Under-21s show promise

Derry's Under-21 side made a successful start to their Ulster SFC campaign at Celtic Park last night with a comfortable win over Monaghan (3-12 to 1-3). Winning by a sizeable margin of fifteen points, it was one of those victories that will have people talking about possible Ulster titles and like. But we in Derry don't do expectation very well so it's probably best if we dampen our excitement for a while yet, after all it was only the first round.

Still, after a difficult start to the week - with defeats for both St. Pat's Maghera in the MacRory Cup Final and St. Columb's Derry in the McLarnon decider - this was an encouraging result for the Oak Leaf underage setup. An energetic Derry side attacked the Monaghan defence like a Tory Chancellor attacking pensioners in a spring Budget, and it quickly paid off, with goals from Fergal Duffin and Emmett McGuckin helping the home side to an eleven point half-time lead. The job had been done right there. Another goal from McGuckin in the second half didn't so much put the tie to bed as kill it stone dead.

Invariably when the Under-21 Championship comes around, people will rewind the clock back three years and predict the outcome of the forthcoming games based on how the respective teams fared at minor level (and express surprise when the results are wildly different). Nothing could be more irrelevant. Squads will have changed, management teams changed and the form and experience levels of the players will be different. The minor Championship is played off on Sundays during the summer. The Under-21 equivalent is shoe-horned into Wednesday evenings in March and April with teams being bussed to the far end of the province after a day's work (or a day at University). Totally different animals.

Last night's game in Celtic Park was a case in point. Back in 2009 Derry played at home to Monaghan in the Ulster MFC. It was a disappointing result for the Oak Leafers, as they lost by 1-12 to 0-10. Fast forward three years and the tables had turned completely. 2009 was also the year Armagh won the All-Ireland Minor title. Last night, the Orchard-men lost their under-21 encounter against Cavan. The Breffni county have showed steady progress at underage level over the past few years, winning both the Minor and Under-21 Ulster titles in 2011. That type of gradual improvement and lifting of silverware at different levels is a better indicator of who might succeed in the month or two ahead, and have subsequent success at senior level.

Speaking of Cavan, Barry Dillon's side will face them in the Ulster semi-final in two weeks time (April 4th at Brewster Park, Enniskillen). That will represent a step up in class in terms of opposition and will give us a better idea of how good this promising Derry Under-21 side really is.

Spring in the step

First points on the board, and there's a lot of sorting out to do in Division Two yet...

Taking a quick perusal of the Monday papers, it's nice to see the words "determined" and "dominant" associated with the word Derry. Obviously the subeditors of national papers enjoy regaling us with their command of alliteration, not to mention hyperbole, but we should be thankful on the week following Derry's six point victory over Monaghan, because there are days when the above adjectives could readily be replaced with "depressing" and "dismal".

Unsurprisingly, this was a game that did not hit the headlines. A quiet NFL weekend in general was eclipsed for column inches by Golf, Rugby and Soccer. The only Monaghan man getting any sort of hearing was Tommy Bowe. After all that, the differing fortunes of Down and Donegal on Sunday grabbed most of the GAA limelight - especially in the Southern press - and even the trusty old Irish News decided that details of the weekend's only all-Ulster clash should be pushed a few pages from the back. No arguments here. But despite the low-key nature of the tie, this was an extremely important victory for Derry.

Three weeks ago this blog talked about the Oak Leafer's NFL campaign having reached a nadir - or at least that was the hope - during defeat in Omagh. After such a performance it's natural to want the next game to come sooner rather than later, but the general feeling was that the three week break in the season was coming at the right time for John Brennan's side.

And so it proved to be. With Gerard O'Kane, Barry McGoldrick, Mark Craig and Michael Bateson making welcome returns, it was a stronger and more experienced Derry team that took to the field at Celtic Park to face Monaghan. Their presence was influential as the home side put two bad defeats behind them to produce a solid if unspectacular performance in disposing of the Farney-men. And whilst the starting team had a more conventional look to it, it still carried the air of experimenation, thanks to a continuing injury list that will test the squad to its fullest over the coming four weeks. Cailean O'Boyle - probably Derry's most consistent performer this season to date - missed through injury. Conleith Gilligan picked up a knock during last week's Railway Cup Final and couldn't start. With the likes of Eoin Bradley, James Kielt and Enda Muldoon still on the sidelines, John Brennan was playing with a weakened hand.

Despite that however, the forward unit performed to a level that was enough to keep the Monaghan challenge well out of reach. Paddy Bradley put six points to his name (which turned out to be the difference between the sides), and having the Glenullin man come into that sort of form will give Derry a much-needed edge in attack during this concentrated period of games. Bradley was ably assisted by Mark Lynch, and the hard-working duo of Enda Lynn and Neil Forrester help provide an energy that adds a dynamism to the Oak Leaf's forward play.

Derry's inability to win possession was a frustration against both Galway and Tyrone, not to mention the primary reason for defeat. This fact clearly wasn't lost on John Brennan who made seven wholesale changes to the middle-eight from the game at Healy Park last month. The headlines that speak of Derry dominating their opponents provide enough indication as to how those changes worked out. Derry's breaking ball statistics improved, with Sean Leo McGoldrick influential in winning ball and putting Derry onto the front foot.

Gone are the days of Derry's nasty rivalry with Monaghan that blighted three successive Championship campaigns from 2007 to 2009. Seamus 'Banty' McEnaney was something of a poster-boy for those infamous games, and Monaghan seem to have lost a little of their bite since his departure. Their first-half performance on Saturday night was especially weak as the home side raced into a seven-point lead. The inxperienced Oak Leaf full-back line was rarely tested, and it wasn't until the introduction of the returning Tommy Freeman that the Monaghan forwards even threatened scores from play.

Manager John Brennan was happy after Derry finally getting their Division Two season off the mark, but he is well aware of the challenges ahead:

"It was very important for us to get the win. We are only concerned with ourselves and we've got ourselves back into it. I am just glad for the players... We will just keep working, hope a few more players make it back soon from injury and hopefully we can build on this result."

The Lavey man won't have long to wait to find out if his side can build on this one, with a trip to Kildare on the horizon this Sunday. Both teams got their first NFL victories on Saturday night and with just two points now separating second and eighth in the division, the winners in Newbridge will be looking up, rather than down.

All in all, not a bad weekend's work.

Some other thoughts:

• Derry fans might well have done a double-take when they saw a half-forward line containing Gerard O'Kane, Barry McGoldrick and Neil Forrester. This could just as easily have been the half-back line.
• Speaking of which, Mark Craig and Michael Bateson did their chances of retaining starting places no harm on Saturday night. Craig also played well against Galway before getting injured and is well worthy of another start against Kildare.
• Michael Bateson is certainly not afraid to come forward and has a good eye for a score - grabbing two points. Hopefully his injury is not a recurrence of the collar-bone fracture he suffered in 2010.
• The Derry half-back line scored 0-4. These are the scores required to take pressure off the forwards and take some heart out of the opposition. 
• PJ McCloskey and Michael Friel represented another new midield duo this season. Other midfielders have included Joe Diver, James Conway, Patsy Bradley, Niall Holly and John McCamley. John Brennan would be forgiven for not knowing his preferred centre-field duo.
• That will become a concern if it continues into the season. 
• Barry Gillis was a familiar face in goals following injuries to Danny Devlin and Paul Morgan. Three games, three different 'keepers.
• Kildare might be a bogey-team for us, but Derry went to Newbridge last season and won. There's enough firepower in the side to do it again.

Feeling blue in Scotstown

Sometimes you find that you're repeating yourself. During last year's NFL campaign the watch-words were experimentation, tyring new players, increasing squad depth and, as the league approached its finale, the talk was of whether or not Derry could win two NFL titles in a row. These topics surfaced on a weekly basis.

Move forward twelve months and some topics are still appearing on a weekly basis, but none as positive as last year's. Instead we find ourselves lamenting one poor Derry performance after another and asking the same question: "where is it going wrong?".

It's tempting to say that the rot began straight after the win against Tyrone, but with extenuating circumstances surrounding the defeats to Dublin and Kerry, it seems the malaise kicked in the week leading up to the Mayo game. Two defeats had done nothing for the confidence ahead of an important home game, and form couldn't be switched on automatically. Derry would have to build it up over the course of the 70 minutes against Mayo. It didn't happen. The reason being that Mayo were flying, confidence high, and ready to rock from the first throw-in. A flat-footed Derry couldn't recover.

And worse yet, the campaign's seminal tie - against a hungry, sharp Monaghan side - was only seven days away. Last year, Derry spent all of the winter and all of the spring preparing - physically and mentally - to meet Monaghan's challenge in the Championship head-on. Derry obviously won out in the end (just about), but on their current form, a week was never going to be enough to provide the requisite challenge to take on and beat the Farney men. What followed was inevitable. The Oakleafers were shown up to lack the hunger, fight and determination that Monaghan possessed in spades. When Thomas Freeman's goal opened up a four-point lead mid-way through the first-half, there was only one likely winner. Derry couldn't respond and Monaghan's tails were up. Conor McManus was scoring at will, and Derry were totally dominated at midfield.

It's as disappointing as Derry have been in a long time, and it's been a while since they've trailed by eleven points in any game. Like last week against Mayo, the final scoreline flattered Derry. They were outplayed all over the pitch. The defence struggled against a lively attack, (although their cause was not helped by the quality of supply coming from Monaghan's midfield and half-back line). Derry's forwards had another day to forget, kicking wides and missing chances that nearly made the Kerry performance look prolific.

It's hard to fathom however, how Monaghan could look so good, while Derry looked inept and uninterested. Damian Cassidy must be scratching his head at the level of Derry's performances, but he would need to find a resolution sometime soon. Confidence is now at a seriously low ebb, and this coming Saturday Derry will face the country's in-form side, Cork. The Rebels have recently been installed as favourites for the All-Ireland, and now is not a good time for Derry to play them. Most of us would probably happily forego any chance of victory in the hope that Derry show significant improvement, and a determination and focus that will at least ask some questions of Cork. But it's hard to look forward to at this stage.

The good news is that we are still only in March, and there is time to rectify things before the Armagh game on May 16. But, as relegation becomes the increasingly likely scenario, it's surely the least desirable way of approaching the Championship.

Some other thoughts from Sunday's game:

• With Kevin McCloy and Michael McGoldrick injured, changes had to be made in defence; but the swapping and changing we have seen across the team in the past few games just hasn't worked.
• Barry McGoldrick had a difficult day in his first game back at centre-back. This position remains a problem one.
• Kevin McGuckin had his first start of the season also. Derry's third full-back in four games. Another problem position.
• Raymond Wilkinosn looked lively when he came on and should be a starter come May. But Cassidy needs to find the best place to play him. Here's a clue: it's not in the full-forward line.
• Barry Gillis (or Pascal McConnell as the announcer and match programme called him) had a good first half; wasn't much he could have done about Freeman's well-taken goal.
• Maybe the deployment of McManus in the full-forward line for the whole game threw Derry, but he's unlikely to amass ten points again in the foreseeable future.
• Michael Bateson played well when introduced - albeit he was given sufficient sapce to work in - and may be worth another look at wing-forward.
• Declan Mullan's stock is increasing by the week.
• Ladbrokes have installed Derry as 2/7 favourites for relegation. Sperrin Metal or Sperrin Galvanisers would never have done such a thing.
• What a terrible venue Scotstown is for an inter-county game. Younger readers: this is what grounds were like in the 1980s.

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)

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 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.

The Fallout Continues

It seems that the world and his wife have voiced their opinion about Sunday's match at Celtic Park. Most of you will be sick of reading and hearing about, but your friendly blogger has nonetheless attempted to sift through the garbage.

We have been subjected to pontification, hypocrisy and absolute stupidity from some quarters as journalists and high-profile GAA figures try to get their heads around how things could possibly have come to this:

Christy Cooney
"The very good people at the CCCC will do a very good job in dealing with this."

Colm Keys (Irish Independent)
"The dark arts of intimidation, cynicism and general lawlessness were everywhere to be seen."

Martin McHugh
"Cynical and nasty. It had everything that was bad about Gaelic Football."

Martin Breheny (Irish Independent)
"Has there been an apology from either county for bringing the GAA into disrepute?"

Paul Curran
"It was one of the worst games I have watched in many years, that's if you want to call it a game."

Thankfully, some balance has been maintained with a few analysts deciding to employ a sense of logic and reason in the midst of ongoing hysteria:

Paddy Heaney
"Sunday’s game was simply played by the unwritten rules of Gaelic football. There were sinners on both sides. Big deal."

Kevin Madden
"It wasn’t pretty. But it was never going to be, nor was it meant to be."

Owen Mulligan
"The reaction was a bit over the top. You will do anything to win."

Rory Gallagher
"Derry will move on happy that they did what had to be done to win the game."

And finally, the irreverent Frank McNally deserves a mention for his Irish Times column in which he suggests that "what we were witnessing was a 40th anniversary re-enactment of the Battle of the Bogside".

He's talking more sense than most!

Puke Pundits

Opinion was fairly unanimous in TV-land during the post-game analysis of Derry v Monaghan at Celtic Park. The members of the respective panels on RTÉ and BBC were fairly sure they had just watched an awful game of football between two sides more interested in fighting than playing the ball.

Paddy Heaney does an excellent job in today's Irish News of questioning what these so-called analysts expected from Sunday's game, and how the physicality shown is something that has been entrenched in our games since Mrs Hayes doors were first darkened all those years ago.

Why were Jarlath Burns, Pat Spillane and co. so surprised?

This was always going to be a horrible game, not a fantastic, open contest between two footballing sides. If this was the level of expectation held by these 'pundits', then they haven't got the footballing knowledge to be commenting on the television.

Burns' reacion was a particular mystery. Before the match he had said that the game would be "physical and attritional", so why his jaw sat on the floor in shock at the niggly game he had just witnessed is beyond me.

Aside from the OTT high-moral response from all quarters, it appears that the general level of punditry on the TV is poorer than ever.

It is littered with cliches and lazy, generalistic analysis that offers very little insight into how two teams lined out in order to ultimately win or lose a game.

Two years ago, after the debacle against Monaghan at Casement Park, Martin McHugh labelled Derry a "disgrace", chiefly because of their insipid performance and their inability to utilise the talents of Paddy Bradley. On Sunday, he complained that Derry were "too reliant on the Bradleys".

Sometimes you can't win with these guys! Yes, the Bradleys hit 1-5 between them against Monaghan, but in the last ten minutes, Derry's four unanswered points came from James Kielt (two), Joe Diver and Paddy Bradley. This hardly shows an over-reliance on the Glenullin man. Analysis at its very laziest.

Meanwhile, over on RTÉ, Pat Spillane merely repeated what McHugh said about the Bradleys. That was all he could offer regarding Derry's chances for the remainder of the campaign. He also said Derry "lacked variety" in their play, while Colm O'Rourke opined that overall Derry were a "limited" team.

Perhaps these opinions will be borne out (let's hope not), and at times on Sunday Derry did look limited. But they were limited by an energetic, defensive Monaghan side in an extremely tense and ugly environment. Yet they pulled away for victory. Under the circumstances surely this showed variety enough.

The game will bear little significance to how Derry play during the rest of the summer, and should be treated as such.

It's poor stuff from these analysts who wheel out the same rhetoric depending on whether Derry have won or lost a game. They only supply us with routine, generic drivel that barely comes close to the realm of opinion, and offers little match-insightment for the viewer.

As Paddy Heaney touches on today, Joe Brolly is the only one who seemed to understand what was happening during Sunday's game (sad state of affairs indeed!).The rest are blinded by expecting classics every week.

To Spillane, McHugh, Burns et al: let's get the heads out of the sand lads and start talking sense like you are paid to do.

Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.

Derry Emerge from Celtic Park Cauldron

It was cynical, nasty and at times, downright hateful, but Derry fans will have left Celtic Park yesterday afternoon absolutely delighted.

Because that is what the Championship is about. Winning football games. You can complain about the quality of football, the number of fouls and constant off-the-ball behaviour, but what it boils down to is the result, and in this regard Derry produced the goods against Monaghan.

We're probably hearing it in our sleep at this stage, but Derry needed to stand up and be counted yesterday in order to eradicate the memories of two successive defeats to the Farney men.

This meant fighting fire with fire.

And when Monaghan had finished swallowing the final dose of their own medicine, they could only watch as 14-men Derry turned the screw and showed the necessary quality to close out a victory in the championship melting pot. The dosage was bitter for Banty's men.

Derry started the brighter, but with Paddy Bradley's goal helping create a four point cushion after ten minutes, they couldn't build a match-winning lead. Instead, it was Monaghan, led by Vinny Corey, that began to impress themselves on the game.

The wind in Monaghan's favour was a factor, as the Farney-men set about eating into Derry's lead. McBennett constantly found his men with short kick-outs, and Derry conceded a wealth of possession. Derry's half-forward line struggled to contain the running game of Damien Freeman and Conor McManus, while Stephen Gollogly was proving to be a constant thorn.

Enda Lynn and Paul Murphy had quiet games, and couldn't affect their play-making skills in the tight and intense middle third. Lucky enough, Monaghan missed some gilt-edged scoring chances, and by half-time Derry could count themselves lucky to be going in level.

It had been a dour and nasty struggle, but few of the 10'000 spectators in attendance would have been surprised. Dessie Mone and Dermot McArdle opened with their usual application of jibing and jabbing on the two Bradleys. Thomas Freeman seemed more intent on getting his hands on Kevin McGuckin than the ball, eventually resorting to an apparent head-butt on the Ballinderry man. Dick Clerkin and Fergal Doherty picked up where they left off last July by wrestling and grappling before they both saw yellow cards. Even at the half-time whistle Clerkin decided to continue his antics, and should have received a second yellow-card for a high challenge on Paddy Bradley.

Had these incursions been dealt with, some of the unseemly incidents witnessed later in the game could have been prevented.

Monaghan's players have been programmed to systematically foul and spoil (it's gone that far with them that Darren Hughes even thought he could push a Derry spectator off the ball!), but Derry stayed in their faces and did not lie down in the confrontational battles.

After the break, Derry knew that the strong breeze could enable them to strike for long-range scores (Eoin Bradley and Barry McGoldrick the early suppliers). But the Monaghan nut still needed cracked. Gerard O'Kane switched to the sweeper role as Barry McGoldrick went man-for-man on Paul Finlay. O'Kane had attacked well in the opening half, but this change provided him with a further licence to roam forward in support of the Derry attack.

Derry were losing the breaking ball battle, but the defence held firm, allowing O'Kane, Chrissy McKaigue and Sean Leo McGoldrick to hit on the counter-attack. Gerard O'Kane in particular was superb in carrying the ball and helping to set up crucial scores.

When Fergal Doherty received his marching-orders with 15 minutes remaining the scores were level. Worrying times. Monaghan brought on Hanratty and Downey in the forwards, but when the chances came their way they were found wanting. Derry raised their game.

The defining score came with seven minutes left on the clock. James Kielt's deadly accurate boot lobbed one between the posts from over 45 yards. The Kilrea man may have been making his championship debut, but he showed quality and composure in the most intense struggle.

The Oakleafers could smell victory. Monaghan continued to double team and spoil runners, but they needed to attack. Derry had snuffed out their Plan A.

Points from Joe Diver and Paddy Bradley gave Derry a three-point cushion heading into stoppage time and the game was up for Banty and his side.

Derry put up a wall to cope with Monaghan's questionable tactics. It is disappointing that they crossed the line themselves, let's not lose sight of that. But Monaghan could not be allowed to walk over this Derry side, and eventually the Oakleafers showed the limits of Seamus McEnaney's team.

Damian Cassidy's senior managerial debut had ended in victory, and in the face of criticism regarding Derry's tactics he offered no apology:

"It was a battle but it was not going to be anything else. People sitting at home may be complaining about the quality of football but we are not in the buisness of entertaining people. We showed the football we can play in the last 15 minutes but up until then it was a physical game and that's what we expect. All we care about is the result and that's all that matters in this game."

There will be more to come from this one. Those sitting above us on that most moral of high grounds will ensure that the necessary bans and fines are handed out. But if the dust ever settles on this particular Ulster SFC clash, we will see that in the end, the team with the greater footballing ability showed the character, determination and quality required to produce a winning result on an extremely hostile playing field.

Surely it can't be as bad the next day?!

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.

New-look Celtic Park

In 1990 a newly-refurbished Celtic Park re-opened its doors to Senior Championship football when Derry hosted Fermanagh in the Ulster SFC. In the 19 years since, the ground has received numerous facelifts, but now, the covered, seated stand it was crying out for has finally been erected.It will be offically opened on Sunday for the Derry v Monaghan game, and now looks like a venue capable of hosting games of this magnitude.

The Monaghan players and management have been falling over themselves this week to describe Celtic Park as a 'fortress' for Derry. The Oakleafer's record there makes it hard to argue. Fermanagh left Derry City defeated in the opening game back in 1990, and since then Derry have only suffered one Championship loss at their home ground: to Down in 1994.

The Farney-men have played four Ulster SFC matches at the venue in that time, and have failed to leave with anything even resembling a result:

1991: Derry 0-13 Monaghan 0-8
1992: Derry 2-9 Monaghan 0-7 (replay)
1997: Derry 2-15 Monaghan 0-10
1998: Derry 3-13 Monaghan 0-11 (replay)

The Oakleafers will want to continue this record on Sunday, and defender Kevin McGuckin hopes having home advantage will be 'valuable' for the side:

"It's great to have the first round of the championship there, it's been redeveloped and we were up on the pitch there a couple of weeks ago. There's a new stand and it's looking well and we'd be hoping we'll get a good Derry crowd in and they'll get behind us. There's no doubt that'll be valuable for us."

A new-look Oakleaf side, in a new-look Celtic Park. After the disappointments of the last two years, Derry will be hoping for a new-look result on Sunday.

Farney Play Down Chances

It's probably the oldest trick in the managerial handbook. No matter how ridiculous you sound, try and heap all the pre-game pressure on the opposition.

This week, Seamus McEnaney is following it to the letter. He has claimed that Derry are massive favourites for Sunday's first round Ulster clash, and questions whether his own side should even bother turning up.

"Home advantage is a big advantage in Championship football. It’s fair to say that Derry are favourites for this game. In fact, if you read all the pundits, we nearly shouldn’t turn up for this one! You get the feeling that there’s people out there who feel we shouldn’t even travel to Celtic Park."

Monaghan go into the game hoping to beat Derry in the Championship for the third consecutive season. Maybe this fact would point to more than a small glimmer of possibility that the Farney-men can win this game, but, unsurprisingly, Banty has played down the significance of those victories and even claims that the motivation of revenge will be beneficial to the Oakleafers:

"Again, it’s another advantage to Derry. All the advantages are with Derry. They’ve played Division One football for the last five years, that’s an awesome advantage."

Awesome? Let's not go overboard Seamus!

Meanwhile, Monaghan half-back Damien Freeman also displays plenty of pessimism ahead of the Celtic Park encounter:

"A pitch is a pitch, but Celtic Park will be a big advantage for Derry. I’ve only played there once before, as an U21. Any time Monaghan went there it was a daunting spot to go to and very hard to come out of with a win. It is going to be a battle. After what happened the last couple of years I suppose they’ll be looking for a score to be settled."

Of course, all this pre-match talk is unlikely to effect Derry's preparations too much. But Monaghan haven't half talked their chances down.

This time last year McEnaney had a media ban slapped on the Farney-men; it's a pity he hasn't imposed something similar this year!

Injuries Taking Toll

The following is the Derry side to face Monaghan in Sunday's Ulster SFC First Round game at Celtic Park:

Derry: B Gillis; K McGuckin, K McCloy, G O'Kane; P Cartin, B McGoldrick, SL McGoldrick; F Doherty, J Diver; B McGuigan, P Murphy, E Lynn; E Bradley, Paddy Bradley, J Kielt.

Subs: J Deighan, D McBride, J Keenan, SM Lockhart, B Og McAlary, C McKaigue, J Conway, B Mullan, G McShane, P Young, S Bradley, M Lynch, E Brown, D Mulholland, C O'Boyle.

It's Damian Cassidy's first selection in Championship football, and his hand has been severely tied by an injury crisis that has ruled out four players who would most likely have started Sunday's Ulster SFC game against Monaghan if fit.

Ballinderry duo Enda Muldoon (foot) and Niall McCusker (groin) look set to be ruled out for a few weeks, while Mark Lynch and Sean Lockhart are fit only for the bench.

These absences leave a considerable hole in the Derry resources, but Cassidy is blue in the face telling us about how his experimental and ever-changing NFL line-ups were designed with this very problem in mind.

He can feel vindicated. For now.

Because Sunday is all about getting the result and despite having a lengthy injury list (swollen further by the names of Patsy Bradley, Paul Bradley and Colin Devlin), Derry supporters expect victory.

We're possibly expecting too much. Could any other inter-county side cope with the loss of so many key players against a hardened championship team like Monaghan?

Last year's game between the sides showed that Derry can struggle under such circumstances, but even then, a weakened side lost a very close game by only the bare minumum.

Thanks to the management approach taken during the league campaign, Sunday's team - which includes four debutants - looks a lot more familiar. The selection of Sean Leo McGoldrick, Enda Lynn, Barry McGuigan and James Kielt holds no surprises. The Oakleaf faithful expect victory because they believe that this crop of players are capable of beating Monaghan, and a lot more besides.

Sunday's side will see Joe Diver and Gerard O'Kane continuing at midfield and corner-back respectively, as they did in the league final.

In the forwards, James Kielt gets the nod in the corner-forard berth, while Barry McGuigan comes in for Brian Mullan at wing-half forward.

These players have been picked to carry out defined roles in Damian Cassidy's system of play. It's a system that depends on the team, and not individuals. It should be able to cope with the loss of injured players.

Derry are preparing to give it a rigorous test on Sunday.