Longford give Derry the Blues

So that's it then. For another year anyway.

On Saturday evening, with Michael Duffy's whistle greeted by joyous cheers from the home fans in Pearse Park, Derry's inevitable end came as early as many expected, but sooner than most had hoped. That's the reality of the 2012 season. It was bad enough that 'lowly-Longford' were heavy favourites to beat Derry, but that they went on to do so with some degree of comfort is the harshest reality of all.

And yet this was far from a poor Oak Leaf performance. Castigated from Coleraine to Cork in the aftermath of the Donegal defeat a fortnight ago, for not showing the requisite fight, spirit and hunger one could reasonably expect from a county side, Derry produced a performance that displayed heavy doses of those very same ingredients. They showed intense commitment throughout, stuck diligently to the task at hand and fought to the bitter end. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to avoid defeat. Instead it rubber-stamped Derry's championship exit before the calendar had even turned to July.

In his post-game interview, John Brennan chose to concentrate on the performance of the referee, but when talking about the game itself he specifically pin-pointed the ten minutes before half-time as the period in which Derry lost this football match:

"The last 10 minutes of the first half, we let the game slip. That was the only point in the game that Longford dominated us. We were careless, gave the ball away and were punished."

He was spot on. Up until that point, Brennan's side had dominated the ball. Patsy Bradley and Michael Friel had a stranglehold in midfield, while John McCamley was offering them fantastic support in winning both primary and secondary possession. The only surprise amongst the handful of Derry fans that made the trip to support their side was that Derry were only level, at 0-5 apiece. The Oak Leafers just couldn't turn their superior possession rate into scores, despite playing with whatever advantage the swirling breeze was offering. The main reason was a lack of composure and basic errors in the Longford's defensive third of the field. Too often the ball did not stick, too often the wrong decision was made by the player with the ball and on numerous occasions the final pass went straight into Longford hands. Add to all that a few missed chances in front of goal, and instead of being clear on the scoreboard Derry were only level.

Then, for the final ten minutes of the half, the home side took control. The Longford midfielders had hitherto jumped with their Derry counterparts on kick-outs only to see Patsy Bradley break the ball down to an oncoming red and white shirt, but in the final minutes of the half they eventually caught on to the Oak Leaf ploy. McIlvaney and Keegan suddenly decided not to compete aerially and the home side swept up on the ground. With Seanie McCormack in deadly form in front of goal, Longford scored three points without reply. 0-8 to 0-5 behind at the break, Derry were facing an uphill climb.

Glenn Ryan would have told his side at half-time to run at the Derry defence, try and win a few frees and keep the scoreboard ticking over. They did this with an easy regularity throughout the second half. McCormack scored eleven points in total, nine of which came from frees. In contrast, Derry found it hard to create any point-scoring opportunities (especially in the second half) and could barely even manufacture a free for themselves. The Oak Leaf forwards just couldn't find any space against a tight and dogged Longford defence. Enough possession had been won, but too often the ball was played to the wing or into the corner of the pitch, asking the forward to run away from goal and subsequently away from the scoring zone. In the meantime, the Longford defence funneled back, forcing Derry to recycle possession before the attack (more often than not) broke down. On umpteen occasions in that second half, Paddy Bradley received the ball in the left corner of the pitch, not an ideal position for a left-footed player. This meant that Bradley - who must have won every ball that came his way - was constantly forced to try and work possession out, by which time the scoring chance was gone. It appeared that Paddy Bradley was played on the left to accommodate Eoin Bradley on the right. Eoin should have been played in a deeper role to allow Paddy and Emmett McGuckin more space inside. On one occasion when Eoin carried the ball from deep he scored an excellent point. At another stage, when Paddy found himself on the right, he too cut inside to kick a trademark score. These were Derry's only two points from play in the second half, and were an indication of the positional switches that should have been made.

Despite that, a goal from Barry McGoldrick grabbed the Oak Leafers by the scruff of the neck, right back into the game. Twice. Under the circumstances it was no surprise that a Derry defender would have to come up the field in order to break the deadlock, but no-one would have expected McGoldrick to grab two goals. Both scores came against the run of play. The first goal was an excellent turn and finish following a sublime pass from Paddy Bradley and it brought the sides level. The second goal came with about ten (injury time) minutes left on the clock. After a long sideline kick from Eoin Bradley, McGoldrick gathered possession on the edge of the square, side-stepped his marker and finished to the roof of the net. This score put his side a point ahead. And it should have given Derry the impetus to go on and close the game out. Instead it seemed to have the opposite effect, somehow putting a pep in the step of Longford, who wasted no time in not only regaining the lead, but subsequently increasing it to three points.

If anything, the two goals masked Derry's deficiencies in the final third, and managed to keep them in a game that was slowly getting away from them. Longford were able to get their scores (and their frees) much more easily as they ran at pace as the Oak Leaf defence to draw frees, and used Brian Kavanagh as a target man to hold up the ball and set up the nearest runner for a scoring opportunity. And yet, the Derry defence played quite well. Chris McKaigue could have done little more to curb the influence of Brian Kavanagh (to whom the ball just seems to stick) while Ryan Dillon and Barry McGoldrick kept their direct opponents fairly quiet in play. Ryan Scott had been thrown in at the deep-end, but looked so comfortable in the right half-back slot he could have been there for years, while Mark Craig and Sean Leo McGoldrick barely put a foot wrong and did a good job in stopping the Longford runners from deep. Just ask Paul Barden, who struggled to get into the match. The locals were blaming Barden's failure to perform to his full capacity on a pre-game, pain-killing injection (ankle), but even so, Derry shackled him well throughout and he's unlikely to be as quiet again this season. However in Kavanagh and McCormack, Longford had enough to get the job done.

Following a melee in the final minute of injury-time (which resulted in Barry McGoldrick's remarkable game taking a final turn for the worse when he received a second yellow card), Derry had one last chance to rescue an unlikely draw. It's been well enough documented since, but Joe Diver's magnificent catch and transportation of the ball - somehow - across the goal-line, provided the game with one lasting moment of controversy. After a few television replays it is still unclear what happened when twenty bodies converged on Damien Sheridan's goal, but referee Michael Duffy seemed pretty satisifed that he knew exactly what happened and blew for a free out with the kind of decisiveness not usually associated with the Sligo whistler.

He blew for full-time almost immediately after and despite the final decision on the goal-that-wasn't, even the most diehard Derry supporter (most of whom were likely in attendance) couldn't argue that the best team had won. Derry hadn't performed too badly, but the scoreboard said it all. The Oak Leafers only managed ten scores, while their opponents had put up 17. Unfortunately at this level, that's just not good enough to win football games.

Some more thoughts from Saturday's game:

• Even though John Brennan vehemently criticised the referee after the game, it should be noted that nothing the referee did (or didn't do) in this game, was the reason for our defeat.
• Having said that, it's a deep concern that after a performance of such inexplicable ineptness in the Athletic Grounds last week, a referee like Duffy is back out on the Championship circuit less than one week later.
• Michael Quinn at centre-half back did an excellent job for the O'Farrell men in terms of marshalling his defence and helping to set up attacks, but his marking ability is questionable. His athleticism matched well with Mark Lynch's running ability, but he may have struggled with a more creative player, perhaps like Conleith Gilligan.
• Colin P Smyth at right half-back also looked a little suspect. John McCamley over-powered him throughout, but did his best work in and around the midfield area (though he also popped up for two good points in the first half). This was another area that Derry could have exploited a little better, in an attacking sense.
• The Longford selector in the orange bib, getting involved in the ruckus at the end, was none other than former stalwart Padraic Davis. A tricky forward in his day, Davis played against the Oak Leafers in an All-Ireland qualifier in 2002 when he scored a remarkable free off the ground from the 50m line (on the sideline).
• Speaking of that game in 2002, Barry McGoldrick's two goals were reminiscent of Anthony Tohill's two-goal haul in Pearse Park ten years ago. McGoldrick certainly showed the same sort of leadership, but this time, the goals couldn't propel Derry to victory.
• Speaking of leadership, Chris McKaigue is beginning to look the part in the Oak Leaf defence. He led the charge forward from full-back on a few occasions in the second half. He should be persisted with at full-back (especially in the absence of any other natural solutions in this area), but might be best suited in the half-back line.
• Finally, fair play to Longford for taking on the mantle of favourites and closing out victory when the game went against them in the second half. This is a side that have been training since October and have the grit and self-belief that previous Longford sides lacked. The qualifier system is weighed very heavily against the so-called lesser counties, but Glenn Ryan's outfit might have another couple of days left in the sun yet.

It's a Long way back from here

Derry travel to Longford on Saturday to either salvage something from a season that has gone horribly wrong, or to put the final nail in it. Following the performance against Donegal a fortnight ago, Derry fans will be extremely pessimistic about their side's chances of going much further this year, and - never needing too much of an excuse at the best of times - are unlikely to travel even in respectable numbers to Pearse Park.

Longford was not the ideal draw, and with the GAA somehow shoe-horning in a crazy rule about the team that played last year's first round away from home allowed home advantage the following year, the draw has been made all the more difficult. Out of Derry's last ten qualifier games, two of them have been played at home, so if the GAA are trying to create a fair system it's not working. And in any case they should focus their concentrations on the blatantly obvious inequalities in the All-Ireland Football Championship as a whole (i.e. the unfair provincial structures) instead of worrying about petty little details like which first round qualifier team gets home advantage.

Anyway, the respective form of the two sides has resulted in Derry being made underdogs for this tie (as big as 6/4 in places), and the general consensus is that the Oak Leafers will have their work cut out. Most of this is based on the poor showing in Ballybofey, whilst Longford's ascension from Leinster's lower tier to the middle tier and promotion to Division 2 of the NFL, marks them out as a team on the rise. Home advantage will help them, having beaten not only Derry, but also Mayo and Down in Championship football at Pearse Park in recent years (and they ran Kerry close in 2009).

But is it an automatic given that Longford will beat Derry? The Leinster outfit certainly haven't become world-beaters over night. They struggled past a passive Laois outfit in their opening championship game and were beaten after a replay by Wexford in a LSFC quarter-final. So, it's fair to say that their current level is somewhere around that of Laois, Wexford, Louth and Westmeath. Ordinarily you would imagine Derry not to be outmatched in that sort of company, but this year's results have suggested otherwise and that is where the problems lie for John Brennan and his squad as they travel south this weekend. Perhaps that is something of an advantage. Six years ago Derry were expected to comfortably deal with the O'Farrell men in a Round 3 qualifier at Pearse Park and came out with a one-point defeat. The current Derry side will not be taking anything for granted this time around. Not just because they know what to expect from this particular fixture, but also because teams of this ilk have caused us serious problems in 2012.

John Brennan has a job on his hands to reverse the fortunes. The main criticism levelled at his team in the aftermath of Ballybofey was they they did not show enough fight, spirit and hunger. The second half of that game provided foundation to those claims and that will be Brennan's first concern. We all know that the Oak Leaf squad contains matchwinners, but if the fifteen men on the field don't reach the required intensity levels, or at least match the workrate of their opposition, the ability of the likes of Paddy Bradley, Mark Lynch and Eoin Bradley to win their side football matches is diluted significantly. If the Oak Leaf squad have done nothing on the training ground this week bar working on tackling high up the pitch and getting numbers back and forward in tandem to support those in possession, then it will have been a week well spent. The ball must be moved quicker and the tackles must be more aggressive. Derry need to set out that stall very early in order to come away from Longford with a victory, because their opponents can organise themselves very effectively and are unlikely to give up an early lead, especially against a side low in confidence.

The man behind Longford's renaissance is former Kildare stalwart Glenn Ryan. He has them well organised and they can close down space very quickly. It makes them difficult to beat. On top of that they have matchwinners of their own, in the form of Paul Barden, Brian Kavanagh and Sean McCormack. That's actually where this Longford side excels, they can create in-game scenarios that gets the best out of their key individuals. Barden's performances in 2012 is a prime example. He's been around the Longford set up for over a decade, but it's only now that he appears to be reaching his potential. Derry will need to be extra vigilant around him on Saturday, as he has the size, pace and footballing ability to open up a defence. He can also take a score and has introduced into his game an awareness of those around him. Not dissimilar to the role Michael Murphy plays for Donegal.

That's no coincidence, because Ryan has tried to introduce a system similar to that of Donegal's to this group of Longford players. It feels like a lazy comparison, but Longford are like a Donegal-lite or a Kildare-lite. They all work hard and are prepared to sacrifice their own newspaper ratings for the good of the team. Like McGeeney and McGuinness, Ryan has commanded total respect from his players, who are all willing to sip the kool-aid and apply themselves stringently to the manager's instructions. However, as much as Longford have improved, they are nowhere near the same level as Donegal or Kildare. They don't have the same physical conditioning all across the pitch, can't put up the same intense defensive wall and don't display the same level of fluidity from backs to forwards and back again. Their best players are in attack, and their defence has a couple of weak links - no matter how they try to mask them - and this is where the Oak Leafers could potentially make hay. Although that will require getting the ball quickly into Paddy Bradley and Emmett McGuckin (and Eoin Bradley, if he plays) so that the opposition don't have time to structure themselves effectively. As we've alluded to many times, deploying Conleith Gilligan in a deeper role might be the best way to achieve this.

In a sense, this is one of the better years to have drawn Longford. They have been televised live on a couple of occasions and have generally received more exposure than usual. So, there are no secrets about how they will play and the Derry management should be prepared for what they offer. Assuming that the required level of preparation has been carried out, ensuring it has been applied effectively to the team that takes the field is another matter, as the Donegal game proved. A lot might depend on the spirit in the Oak Leaf camp. If the players are still feeling sorry for themselves, a confident Longford outfit will not be long smelling blood and putting us to the sword, but the squad should be eager to show a reaction and prove their critics wrong. As well as increasing the intensity and energy levels, Derry also need to get more productivity from midfield in terms of linking the play and adding more attacking output, and an effective kickout strategy needs to be developed.

When all is considered, it's clear that the Oak Leafers have a lot of improvement to make from Ballybofey and it's extremely debatable whether things will have been turned around effectively in two short weeks. There's no doubt we have enough quality players to get us over the line against Longford, but the way the season has gone and judging by our current form, we've probably left ourselves with too much to do.

Lines Written in Dejection

You know it's a difficult defeat to take in, when on the Wednesday morning it's still encompassing your wakening thoughts.

Another heavy rainstorm battering against the window doesn't register. Even heavier sneezing (in these pandemic times) doesn't cost a single thought. The mind wanders towards this weekend - what would have been a weekend away in Sligo. Yes, that's where it's at. Beautiful Sligo, where the majestic Benbulben lurks over your every move. Where WB Yeats rests lightly beneath the land he managed to spiritualise with his genius. Ah Sligo.

Wait a second... Sligo?

For crying out loud. Anyone would think it was some sort of exotic heaven on Earth. A quick slap on the face brings reality crashing back. But there are still flashbacks from that awful night in Ballybofey. Barry Monaghan (I thought he had retired?) driving forward at will. Trying to get through that narrowest of alleys that leads to the main stand. The floodlights coming on, one by one. There was little sun, timid or otherwise.

The day's first bead of sweat breaks on the brow.

I think to myself that I've probably had similar thoughts during each of the last sixteen years. And hell, they'll probably come back to me for the next sixteen. But as Derry fans we wouldn't have it any other way. There's a certain masochistic quality required to follow the Oak Leafers. Every year we tell ourselves that this season will be different ("sure we're one of the top four teams in the country at least"); that our vast abundance of talent will finally perform on the big stage and that Ulster and All-Ireland success is only a back-to-back victory away. Come July, these hopes have evaporated, turned somewhat magically into despair. Another painful exit (why do they always seem to be by just a point or two?) heralds the end of a summer that barely began.

When will we ever learn? A disappointing exit one season should mean that success might not necessarily come our way the following season. And as Derry have not put consecutive victories together in the Ulster Championship in eleven whole years, you would think that we could see the heavy bold writing on the dilapidating wall. Apparently not.

When we sit down to eat the turkey, perhaps we'll realise that we were expecting too much of Damian Cassidy and his stretched and relatively inexperienced squad this season. We will take encouragement from the fact that we have blooded some very promising new players (that will have learned much from a chastening debut season), and we'll be happy that some players have settled and matured into outstanding performers. We will think that all this augurs well for the future, and that we are well on our way to building a team that can compete for honours in the next 2-3 years.

Then, next year, when a resurgent Kildare beat us by a single point in a Round 4 qualifier at Breffni Park, defeat will be much easier to take.

Painful Sting in Familiar Tale

Well, that was a tough one to take, and it might hurt for quite a while.

The defeat itself, and the manner of it, was something we Derry fans were hoping we wouldn't have to endure for another few matches, but unfortunately it all amounts to the same old story, as another Oakleaf side failed to build upon the excellent victory achieved in the previous game.

Put simply, Donegal out-thought us and outclassed us, and despite the slender margin of the extra-time victory, even the staunchest Derry fan would have to admit that the Tír Chonaill men deserved to win with a bit more to spare.

So, where did it all go wrong? Well, it's probably best to start at the beginning, because this is arguably the period where Derry lost the game. Derry's first point didn't come until the 16th minute, and after the blazing opening a week earlier in Clones, I, along with many Derry fans were already feeling uncomfortable in Ballybofey. An uneasiness seemed to have gotten a grip of the Derry players, and this transmitted to the terraces. Derry were second to every ball, conceding a mass of possession in midfield, and were supplying the forward line with poor final ball. A slow start from Damian Cassidy's side set the tempo for the game, and Donegal smelt blood. The Bellaghy-man admitted as much after the game:

"We probably lost it in the first 20 minutes of the first half. We lost the initiative at that stage and we were always playing catch-up after that."

It looked like the energy and focus Derry had pumped into disposing of Monaghan had been left behind in Clones. It was a tough ask to get these Derry players to produce a similar performance just one week later, and there must have been great difficulty in getting the squad prepared mentally to the same level.

It showed.

John Joe Doherty had no such problems and he set his side up to defend heavily against Derry's front pairing of Paddy and Eoin Bradley. A tactic that has worked against the Oakleafers in the past seemed like it might be alien to a Donegal team that are used with playing open football. But Doherty instructed his team to funnel men back in numbers and create space for the front pairing of McFadden and Murphy. The likes of Brian Mullan and Chrissy McKaigue found themselves too often in forward positions - not what Damian Cassidy would prefer - and Derry's full-back line was well and truly exposed. Donegal's tactic worked well.

That was disappointing from a Derry point of view. We are well used to see teams employ sweepers in front of our forward division - yet we had no answer. The Donegal screening made Derry panic in possession, creating numerous turnovers in the first half. Derry were sloppy and ponderous - a million miles away from the team that had disposed of Monaghan. The forwards were not being supplied with percentage ball (the standard of passing not approaching the required clinical level) and with Paddy Bradley struggling on the excellent Karl Lacey, Derry's forward threat was diminishing as the half wore on. Donegal were thriving. Murphy and McFadden were winning every ball and creating havoc. They paired up for Donegal's first goal which gave them a real confidence booster. Derry heads dropped. The substitution of Kevin McCloy was inevitable; the introduction of debutant Brian Óg McAlary illustrating how stretched Derry's resources had become. He did well to stick to McFadden, but the Donegal forwards were winning every ball that came their way.

Perhaps it was due to the fact that Derry were behind on the scoreboard, but they never appeared to explore the possibility of dropping a man back in front of the full-back line. Barry McGoldrick played in a sweeper role at various stages this season and should have been moved back to help deal with the constant Donegal forward threat.

Midfield meanwhile was almost like a vacuum for Derry possession. Donegal were cleaning up in this area with Conall Dunne playing deep to win what seemed like a mountain of ball. Derry's success in the breaking ball stakes amounted to a total of 0% in the first half. An abysmal statistic that set the platform for defeat. Gerard O'Kane (who produced yet another excellent performance) kicked the ball away in frustration when the referee blew for half-time, and with his side three points down he and the rest of us knew Derry were in big trouble.

And yet, throughout the game (bar the early part of the second half when Donegal opened up a five-point advantage) Derry somehow managed to keep in touch. Mark Lynch, James Kielt and Eoin Bradley were the chief scorers, but they had been reduced to picking off lang-range efforts as Derry failed to break through the solid Donegal defence. Eoin Bradley was particularly influential in the second-half, continuing to win his own ball and run constantly at the Donegal defence. As time ticked on, the fingernails were taking a battering, and the loss of a subdued Paddy Bradley to injury saw another largely untested player in the shape of Gavin McShane enter the cauldron. It wasn't looking good, but having given themselves a mountain to climb Derry were fighting back. Doherty and Patsy Bradley with the help of Barry McGuigan, were only just beginning to get a foothold in midfield, while Gerard O'Kane was piling forward at will.

With the game in its final minute and Derry only a point behind, Chrissy McKaigue showed little fear to pounce on loose possession and hit a classy strike over the bar. Derry had just got out of jail, but that point illustrated just how hard they were having to work for scores, that continued to be struck from long-range. Derry couldn't penetrate the centre of the Donegal defence, and never looked like creating the goal that might have carried them over the finishing line.

At the end of the seventy minutes I thought that Derry could push on and win it in extra-time. Unfortunately, David Coldrick's normal-time whistle was as good as it got. Donegal should have felt like the beaten team, but Kevin Cassidy's goal gave them a fresh impetus, and an extra-time lead from which Derry could not recover. Colm McFadden almost went from hero to villain, kicking several wides in the two extra periods that basically kept Derry in the game. And then came the last-gasp chance that Enda Lynn sliced wide. It was an unfortunate moment for him and every Derry person inside the ground felt his anguish. We had almost come away with an unlikely draw - but the damage had already been done.

Donegal had outplayed us. They got their tactics spot on, while Derry revisited their form from previous seasons that saw the side unable to cope with a blanket defensive system. Derry had proven a point last week against Monaghan, but they failed to replicate that desire and hunger from the beginning in Ballybofey. Donegal were better prepared for the battle; they were able to raise their game for the arrival of the red-hot favourites from Derry.

It's been a difficult pill to swallow... and it hasn't quite been stomached just yet. The word 'gutted' gets bandied about a few times too often these days, but even us Derry fans probably require a stronger adjective to describe the emotions since leaving a darkening Ballybofey.

But thems the breaks, and Damian Cassidy will know today, if he didn't already, the magnitude of the task he has with this Derry team. Injuries and suspensions have forced his hand (Niall McCusker and Kevin McGuckin would have strengthened the defence, while Enda Muldoon would have added a play-making ability to a floundering attack), while the unforgiving nature of the qualifying system ensured Derry would have difficult tasks to complete in short time-frames.

The dream is over for another year... the nightmares continue.

DERRY: B Gillis; C McKaigue (0-1), K McCloy, S.M Lockart; G O'Kane (0-1), B McGoldrick (0-2 frees), SL McGoldrick; F Doherty, Patsy Bradley; J Diver, J Kielt (0-5, 0-3 frees), B Mullan; E Bradley (0-3), Paddy Bradley (0-2 frees), M Lynch (0-3) Subs B McAlary for McCloy, 34 mins; G McShane (0-1) for Diver, 43 mins; B McGuigan for Mullan, 43 mins; E Lynn for Paddy Bradley, 50 mins; S Bradley for McShane, 79 mins

Derry Must Keep Focus

In RTÉ Sport's preview for Derry's third round Qualifier against Donegal, they reckon that the Tír Chonaill men are something of a dying animal and that the Oakleafers will put them out of their misery at Ballybofey on Saturday evening. Of course, there is another school of thought that suggests Donegal are more of a wounded animal, and therefore represent a dangerous threat.

With Derry's best interests at heart, I certainly wouldn't dwell too much on the former theory. In my lifetime as a Derry fan, I can never remember an easy Championship game against our Western neighbours. Yes, we've had some decent victories against them, but in the past twenty years these have been by no more than three points - even when Derry were at their all-time best.

Forget about Derry brushing last Saturday's Monaghan challenge aside with relative ease, tomorrow's game is likely to be a tight affair.

While Derry have assumed heavy favouritism for the game (1/2), it is fair to say that this price has been reached with only the Monaghan performance in mind; this time last week Derry were outsiders heading to Clones. Championship favouritism can be a fickle concept.

Anyway, since last Saturday, the Derry players and management should have an extra spring in their step. The forwards - Paddy Bradley especially - seem to be clicking into form, and with Fergal Doherty, Patsy Bradley and James Kielt back from injury, the Oakleafers have been strengthened considerably in the middle third. But we're only at Round 3; still two wins away from getting back on solid ground at the All-Ireland Quarter-Final stage.

So there's plenty of work yet to do. Kerry were obviously the team to avoid in the draw, but a trip to Ballybofey might possibly be deemed the next toughest task on offer. The good news is that we haven't drawn Monaghan again, but the Ulster theme continues. Last year, Derry struggled for long periods in the Ulster first round game at the Donegal venue, before eventually emerging with a two-point victory. It took a ten-point haul from Paddy Bradley and a goal from Eoin Bradley to help achieve it.

Derry will be looking to these two guys again tomorrow night, but James Kielt and Mark Lynch had promising displays last week in Clones, and they will hope to reproduce this form to take some pressure off the Glenullin brothers. Damian Cassidy won't have been pleased with how his side defended against Monaghan. Things improved in the second-half when Sean Martin Lockhart and Kevin McCloy got much closer to their men, but these two will have to be on top form to prevent the enigmatic duo of Colm McFadden and Michael Murphy from stamping their authority on the game.

They are the two shining lights in what has been a disappointing season thus far for John Joe Doherty's men. I remember leaving Glen on Easter Sunday (having watched Derry comfortably dispose of Donegal to reach the NFL Final and consign our neighbours to relegation) thinking that this Donegal side had little to offer. They seemed to rely on Brian Roper to get their attack going, and they lacked any sort of onfield leadership. All this was backed up by their first round result against Antrim. Although I though Donegal looked like the better team that day. They created more chances, but just didn't have the killer instinct in front of goal.

It was a massive setback for them, and they were always going to struggle to get through the first couple of qualifying rounds. Carlow and Clare at home were stumbled past, but these games were the perfect stepping stones. They haven't quite found their form, but Donegal have always been a side that can produce a big performance on any given day. With Barry Dunnion and Karl Lacey back in defence, Derry's forwards are unlikely to enjoy another field day, while the aforementioned Murphy and McFadden always look capable of producing a big game. Donegal will raise their level for Derry, no question.

However, they look to be weak around the middle of the field. The loss of Christy Toye to injury last week was a big blow to a side already without the presence of Neil Gallagher and Ciaran Bonner thanks to a disciplinary issue. And this is where Derry can win the game. Last week the midfield trinity of Diver, Doherty and Bradley helped propel Derry to victory, as Monaghan couldn't cope with Derry's domination of possession. Another midfield performance like this, and a similar outcome could be on the cards. Derry need to keep their heads though. One good performance does not necessarily lead to another, as Oakleaf followers are only too aware. No doubt Damian Cassidy will have spent this week focusing his player's thoughts on the task in hand, whilst emphasising the importance of consistence performances. Else, last week's win will have meant absolutely nothing.

Derry must stick to last week's template. Direct passing out of defence, early ball to the forwards, runners through the middle. They have proved they can perform and win by playing like this; the question now is whether this can be displayed with a bit more frequency. We'll get some sort of answer in Ballybofey.

Donegal have their own questions to answer - and I expect to see an improved display from John Joe Doherty's side - but will it be enough to stop a Derry side that should now be performing with confidence and building upon the momentum gathered by last weekend's excellent victory?

I suspect and hope not! Derry by three.

Back on Track!

What a difference a few weeks make!

Saturday's game - as most analysts were at pains to tell us - was alien to anything we've seen from Derry in the Championship this year. It was lightyears away - in terms of footballing quality - from the clash between Derry and Monaghan back in May, with the amount of attacking play and quality scores no doubt surprising the 8,000 in attendance as well as those who bothered to watch the game live on TV.

Certainly the Derry followers who made the trip to Clones will have been delighted. This time last year, we were in Clones in very similar circumstances, but the mood was very different. We've had to beat Monaghan twice now this season, and this time it's the knockout blow. Derry have gained a little bit of redemption from the no-show at Casement Park, and any hopes of Championship success can linger a little longer.

But what was the difference?

Well, firstly, stand up Paddy Bradley. After the week the Glenullin man has had to endure, producing a performance of that calibre showed the immense quality and talent he has at his disposal. Scoring 2-8 against a Monaghan side known for its defensive tightness and suffocating pressure probably deserves some sort of award of its own. And if Bradley can continue this form, Derry's hopes of success will improve immeasurably.

But he wasn't the only star on show. Eoin Bradley's playmaking on Saturday was simply superb. He set up all three goals, while hitting a couple of points himself. The brothers worked well in tandem and they were getting fantastic supply.

The reason for this was that Derry were moving the ball much more quickly than we seen in the first two games. There was no laboured handpassing out of defence (that blighted the Tyrone game in particular), with emphasis appearing to be on kickpassing to move the ball up the pitch at a higher speed. Damian Cassidy must take credit for this change, as the Derry players seemed to have this tactic drummed into them from the outset. It made a huge difference.

Players like Mark Lynch (who had his best game for Derry in quite some time) seemed to thrive. Instead of running into cul de sacs with his head down, he was constantly looking to find a forward with an early ball. He was involved in several Derry scores, as well as hitting a couple himself, when his early pass had allowed him to run off the shoulder of the ball-carrier. Clever football really, that is the most effective way of getting scores.

Sean Leo McGoldrick and Gerard O'Kane also ran forward at will (providing the all-important outlet on the wing) while Patsy Bradley put in some sterling work in a defensive midfield role. It was evident on Saturday how much we've missed him when he was injured; his presence - along with another excellent display from Joe Diver - allowed Derry to boss the midfield battle. There was no reliance on Fergal Doherty to get the ball rolling in this division, although the Bellaghy man's return was certainly welcome, and he also went through his usual amount of work. Dominating the midfield battle does wonders when you're trying to win what has effectively become a straight shootout (with a high percentage of Oakleaf scores coming direct from collected kickouts).

The reason why it became such an open game (and have Pat Spillane and co. gush with praise) was because Derry took an early lead. The opening goal set the tone for the game and put Monaghan immediately on the backfoot. By the time James Kielt palmed home the Oakleafer's second goal, the Farney men looked in trouble. The catalyst for all this was arguably the brave decision to start Fergal Doherty in the full-forward line, which clearly unsettled the Monaghan defence. But it was after taking a seven-point lead that Derry stopped playing and allowed Monaghan to get within a point shortly after the break. The Derry management will be keen to figure out why Derry let their advantage slip at this stage (and in the last fifteen minutes, when the deficit was ten points).

Perhaps the substitution of Brian Mullan disrupted things slightly. He had been playing well in the wing-forward role before picking up a knock, and Derry needed to adjust in his absence (with Barry McGuigan putting in a solid second-half performance before picking up an injury himself). A more probable reason, it seemed (from the relative comfort of the Gerry Arthur Stand), was that Derry squandered hard-won possession too easily. Having got the ball into the Monaghan half, there were too many occasions when it was put into the forwards with little thought - creating a 50/50 opportunity for the grateful Monaghan defence. I can forgive this type of play as the game approached the finish (because Derry looked out of sight), with the game won, but midway through the match, it looked like it could cost dearly.

The other main gripe from the game was the concession of 20 points. It's a huge tally to concede (especially when you've ended up winning by five points), and was a direct result of the Monaghan forwards being afforded too much space. Hanratty was producing a career-best (making up for the absence of Tommy Freeman) and Rory Woods was pulling the strings. I feel though, that it was a false return from Seamus McEnaney's side as five points came in the final minutes.

Still, the Oakleaf squad will be keen to eradictae such loose play in defensive areas. 25 points won't be scored every week.

So, in the end, a game that I had been dreading ended up being one of the matches of the season. And producing it against Monaghan was extra-sweet considering the bother they have given us in recent years. It was a pleasure to witness Paddy Bradley's performance. The third goal was a magnificent thing, eclipsed only by the ironic celebrations that swiftly followed. It was indeed game over, and Bradley was entitled to enjoy the moment. It was also ironic that Dessie Mone ended up playing all over the field (having found Bradley too hot to handle), and that Dick Clerkin's substitution was probably his best moment of the game.

Job done.

All eyes now turn to Ballybofey, where the word 'consistency' might be crossing one or two minds as we try to build up a bit of back-door momentum. If the Oakleafers can produce a performance like Saturday's you'd expect another victory, but as always with Derry, there'll be no guarantees.

Derry - B Gillis; D McBride, K McCloy, S M Lockhart; G O'Kane (0-1), B McGoldrick, S L McGoldrick (0-1, 1f); F Doherty, Patsy Bradley; J Diver, J Kielt (1-1), B Mullan; E Bradley (0-2), Paddy Bradley (2-8, 2f), M Lynch (0-2). Subs: C McKaigue (0-1) for McBride (16), B McGuigan for Mullan (28)

Derry's Qualifier Record at Clones

Last month I railed against the selection of Casement Park as the venue for Derry's game with Tyrone. A hateful venue at which Derry have a poor recent record. However - bar Celtic Park - we don't seem to have a very good recent Championship record anywhere. Ahead of this weekend's meeting with Monaghan at St. Tiernach's Park, a quick glance at the books show that Clones, like anywhere else, has brought little in the way of consistency, and Derry's qualifier record there (since 2001) bears testament to that:

2001, July 22:
Derry 1-14 Cavan 2-7
Derry - O McCloskey, K McCloy, SM Lockhart, G Doherty, F Crossan, G Coleman 0-1, K McNally, A Tohill 1-4, F Doherty, P McFlynn 0-3, D Dougan, J McBride 0-1, P Bradley 0-2, E Muldoon 0-1, G Diamond 0-1. Subs: D Heaney 0-1 for Lockhart, C Gilligan for Dougan, J Kelly for Bradley
Referee - M Curley (Galway)

2003, June 28:
Dublin 3-09 Derry 1-09
Derry - M Conlon, K McGuckin, N McCusker, SM Lockhart, G Doherty, P McFlynn, D Crozier 0-1, A Tohill 0-1, F Doherty, M Harney, E Muldoon 0-1, J McBride, P Bradley 1-2, G McGonigle 0-3, D Dougan. Subs: P O’Kane 0-1 for G Doherty, K McCloy for McCusker, C Gilligan for Gilligan, F Glackin for McBride, J Gray for Harney
Referee - B White (Wexford)

2007, July 8:
Derry 0-10 Armagh 0-9
Derry - S O'Kane; K McCloy, M McGoldrick, S M Lockhart, G O'Kane, F McEldowney, L Hinphey; F Doherty, J Conway; M Lynch 0-1, P Murphy 0-1, B McGoldrick 0-1; C Devlin 0-2, Paddy Bradley 0-5, C Gilligan. Subs: R Wilkinson for Gilligan (25 mins), J Diver for Conway (55), J Keenan for Hinphey (60), G Donaghy for Lynch (67)
Referee - E Murtagh (Longford)

2008, July 19:
Monaghan 1-13 Derry 1-12
Derry - J Deighan; K McCloy, N McCusker, J O’Kane (0-1); M McBride, G O’Kane, L Hinphey; F Doherty (0-1), Patsy Bradley; E Muldoon (0-1), E Bradley (1-1), R Wilkinson; C Devlin (0-1), P Bradley (0-4, 2f), M Lynch (0-2). Subs - C McKeague (0-1) for Hinphey, C Gilligan for R Wilkinson, P Murphy for Muldoon, J Diver for McCloy, J Conway for Patsy Bradley
Referee - D Coldrick (Meath)

Forgetting Farney

We can dress this up all we want, but the last team we wanted to draw in Round 2 of the qualifier was Monaghan. Away. I immediately thought to myself 'God, a week of listening to nonsense about the last game in Celtic Park. Violence, suspensions, appeals. Banty... again.' At least the game is this week, and that gives minimal time for the media to blow this potentially-extremely-fractious encounter even further out of proportion (I just hope no-one talks about hoping for a good game of football to make up for the last game.) But still, I feel it is necessary to try and forget about this game totally until the ball is thrown-in at 3pm on Saturday.

It won't be easily done I admit, but at least Paddy Bradley has got the ball rolling. Has he left the squad? Is he back in the squad? The confusion over his apparent departure from the Derry panel took care of Monday and half of Tuesday. Most Derry supporters had possibly forgotten all about Saturday's game at this stage. Perfect.

And just as the Glenullin-man was throwing the boots in the bag before heading to Owenbeg, Michael Jackson's memorial service (99% showbiz spectacle; 1% funeral) was doing a good job of keeping the mind firmly off any impending football matches. Did you know that Jacko was born on the very week that Derry defeated Kerry to reach their first All-Ireland Final (August, 1958)? He probably never even realised... I suppose he did OK for himself in any case.

This morning was slightly quieter. I verged on heading to the various GAA websites and online Discussion Boards to read all sorts of nonsense relating to Saturday's game. Thankfully, I was stopped in my tracks by the thought of another event that many will likely rush to place firmly in the "foreign sports" file: The Ashes. This'll keep me occupied for a while! And before anyone starts, Michael Cusack was himself a keen Cricket enthusiast, and if it's good enough for one of the GAA's founding fathers then it's good enough for the rest of us. Plus - provided the other English batsmen don't follow Kevin Pietersen's example of trying impossible sweep shots - the first test between England and Australia should run for most of the scheduled five days. Perfect.

At this rate I mightn't have to go near Clones at all!

Bradley Returns

Was he ever away...?

There's been more mystery and intrigue surrounding Derry footballing circles in the past day and a half than a compendium of Sherlock Holmes, Tom Ripley and Scooby-doo.

It was widely reported yesterday that Paddy Bradley had left the Derry senior panel (even this most reputable of blogs carried the story), and this was taken as read until Mark Sidebottom interviewed Bradley's father Liam on BBC Newsline yesterday evening. The "Baker" said that he expected Paddy to be "involved with Derry on Saturday evening" (against Monaghan), and suddenly nobody had a scooby-doo what to believe.

Next, the Derry County Board decided to throw their tuppence-worth into an ever-confusing mix by releasing a statement saying that they "wish to end unsubstantiated rumours escalating in the media that Paddy Bradley has left the Derry Senior football panel". And that "such rumours are totally unfounded and without substance."

All the papers are carried the story about Derry denying Bradley's departure in their Sports headlines today, with Paddy Heaney's column in the Irish News outlining what appears to be a realistic version of events.

Clearly Paddy Bradley signalled some sort of intention to the Derry management after training on Sunday past. There is no smoke without fire after all. He has changed his mind however, and it is now apparent that Bradley is back in the Derry squad. Welcome news for all Derry followers, and a relief no doubt to Damian Cassidy and the Oakleaf squad as a whole.

The Monaghan game is fast approaching, and whether Bradley is in 100% condition to start must be extremely doubtful at this stage, but at least it now appears he may be available to play some part.

Bradley Leaves Derry Panel

It's bad enough that we are going to have beat our lovely friends from Monaghan again, but this tough assignment in Clones has been made even more difficult following this morning's shock news that Paddy Bradley has left the Derry panel.

A truly astounding development that will have had Damian Cassidy feeling a little groggy today after what must have been a night of little sleep. The timing is a big enough problem, with just five days before the trip to Clones (at 3pm this Saturday), but losing Paddy Bradley - Derry's All-Star and 'marquee forward' (as the pundits might say) - is a huge blow to the Derry camp.

It is unclear at the moment what his motivation for leaving the panel is, but if he feels that he cannot continue for the remainder of the season, then the decision is entirely his, and that must be respected and accepted by the Derry squad and supporters.

The news will unquestionably affect Derry's preparation this week, and the management will have their work cut out trying to galvanise the squad, and ensure that the team that takes the field against the Farney-men can cope with the loss of one of its key players.

There have been more than enough problems for Derry in the past two months, and this seems to be the culmination of those. An already tough task against Monaghan (where Derry are looking to save their season) has just got a hell of a lot more difficult, but let's hope the Oakleafers can turn this unwanted situation into a positive one.

Fergal Doherty and Brian Mullan will be back from suspension, Patsy Bradley has recovered from injury, and in an ideal world there should be forwards training out of their skin in order to fill Bradley's vacated position. Monaghan will be without their own marquee man in Thomas Freeman... all is not lost.

Back to yesterday evening's draw...

And Senan Connell is holding a little yellow ball that just came out of Pot 2. My TV3 reception gets a little fuzzy at times; it wouldn't have the name 'Doire' in it by any chance? Christy Cooney is standing there with a fairly smug looking grin between his chops... surely he wouldn't want to pit Monaghan along with Derry in the qualifiers, all for the sake of treating those two northern malcontents with the justice they deserve after their hate-fest back in May.

"Playing Monaghan will be... Derry".

I knew it. I just don't trust these draws at all. Call me ridiculously cynical, but we've been framed for this one, and if the GAA want to play that game, then we deserve to give Saturday's viewing public another foul-ridden, football-less encounter. As long as Derry win I couldn't care less. We'll take it out to the car-park if need be! And the rest of the country in their moral perch can moan till they're blue in the face.

In all seriousness though, this is probably the draw both sides wanted to avoid. And Monaghan have it as tough as us. They've already had to play Armagh, and have endured a pretty awful run of consecutive qualifier draws in recent years. Derry will just have to keep their heads and play their game, and hope that that will be enough to beat a Monaghan side that will no doubt be feeling some sort of rejuventaion this week in the wake of their extra-time victory over Armagh.

This match has more baggage than Terminal 5 at Heathrow, but it will probably be for the best if we somehow try and forget what's gone on before, and with or without Paddy Bradley show a willingness to take the game to Seamus McEnaney's side.

Although it's hard to be positive today, as another thunderstorm brews in an increasingly dark sky.