bradley, E Lynn, B McGoldrick, SL McGoldrick, J Kielt, E Bradley, S Bradley. Subs: B Gillis, K McGuckin, B McGuigan, J Diver, B Mullan, E Brown, P Young, Paddy Bradley, Paul Bradley.

Probably enough to spill the phrase: "A nice blend of youth and experience." This is a fairly ubiquitous response to the naming of an early season starting 15. Up and down the country this weekend you'll have supporters on the sidelines, reading their programmes, uttering these very words (Tyrone's followers not included, as their team to face Dublin is basically a tried and trusted All-Ireland winning line-up). It'll happen in Ballina tomorrow as well no doubt, as four newcomers make their way out onto the James Stephens' pitch to play for Derry. Of course, there's a match to be won, and management and fans alike won't particularly care if a player is just out of minors, or playing in their 15th intercounty season; they'll be wearing the county colours and there's a job to do.

However, it will be interesting to see how the new Derry players fare against a strong-looking Mayo side. Brian Óg McAlary, Sean Leo McGoldrick, James Kielt and Seamus Bradley will all make their debuts. Chrissy McKaigue (who featured in the Championship for Derry last year) will make his NFL debut. A new freshness seems to have taken over this Derry side. McKaigue and Kielt come with brimming reputations. Both featured in Derry's fateful run to the All-Ireland MFC Final in 2007, and have impressed at Club level in recent seasons. Kielt has been earning rave reviews for Queen's during their Dr. McKenna Cup campaign, while McKaigue has fended off approaches from AFL Clubs. While the speed of which these lads have moved up the grades might raise one or two eyebrows, I think they will give Derry something extra in a couple of key areas. Now is the time to test them out.

It's good to see McAlary and Seamus Bradley get their chances also. Both have been showing well for their clubs, and during the McKenna Cup Bradley showed himself to be a forward of pace and accuracy. McAlary goes in at corner-back having produced solid defensive displays in the pre-season competition. Surely a baptism of fire will await in Mayo, but this is where players learn the inter-county trade. Derry have been bereft of options in recent seasons, and while the newcomers might not become All-Stars overnight, they add immediate strength to the Oakleaf squad.

We may have to wait a few games to see how Cassidy will change Derry's style of play, but during the McKenna Cup we saw glimpses of what might be in store. And by the looks of it, Enda Lynn and Sean Leo McGoldrick might be tired men come 4pm on Sunday. They will be tasked with running the wings and providing support from defence through to attack. Derry will play a largely counter-attacking game, with James Kielt likely to join Sean Leo's brother Barry on the '40, leaving space for the Bradleys Bumble and Skinner to cause damage on the inside line. It'll be interesting to see how this plan might pan out as the campaign progresses, and Mayo will offer a stiff test of its fibres.

The bookies are envisaging a Mayo victory on Sunday. But while I wouldn't be rushing to place the savings on Derry at 13/8, I think we have a good chance in Ballina. Kielt, McGoldrick, Lynn and co. have had plenty of games under their pre-season belt, and with a solid backbone of Fergal Doherty, Patsy Bradley and Eoin Bradley in place, Derry could cause a minor upset.

When Derry last ran out onto Mayo turf it was 2002, when the Crossmolina venue witnessed a disappointing 2-point defeat. By contrast, Derry's last visit to Ballina was as far back as 1972, when the Oak Leafers emerged with a five point victory; a similar result tomorrow would suit just fine!

Cassidy Makes Little Case For Defence

Derry will embark on the defence of their NFL crown this Sunday (Feb 1st) when they make the journey West to face Mayo at Ballina. However, new Oakleaf manager Damian Cassidy has been busy stressing how important it is to make Derry a Championship force, and by virtue of this, it is fair to say we are unlikely to see new captain Fergal Doherty get his hands on the Allianz NFL Trophy come April.

In an interview in Tuesday's Irish News, Cassidy announced that Derry's Championship campaign is "only 17 weeks away". This should come as music to the ears of all Derry fans. In a week when the GAA and various media outlets are promoting the beginning of the National League, we have a manager who is only really interested in talking about the Championship. In fact, since his appointment last October, Cassidy has been telling anyone who'd care to listen, about his plans for this Derry team; how he wants to change attitudes and instil a mental belief; make Derry a Championship force. This has been something lacking in Derry sides in recent years, and the Bellaghy man is well aware that mentalities must change before Derry can compete at the highest level.

So where does this leave this year's NFL campaign? Well, in what is an exceptionally strong division, each game will give the Derry management and players a chance to get the Championship wheels in motion; get the required system in place and get the minds ready for May (and June, and July...). League wins in recent years have not served Derry well. We don't need to open up the deep wounds 1995 and 1996 left behind, despite these years producing back-to-back NFL titles. 1992 and 2000 saw defeats in Ulster Finals, whilst 2008's NFL victory (exciting as it was) was the precursor to another forgettable summer.

With games against the likes of Tyrone, Kerry, Dublin and Galway coming thick and fast on the horizon, this promises to be an exciting League campaign. It might not be important in terms of silverware, but it is a very important stepping stone if the loftier ambitions are to be realised. New players will be blooded against the country's finest and we will see Derry play a new style of football. But avoiding relegation will be prize enough. Over in Mayo, Derry's first opponents appear to be thinking the same; certainly if the Western People is to be believed. Damian Cassidy would surely concur.