Frustration continues

A hugely frustrating evening at Celtic Park. At the start of the NFL campaign this would have been one of the games earmarked for a win and a vital two points, but defeat now leaves Derry entrenched in a relegation dogfight, and the manner of defeat does little to inpsire hope of safely coming out of it.

There was a lot wrong with the peformance, but the most disappointing aspect is that we've seen the same problems arise in the previous games against Dublin and they have not been addressed.

First things first - team selection. I was of the opinion heading into this match that if you're going to try out switches like Fergal Doherty at wing-forward and Paddy Bradley at centre-forward then a league game in March is the time to do it. It backfired. Hindsight is a wonderful thing of course, and I would imagine that Damian Cassidy will be rueing those selections today. This was a must-win game for Derry and playing two of your key men out of position totally ruined us in the first half. And it was an awful first half from Derry. Right up there with the second halves against Dublin and Kerry. Mayo really should have been out of sight.

The good news is that Fergal Doherty won't be tried here again, nor should Paddy Bradley, but you live and learn. Pity it's at the expense of two league points.

It was fairly obvious in Tralee last week that derry had a problem winning possession. Straight kick-outs down the middle of the field against a breeze played straight into Kerry's hands. Last night, Derry employed the same kickout strategy. Not once did a player come short for a kickout, and not once was any attempt made to get the ball moving quickly from restarts. Not once. When it's obvious Derry aren't winning enough ball at midfield. This is sorely frustrating, especially when the tactics of the opposition couldn't be any more different.

Time after time in the first half, Mayo had the ball kicked out before Derry realised it had even happened, and they were attacking the right wing solidly. Hitting Derry on counter attacks, letting the bal do the work. And they got a lot of joy with this tactic. It left the Derry full-back line exposed, and despite the fortuitous nature of Andy Moran's goal, Mayo's five-point lead at half-time almost flattered Derry.

Derry's forward line malfunctioned. The half-forward line was largely anonymous so there were no outlets in the wing positions. This meant the ball had to be worked out of defence and when/if it eventually reached the full-forward line, Eoin Bradley and Lee Moore were bottled up by the Mayo defence, and Derry were reduced to kicking scores from long-range. Similar to what happened in Ballybofey last July.

While Derry laboured and pondered, Mayo appeared to be flying. Alan Dillon was literally everywhere. Picking up loose possession around midfield and constantly setting up attacks, he is in sharp form. Derry couldn't contain him. Aidan O'Shea also showed some of his potential by scoring 1-1, and of the six Mayo forwards that started the game - all six scored. In fact they were their only scorers (except for a point by susbtitute Chris Barrett) and they distributed the scores fairly evenly.

Things improved for Derry in the second half. Whilst the removal of Lee Moore at half-time was a semi-surprise (he showed reasonably well in the first half, and hit a couple of decent frees), the introduction of Sean Leo McGoldrick helped add a bit of shape to the forward line. With Doherty back at midfield, Kielt at centre-forward and Paddy Bradley at full-forward, the Oakleafers looked a lot more comfortable. Gerard O'Kane moved into cenre-half back while Mark Lynch, who had struggled during the first half moved into the forwards.

Aidan O'Shea's fisted goal (45 mins) was another lucky break for Mayo, but they probably deserved to be seven points ahead at that stage. It seemed to kick Derry into life however, and they went on to play easily their best football of the game. There was too much left to claw back however and Mayo's ability to tag on a few points near the end (when Derry had reduced the deficit to three points) finished the contest.

Eoin Bradley's goal was struck with the very last kick of the game and put a three-point margin between the sides that will probably leave John O'Mahony wondering how his team won by so little.

But he'll be delighted with the win - as Mayo haven't won in Derry in 26 years - and he'll probably be surprised at how easily the win was accomplished. Mayo just overran and outlplayed Derry from the start, and we never looked like turning the tide; falling into the usual trap of kicking the ball backwards or kicking it away.

Relegation is a very real possibility now, and a huge improvement is required if it is to be avoided. A win against Monaghan next week is absolutely essential.

A few other observations from the game:

• As much as the defence has remained reasonably constant in the opening four NFL games, it has generally struggled. The defensive line-up for the championship still contains more questions than answers. Full-back? Centre-half back?
• Eoghan Brown replaced Raymond Wilkinson with about fifteen minutes remaining. Derry were clawing their way back into the game at that stage, and the more obvious change would have been to bring on Joe Diver at full-forward. It was pointless bringing him on for the last couple of minutes.
• Mayo are playing at a serious pace and it's not surprising that they're up pushing for a league final place. I'd be doubtful if they can keep that up for the remainder of the season though.
• Gerard O'Kane has played in about four separate defensive positions this season, Damian Cassidy needs to quickly figure out where is best to deploy him.
• It's a total quagmire down at the bottom of Division 1. It'd be worse if Derry had to travel to Scotstown next weekend. It won't be one for the purists!

Change of tact for Mayo

The following is the Derry team to play Mayo at Celtic Park on Saturday: M Dunne, M McGoldrick, K McCloy, D McBride, C Kielt, M Lynch, G O'Kane, Patsy Bradley, J Kielt, F Doherty, Paddy Bradley, A McLaughlin, R Wilkinson, E Bradley, L Moore.

I wrote yesterday that I expected to see changes for Saturday's game against Mayo, and also intimated that Damian Cassidy must start doing more to get Derry's forward division working as a unit when Paddy and Eoin Bradley are on the field.

Nothing new there really, but the team selection for the Mayo game seems to indicate that Cassidy is indeed actively seeking ways to shake things up in the forward line.

First things first. Paddy Bradley at centre-half forward? I seem to remember a few games in the past - in the Paddy Crozier era - when Bradley was utilised on the '40. The Monaghan qualifier in 2008 springs to mind. It didn't really work that day because of Derry's failure in possession further out the field. But Cassidy clearly seems to think that an inside line of Eoin Bradley and Lee Moore (fresh from U21 duty and in for his first start) will benefit from the extra space provided by the deeper utilisation of Paddy. Bradley is an out-and-out scorer so how he fares in this role remains to be seen, but it's worth a try. He can win his own ball, and will run at the defence. I just hope that Cassidy persists with this idea for the whole of the game - despite how well it's working - as game practice is required to see if this type of tactic has legs.

Next. Fergal Doherty at wing half-forward? Now this is new one (although we have seen him deployed at full-forward before!). In Cassidy's regime, the wing forwards have often been the most important men within his system of play. They provide the outlet from defence as well as creating overlaps higher up the pitch. Cassidy has tried a host of players in these positions; some have done well, others haven't. Last year's Ulster Semi against Tyrone was probably the day Cassidy realised that you just can't play anyone at wing forward. Enda Lynn and Eoin Brown struggled throughout. So, we can assume that Fergal Doherty will be tried at wing-forward as opposed to being a third midfielder wearing number 10. Doherty is strong on the ball and is a direct runner, but it will be odd to see him out of midfield (if he manages to stay out of it!). I'm not convinced he is suited to this position, but now is the time to find out.

James Kielt will start at midfield, and will have more responsibility here with Doherty tried on the wing. Lee Moore cam on as a sub against Dublin, but Saturday night is his first real chance to impress in a senior jersey. Aidy McLaughlin, who has already impressed in the league thus far, retains his left-half-forward berth.

It's good to see Derry are trying out a few new things in this game. It's proper experimentation really with experienced players playing new roles, rather than throwing in a new guy at half-forward and hoping for the best. Perhaps there is a confidence in the ranks stemming from the U21 game, and that may have relaxed Cassidy into picking a new-look side.

The only negative is that Derry appear to be weakened on the bench - in the forwards at least. With Eoghan Brown the only recognised scoring forward in the substitutes.

Defensively, Derry will remain the same, with Kevin McCloy starting at full-back. He will likely be tasked with marking Mayo's Aidan O'Shea, while McGoldrick and McBride will hope to pick up from their decent showing in Kerry at corner-back.

Mayo already have four points on the board in Division 1, so most of the pressure will be on Derry on Saturday night. The westerners will be without the striking option of Mark Ronaldson - who helped put Tyrone to the sword a month ago - so they may be light up-front. This was certainly a problem that blighted their defeat to Dublin last weekend.

It all points to a Derry victory. The Oakleafers give little away on home soil, and it's arguably the strongest team Cassidy has picked this year. I expect Derry to win this with a few points to spare (and would be dissapointed with anything less), whilst picking up a couple of much-needed NFL points.

Start Spreading the News

Poor Mayo. John O'Mahony is having a torrid time this week trying to get his team ready for the opening round of the Championship.

Apparently, the Championship starts this weekend (though most of us should be forgiven if we have failed to notice the fact that Mayo are taking on New York this Sunday in the Connacht SFC).

And Mayo are struggling. There's lads doing exams, and there's a number of injuries. The team picked to face New York shows eight changes from Mayo's last championship game and contains four SFC debutants. In Friday's Irish Independent O'Mahony sounded worried:

"It shows how many young players we have in our squad. The New York game has come right in middle of exams, which is far from ideal. It's very demanding on the lads."

Speaking over a week ago the Fine Gael TD was equally optimistic:

"It will be important we don’t pick up any injuries as we won’t want to be stretched any further. Taking New York for granted would be very foolish."

Wake up and smell the Starbucks John... you're playing New York!

I'm reluctant to start into the usual northern complaint about Ulster teams having to negotiate through the quagmire of quicksand that is the Ulster SFC, but with Derry facing Monaghan, Tyrone playing Armagh and the coin-flipping outcome that Fermanagh and Down will produce (in a preliminary round!!), facing New York should be no more difficult than a stroll through Central Park.

It's another argument for another day (and Paddy Heaney had that day a few weeks ago in his 'Against the Breeze' column in the Irish News) but it highlights once more, the deficiencies in our Championship system. The disparities between the provinces. Galway and Mayo in Connacht, and Cork and Kerry in Munster are in the fast-track queue to the All-Ireland quarter-final.

O'Mahony and Mayo should be delighted with an early summer break Stateside. The rest of us are getting the waders out.

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.

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.