Derry Must Battle for Victory

Once was bad enough, twice almost unforgiveable. Surely we can't suffer a third consecutive championship defeat to Monaghan, can we?

Well, the Gods have somewhat transpired against Derry this week with an ever-swelling injury list hampering team selection. But Damian Cassidy has developed a new-look Derry side this season. There has been a new system of play, and over-reliance on the likes of Paddy Bradley, Fergal Doherty and Enda Muldoon has been eliminated. This all provides foundation for the hope that Derry can finally overcome the Farney-men.

You'll hardly need reminding, but back in 2007 a toothless Derry succumbed to a raw and hungry Monaghan side. They had no answer to Monaghan's tenacious defensive game, and retreated into an error-ridden display.

Last year, Seamus McEnaney's side ended Derry's Championship campaign. Despite having a very close game there for the taking, Paddy Crozier's Oakleaf men didn't quite display the necessary attributes to win such an evenly-contested championship match.

A pattern emerged and Damian Cassidy is well aware. He will have appointed himself and his side the task of tearing this pattern to shreds.

Derry must stand up to Monaghan's battle-hardened gameplay. They must impose themselves on the game, and not allow Monaghan to flow like they have done in the past. Cassidy has readily accepted the challenge:

"I'm hoping we have the capacity to match that real competitive edge that Monaghan have. We know we have to match it and, if we don't, I'll be extremely disappointed. Monaghan are as physical a team as you're going to play against. They'll compete for every ball. We have to match that. If we don't, then we can't expect to win the game."

If Derry can show this 'edge' at Celtic Park, Monaghan's gameplan will suffer, and a talented Oakleaf side can finally let their football do the talking.

But it's not that simple. Monaghan have displayed footballing quality to match what might be described as 'spoiling' tactics. They showed some excellent form in Division 2 of the NFL (before Cork opened them up at Croke Park), and are priming themselves, like Derry, to end a barren spell in the Ulster SFC.

Thomas Freeman and Rory Woods will be the key cogs in their attacking system, while Derry will also have Paul Finlay to worry about this time after the Ballybay man missed the 2007 (illness) and 2008 (suspension) encounters. McEnaney may have talked down his team's chances this week, but he can be quietly confident of his side producing the goods once more.

So how can a Derry side showing four SFC debutants stop the Farney-men?

Enda Lynn and Barry McGuigan will hope to provide an outlet for the Oakleafers on the wing in the process of providing a direct link between defence and attack. Derry will also keep close tabs on roving Monaghan forwards. Hopefully this will negate the influence of players like Stephen Gollogly - who, as a case in point, seems to have excelled against Derry in the previous two meetings (scoring six points from play).

It remains to be seen how Derry's all-left-footed forward unit will line out. James Kielt has been named alongside the Bradleys in the full-forward line, with himself or Eoin Bradley likely to join Paul Murphy on the half-forward line. This is where Derry will hope to win the game. Monaghan have done a good job of keeping Paddy Bradley quiet in the past, but a more direct Derry gameplan, using Kielt inside with Eoin Bradley running from deep, will severely test the Farney men. The Oakleafers have the talent in this region to get the scores to win the game.

All in all, Monaghan will face a very different Derry side this time around; it will be more energetic, and play with greater intensity.

Maybe this is what the bookies are looking at in the build-up to the first real heavyweight clash of the summer. Because, despite the recent results between the teams, growing injury problems, and naming four debutants Derry are a best-priced 4/6 to win this game.

Perhaps they have taken Derry's Division 1 campaign into account, as well as home advantage and the opinion that new boss Damian Cassidy can finally gel these Derry players into a consistent championship outfit.

As Cassidy has iterated, Derry must match Monaghan's tenacity, thirst for the battle and fight for the ball. It may sound cliched, but this is what Monaghan do best.

The "white heat of championship" that the Bellaghy man alluded to upon his appointment last October is almost upon us. The Derry fans flocking to the new-look Celtic Park on Sunday know exactly how Monaghan will want to play. It's up to Derry to stop them and impose themselves on every sector of the field.

Then we will see if this Oakleaf side have the talent and belief to win the games that matter most.