All's well that ends well?

Finishing off the league season with our Division Two status intact was Derry's primary aim over the Easter weekend, but the way in which it was accomplished has left a sour taste in the mouth. And the fact we had to rely on our neighbours Tyrone to get us over the line doesn't exactly help matters.

All is definitely not well.

Relegation issues and final league placings aside, the performance and result in Mullingar was a very poor one from Derry's perspective. Both sides had to win to ensure safety and it was under those circumstances that the Oak Leafers threw away a seven-point lead to eventually lose by eight against Westmeath. Not nearly good enough.

Looking back over the last few games, Derry had shown at least some form: only one defeat in four games - away to Kildare - and wins against Monaghan and Meath. But on Sunday the Oak Leafers regressed. Back to somewhere approaching the poor displays that had blighted the early part of the campaign, resulting in defeat at home to Galway and an embarrassing no-show in Healy Park against Tyrone. Getting outscored by Westmeath in the second-half on Sunday by 1-12 to 0-2, probably ranks worse than what happened against Tyrone, considering it came against a side struggling in general, and not against the in-form team in the country.

So what did John Brennan make of it all then? Well, not one to mince his words, the manager said he was "disgusted" at an "unacceptable" performance.

"It was a complete collapse in the second half, albeit we lost our centre back who was having a very good game. There was a lot of Derry people down here today and I just feel sorry for them. I'm disgusted with that second half performance. I can't put it in any other terms. There was a non-performance by a number of players, I wouldn't mention names, but we missed frees and we conceded scores we shouldn't have conceded. Overall, Westmeath deserved their victory and good luck to them. Thanks to other teams we're safe, but that today was unacceptable. I feel almost ashamed for Derry people. I'm lost for words."

But really he wasn't lost for words, and the Lavey man uses some pretty strong adjectives there to articulate just how disappointed he was with how things transpired in Cusack Park. It's refreshing to hear a manager actually come out and say what he really thinks rather than wheeling out the same tired old rhetoric about 'bad days at the office' and 'things just not going well for us'. What Brennan and his management team plan to do to get Derry in shape for June is another matter completely, but at least they're not burying their heads in the sand.

Sitting at home with mobile twitter updates in one hand, and a Cadbury's Creme Egg in the other, Oakleafers Blog certainly isn't going to pontificate on the whys and wherefores of an extremely disappointing result, but it didn't sound good. "Complete collapse" sums it up quite well and indeed it was an amazing turnaround. Barely half an hour gone and Derry held an 0-8 to 0-1 lead. Tyrone were also comfortable against Monaghan, but it didn't matter, the Oak Leaf men were doing their own work. Home and dry. Paddy Bradley had kept up his good recent scoring form by kicking four points, while Enda Lynn and Sean Leo McGoldrick appeared to be worrying the Lakemen's defence, getting themselves on the scoresheet. Ryan Scott and Barry McGoldrick also chipped in with points as Derry made the most of the wind advantage.

Half a bag of Mini Eggs later and the news from Mullingar was not so good. The Lakemen were performing their own version of the resurrection. Fifteen minutes into the second half the sides were level, with Derry reduced to fourteen men following Dermot McBride's second yellow card. It seemed as if Westmeath were laying seige on the Derry goal, and the Oak Leafers had no idea how to stop the rot. Denis Glennon soon had the home side in front, and when James Dolan scrambled the ball to the net it was game over. The wind was a factor and the personnel deficit also had a bearing, but there can be no excuses for coming out of Mullingar with an eight-point defeat.

Derry's achilles heel in this league campaign has been the inability to win enough possession. Clearly this was a big issue again on Sunday, and has been the key reason for the Oak Leafers conceding an average of 16 points per game. We've scored well enough in bursts, but haven't given ourselves a chance at the other end. That level of point and possession concession just isn't sustainable. Gerard O'Kane and Dermot McBride have both been missed, as has a settled half-back line. John Brennan has serious work to do with his defence and also in devising and implementing some sort of defensive strategy that can limit the damage done when we don't have the ball. 1-16 against Louth and 1-15 against Westmeath? These teams are far from world-beaters.

The presence of Michael Friel would also have been missed in Mullingar. The Swatragh player was man of the match against Louth and the midfield appears to function more effectively when he's in there. Brennan has plenty of options in this area: Friel, PJ McCloskey, Patsy Bradley, Joe Diver and James Conway (and possibly John McCamley if he regains fitness), but following this league campaign, the Derry manager is likely no closer to knowing what his preferred midfield line-up is.

All in all, this is an NFL campaign best forgotten. It started badly and finished even worse. With 10 weeks until we play in the Ulster SFC, there is time to put things right. The players will be able to play for their clubs now for a few weeks and hopefully come back to the county setup fresh for the tough challenges that lie ahead. John Brennan will also hope his squad gets fitter in that time period, because he needs a full selection to choose from. At the moment Derry are throwing their chips onto the Championship table without really knowing their hand.

Some other thoughts:

• On a different day things might have ended up with Derry sitting in Division Three next season, but following relegation from Division One in 2010 by a solitary point scored, and missing out on promotion last year on scoring average, perhaps we were due a bit of luck.
• It was Monaghan who benefited from our relegation in 2010, two years later they're in Division Three. What goes around...
• Derry's only two victories came against Monaghan and Meath, who were both relegated. Both sides are far from their best of a few years ago. The Oak Leaf form line is very worrying indeed. 
• Another aside to the Monaghan/Meath thing - both team's scoring average was better than Derry's. Looks like that point against Louth (as predicted) turned out to be a very valuable one.
• We should have known Westmeath would win on Sunday as all historical pointers would have suggested. The last time the sides met on Easter Sunday it was 1994 and the Oak Leafers were current All-Ireland champions. The Lakemen won an NFL quarter-final against us that day having come from Division Four! 
• Division Two next season: Armagh, Laois, Galway, Derry, Louth, Westmeath, Longford and Wexford. Once bitten and all that, but the very notion of relegation from that lot shouldn't even be on the agenda. Division Two and Division Three look quite evenly matched for 2013.
• A bad week all round for Derry, with the Under-21s losing their Ulster semi-final against Cavan. It's an excellent Breffni side, who went on to capture the title, but on top of our problems at senior level our lack of underage success is another (possibly more significant) worry.

Drawing comfort

County footballers know more than most: there are good days and bad days, but never easy days...

All of us who had the home game to Louth earmarked for a handy two points, will now know the folly of writing any team off at this level of inter county football. Underdogs or not, the Wee county came up to Celtic Park intent on claiming their second win of the NFL campaign, and they came very close to doing it.

This was an entertaining game played in beautiful conditions, but most Derry fans will have left Celtic Park shaking their head in wonder at how their side had managed to throw away a late four point lead as a spirited Louth team snatched a draw. John Brennan's outfit looked like they had the job done. A comfortable cushion. An opposition who's scoring had dried up. Enough possession and chances to kill the game dead. But it didn't quite work out. Louth dominated the last five minutes (plus injury time) scoring four points, and even had time to kick two scorable frees wide, that might have had those Derry fans shaking their heads even harder.

The first half had been nip and tuck, but Derry were lucky to go in at the break level. Darren Clarke had been the very definition of a thorn in the side all afternoon and he grabbed the game's only goal in the first five minutes, but his side had clear-cut goal chances aside. Brian Donnelly blasted wide when through on goal in the first minute, and in the final minute of the half, Barry Gillis had to get down quickly to make a point blank save. These moments highlighted Louth's ability to carve scoring chances for themselves. The Derry rearguard had been put under pressure the whole half, ostensibly because of the inability of the home side to stop attacks at source. Louth were deploying a counter-attack style. At times they had twelve men behind the ball, yet could still break in time to create scoring chances at the other end.

Meanwhile, Derry were showing a mean streak in front of goals themselves. Paddy Bradley (0-7) and Conleith Gilligan (0-6) were the chief providers, while Enda Lynn and Blaine Gormley constantly provided a link from midfield to attack. Lynn especially was a constant menace, and the Louth defence could not get to grips with him. He can open up the attack for the likes of Bradley and Gilligan to slot the scores, and can also draw frees. He's in good form. But the Oak Leafer's ability in recent games to get men behind the ball and smother the opposition was missing in Celtic Park - as Louth broke at pace - and John Brennan would have been a concerned manager at half-time.

Whatever the Lavey man said at during the break must have had an effect on his team, because Derry's second-half performance was an improved one, and much closer to what Brennan is trying to achieve with his side. Michael Friel was in dominating form. He won a mountain of possession, but most impressive was his ability to break play up in defence. A tireless showing from the Swatragh man, and it may not have been a coincidence that Derry lost their way towards the end when he was forced off through injury. Paddy Bradley was deadly in front of goal, and Eoghan Brown - playing in a deeper role - and Sean Leo McGoldrick were displaying the rigour necessary to keep the Oak Leafers on the front foot.

A four point gap had been opened up (0-18 to 1-11) with ten minutes to play, and then the game changed back in Louth's favour. Peter Fitzpatrick will have been delighted with how his side fought back. Darren Clarke (who totalled 1-7 for the afternoon) was the stand out player for the away side all afternoon, and it was his point deep into injury time that brought the sides level for the final time. Yet Clarke had already let Derry off the hook. Just a few minutes earlier he had missed two successive frees - the likes of which he had been putting over the bar with minimum fuss all afternoon.

It added some credence to the idea that Louth deserved something from this game. And there's no question about that, but as John Brennan alluded to after the game, Derry lacked composure and possibly experience in closing the game out. We looked keen to kick another couple of points at the end, but holding onto possession should have been the primary concern with time running out. It's an edge and a nous that Derry must develop if they are to win games they don't necessarily deserve to. You're never going to play well for a full seventy minutes, but you must minimise the damage when things aren't going to plan.

Despite the disappointing end to proceedings, there are positives the Derry squad can take from this game. Some of our approach play and score taking was excellent. 19 points is no bad return, and as we've covered many times before, the Oak Leaf forward line can hold their own with the best of them. We also showed a lot of character and patience during that second half. Louth may have had twelve or thirteen men behind the ball at times, but Derry frequently waited for an opening, holding onto possession before a chance emerged and were generally clinical in front of the posts. However on another day we might have scored a couple of goals to ram home our advantage (and then Louth wouldn't have even been considering a comeback).

It's hard to get too excited when we've just went toe to toe with Louth and come out with a draw, but we're a work still in progress. There's been an improvement as the NFL has worn on, and while some areas of the side still need work, other areas have clicked quite well. And there's plenty of time until the championship starts.

As far as the Division 2 league table is concerned, this might actually prove to be a decent point. We now have five points to show for our travails to date, while Westmeath, Meath, Louth and Monaghan are all still behind us on four points. In other words, we control our own destiny, and of the many permutations that might decide our fate in this NFL campaign, the most important one is this: win against Westmeath in Mullingar and we'll be safe.

Some other thoughts from Sunday's game:

• The full spectrum of what is good and not so good about this Derry team was on display under the Celtic Park sunshine. At times we dominated and scored at will. At times we were dominated and conceded scores too easily.
• When the Oak Leafers were dominating the midfield exchanges in the second half, Louth went short with every kick out. This gave them enough possession to keep themselves in the game. We did not deploy such a tactic late in the match when the midfield tide was going against us. This is not something that can just be switched on during a game as it needs practice, but probably deserves consideration.
• Louth have a lot of big men in their side - a physical outfit. John Brennan probably called upon Patsy Bradley to replace Neil Forrester as early as he did to try and add more size to Derry's lineup.
• In the last ten minutes, Peter Fitzpatrick brought on Brian White, Andy McDonnell and Aaron Hoey. All good footballers. Louth should have won Leinster in 2010 and certainly haven't become a bad team overnight.
• There's been a lot of talk about Louth's 14th point actually being wide. Hard to tell from the back of the stand but it looked more like the ball had went to the left of the post (and wide) rather than to the right of it. There certainly wasn't conclusive enough evidence for the umpire to go scurrying behind the net to raise his little white flag. The man best placed was the linesman on the stand side who was close to being right behind the ball. He didn't want to get involved though, for fear of having to make a conclusive decision on something. Probably a Fine Gael man.
• Gerard O'Kane and Dermot McBride have missed the most of the NFL campaign, but they should hopefully be fit in time for the Championship. With Derry having conceded an average of over 15 points per league game, their presence will be welcome.
• Great to see Eoin Bradley among the substitutes and involved in the warm up. He most likely has a bit to go to reach full fitness but his return will be an excellent tonic for the Oak Leaf squad come June. 

Navan victory eases pressure

Looks like we got Meath at the right time then. Whether it was a St. Patrick's Day hangover, a Cheltenham hangover or a struggle to come to terms with the loss of Joe Sheridan, who knows, but it was beneficial to Derry's cause on Sunday. Meath have played a lot better in recent weeks, and that's not to take away from a solid effort from John Brennan's men, but Derry will probably play better and lose games.

That's the thing about the league, especially when the GAA decide that playing four games in successive weeks is acceptable. Teams will weaken or strengthen from one week to the next, and there have been enough extenuating circumstances surrounding the Derry squad so far this season, that we know about these peaks and troughs more than most. So, when a chance to claim a win and collect two points comes your way, it's best if you gratefully accept. That's exactly what the Oak Leafers did in Navan.

We've provided something of a stumbling block to Meath in recent NFL seasons. Last week, this blog looked back at our greatest NFL victory over the Royal county (and in the absence of any Championship victories over them, it probably ranks as our best ever win against Meath), and in many respects Sunday's match in Pairc Tailteann resembled the pattern of the NFL Final replay victory at Clones some twelve years ago. The best football was played in the opening half, though this time Derry went in at the break leading by a single point. While as the second half progressed, Derry gradually got on top of their opponents, with Meath's inability to score eventually helping Derry get over the line with a little bit to spare.

By the time Stephen Bray had kicked the sides level at 0-7 apiece to open the second half it looked like the game would be nip and tuck for the remainder of the seventy minutes. Nothing had encapsulated the end to end nature of the scoring pattern up until that point more than the personal shoot-out Bray and Paddy Bradley were in the process of carrying out - with both men having scored four of their side's tally. Thoughts might have turned to 2007, the year these two forwards both won All-Star awards. Yet here we were, five years later with both players at the top of their game and still carrying the scoring fight for their respective counties. Having come back from such a serious injury it's been something of a surprise to see Bradley play so much so far in 2012. Most Derry fans probably would have been happy enough to see him feel his way back into inter-county football, starting maybe a couple of games and featuring in a few others as he works towards full-fitness. But he's played in every NFL game, and has been a hugely influential figure, especially in our two victories. John Brennan was quick to praise the Glenullin man after the game:

"It's incredible that we're playing Paddy Bradley in games when he should be taken off but he wants to play on to get his match fitness up... He won balls today that he had no right to win. Paddy is an outstanding player."

This gives us some indication as to why Bradley has played so many minutes this season.

0-7 each would prove to be the final time the teams were level, with the home side only managing three points during the rest of the game while Derry scored six more. It was down in large part to Meath's wides tally which had totalled 15 by the time the full-time whistle went and was in contrast to the efficiency of Derry in front of goal - exemplified by Patsy Bradley, Brian McCallion and Charlie Kielt coming forward to take scores. Blaine Gormley's ability to put a '45 between the posts helped matters also. Meath were reliant on Bray and Cian Ward to put points on the board.

Most Derry fans will be content with our ability to create and take scores. As has been discussed many times this season, the forward line isn't a problem. The retirement last week of Enda Muldoon is an obvious blow, but with players like Mark Lynch and Eoin Bradley to come in, coupled with Enda Lynn's emergence as a viable roving forward, our options in attack should be plentiful by the time the summer rolls around.

Of more concern is the defence. McCallion, Chris McKaigue and Aidan McAlynn made up the full-back line for the fourth consecutive game. They have settled in resaonbly well since the shock to the system suffered in Healy Park, although the level of opposition hasn't hit those same heights. Whilst the absence of Joe Sheridan helped Derry's cause on Sunday, part of John Brennan might have wished to see how the Derry defence would cope with the big full-forward. Cian Ward isn't the most dynamic or mobile of forwards and Meath struggled to get a direct game going, allowing the Oak Leafers to get numbers back and limit the Royal's scoring opportunities. The respective attacking outlets of Louth and Westmeath (in our next two games) might not replicate what awaits in the summer - for example, consider a forward line containing Colm McFadden, Michael Murphy and Dermot Molloy - so John Brennan might exit this NFL campaign with more questions than answers surrounding his best defensive line-up.

Seamus McEnaney meanwhile will have been left disappointed with his side's third successive defeat, after starting the campaign in a promising fashion. Despite being level with Derry on four points they are now floundering, and with their final two games coming against Tyrone and Louth, they will need to improve considerably. Points will not be given up easy in those contests, with both games carrying at least some historical baggage.

Derry will now be in good spirits heading into this weekend's home game against Louth. Peter Fitzgerald's outfit haven't picked up any points since they drew against Galway in the second game and are in danger of failing to add to their current tally of three points. This game was marked from an earlier stage as our "easiest" game of the NFL - if there can be such a thing, and a win is a must.

The Westmeath game on Easter Sunday increasingly looks like a difficult fixture for us. They have taken a while to get going in the league campaign (a bit like ourselves) - and they may yet rue the dropped two points to Louth in the opening game - but the Lakemen have picked up a bit of momentum with wins against Galway and Monaghan. Despite Garrycastle and Crossmaglen having to replay their All-Ireland club final following a (rather one-sided) draw on Saturday, the Westmeath squad should be bolstered by the services of the likes of Dessie Dolan - especially if they need a result from the game. Even so, they're no world-beaters of course, and they'll still struggle to stay up, but Derry shouldn't be looking at the next two games thinking an automatic four points will fall in front of us. Brennan will guard against that sort of complacency and a lot will depend on how the next round of games fare for all teams involved.

It was a vital win in Navan on Sunday, but we can't afford to take our eyes off the ball.

Some other thoughts from Sunday's game:

• At half-time on Sunday, Westmeath were well on their way towards a comfortable victory over Monaghan, suddenly the stakes at Pairc Tailteann had been raised.
• Patsy Bradley and Blain Gormley's presence added some more physicality to the middle third. That's a requirement if you're to go to places like Meath and come back with a victory.
• Enda Lynn has had an extended run in the side and it's paying dividends. Not an out-and-out scorer, but he provides a very different threat and is at his best running off the shoulder.
• PJ McCloskey and Michael Friel have had a solid partnership lately. It'll be interesting to see if John Brennan decides to mix things up in midfield over the next couple of games.
• It's almost as if Barry Gillis has never been away.
• It is thirteen weeks until Derry open their Ulster SFC campaign, with just two competitive games in between (assuming we don't play in the NFL Division 2 Final). That's almost like a close-season in itself - without a training ban of course.

When Derry ruled the Royals

Derry travel to Navan on Sunday to face Meath in a Division 2 league encounter, but twelve years ago they were battling it out for the NFL Division 1 crown... 

Clones on a grey Saturday evening in the middle of May is not the most appetising of places to find yourself. A bed of roses it ain't. To compound things, if the reason you've travelled to Monaghan's famous border-town is to watch a National League game, then you're quite possibly in dire straits. But this is exactly what Derry fans found themselves doing in May 2000, when the Oak Leafers took on Meath in an NFL Final replay, and they went home a happy bunch.

Coming a week after Derry had opened up their Ulster Championship campaign with a facile victory over Cavan, it's intriguing to think how we might have approached this Final if defeat had befallen us at Breffni Park. Imagine playing a league game after you've been knocked out of the Championship. Imagine smiling for photos on a Church & General podium knowing that the NFL game you've just won would be your last inter-county outing until the following January. Would any Derry fans have even made the trip? Lucky enough, we were spared finding out how fans, management and players might have treated such a unique scenario and instead were able to look forward to attempting to pick up another National title safe in the knowledge that the summer that was yet to truly start, was not already over.

The drawn NFL Final at Croke Park was nothing much to write home about, but it would be remembered for Anthony Tohill's spectacular first half goal. The Swatragh-man rose highest to field a Meath kickout before passing the ball on and making his way into the forward line, from where he collected possession back again and drove the ball to the net off the post. Tohill at his best. And he would reach those heights again in the replay at Clones when he raced onto an inch-perfect, defence-dissecting pass from teenager Paddy Bradley and smashed the ball to the net.

It was those two moments that would define the 2000 NFL Final, and are sitting pride of place in a packed Tohill highlight reel, but they were out of keeping with the remainder of that decider. At Clones, Derry really only played well for about ten minutes, scoring 1-5 without reply in the first half. Meath brought themselves back into it before the break with Trevor Giles pulling the strings from centre half-forward and Ollie Murphy in dangerous poaching form at full-forward. But All-Star Graham Geraghty was sitting in the Gerry Arthur Stand. Geraghty had got into an altercation with Derry goalkeeper Eoin McCloskey in the drawn match at Croke Park and both players were suspended for the replay. So with Tohill outplaying John McDermott at midfield and the combined threat of Muldoon and Bradley in the forward line, the Oak Leafers had put themselves into a decent position at the break, leading the Royals by two points.

And then, in the second half - almost without any warning - Derry gave a defensive masterclass. As this (rather terse) RTÉ report from the game alludes, at times it looked like the Oak Leafers did not want to score. Maybe the Italians would call it catenaccio. But call it what you like, this was an exercise in total pragmatism and is something we probably haven't done enough of since (a similar tactic helped defeat Tyrone in an All-Ireland quarter-final in 2001). Only four points were scored in the entire second half (two apiece). Almost every red and white shirt got behind the ball as Eamon Coleman decided that only a goal could win it for Meath. They never came close. This was the blanket defence before it had even been invented. It might have been dour to watch, but it was another masterstroke from Coleman that helped capture his second NFL title as Derry manager.

They would have their swansong in 2001, but on that dark Saturday night in Clones the great Derry team of the 1990s - and their illustrious manager - had captured one last national title. And best of all... this wasn't just any old Meath team. These were the current All-Ireland champions, managed by the great Seán Boylan. This was Seán Boylan's Meath team.

And they couldn't find a way past Derry.

--

NFL Final Replay (May 20th 2000, Clones): Derry 1-8 Meath 0-9

Derry: M Conlon; K McKeever, S Lockhart, D O'Neill; G Coleman, H Downey, P McFlynn; A Tohill (1-3, 0-2 frees) D Heaney; N McCusker (0-1), D Dougan (0-1), R Rocks; P Bradley (0-1, free), E Muldoon (0-1), J McBride (0-1). Subs: C Gilligan for Rocks, S McLarnon for Gilligan. 

Meath: C Sullivan; M O'Reilly, D Fay, C Murphy; N Nestor, A Moyles, R Kealy; N Crawford, J McDermott; E Kelly, T Giles (0-6, 0-5 frees), D Curtis; O Murphy (0-2), R Fitzsimons, J Devine. Subs: B Callaghan (0-1) for Devine, T Dowd for Curtis, S Dillon for Kelly.

No real danger yet, despite defeat

No need to to hit the panic button. Yet.

Four games gone and just two points to show for it. But more importantly there are three games remaining in this year's NFL Division Two and let's face it - whatever about our current form - they are all winnable contests. The potential safety net of the Louth/Westmeath axis to finish the campaign, is one that looks increasingly like we'll have to make considerable use of. The game in Newbridge was always going to represent a tipping point for the campaign. Not just because it was the middle game out of seven, but also because the result would go some way to deciding where Derry's priorities might lie for the remainder of the league. A win would have had John Brennan preparing his side for a shot at promotion, but instead the defeat leaves us happy just to avoid relegation.

Sitting seventh in the table, what other option do we have?

Lucky enough things are still very tight in Division Two, and in such a climate, this weekend's games were never going to make a massive difference to Derry's position either way. A big win for Monaghan probably didn't look great from an Oak Leaf perspective, but a Louth victory was no use to us either, so no harm done there. A late one-point victory for Galway at home to Meath puts the Tribesmen into second and out of danger for now, while it keeps Meath close to the bottom of the table, despite sitting in third. Obviously a draw would have been the best result for us in Salthill, but again minimal damage for Derry.

Tyrone's easy victory against Westmeath keeps the midlanders as favorites for relegation and went some way to ensuring it is them and not us sitting at the root of the table. Like Derry, they only have two points, and have a tough run of games to follow against Monaghan, Kildare and Derry. Louth meanwhile, have three points. They'll face Kildare, Derry and Meath in their last three games. All being well, the Wee county and the Lakesiders will struggle for any sort of points at all for the remainder, so Derry can still be optimistic. We control our own destiny. We're not in any real danger yet.

(click on image to enlarge)

Having not attended the game in Newbridge, it's obviously difficult to take into any sort of reputable analysis, so it'll have to be a kind of faux-conclusion on Derry's performance based on newspaper reports and interviews.

It sounds like a game that Derry were well in for the most part, having matched Kildare in the first half and only going in at the half trailing by two points because of some wayward shooting. When the Lilywhites went seven points clear in the second half it looked like game over and thoughts immediately turned to last year's meeting between the sides at Croke Park, when Derry faded in the second half having started off reasonably well. But to Derry's credit, heads did not drop after Johnny Doyle's penalty goal opened up that hefty deficit. Sean Leo McGoldrick hit the net only two minutes later and when substitute Cailean O'Boyle grabbed a goal soon after, there was only one point between the sides.

Derry however, could never truly get on top of their opposition, and even though the Oak Leafs had just produced their best spell of the game, Kildare still held the lead. Alan Smith's goal five minutes from time was the deciding score, and the five-point margin in defeat sounded at least reasonably harsh on the away side. Oh, and it sounded like a decent game.

John Brennan will have been happy with some of the spirit and character shown by his side, but will be disappointed at the concession of 2-13. These sort of tallies are very hard to overcome at the other end, especially away from home. Michael Bateson was missing from last week's win over Monaghan and Dermot McBride's absence continues to be a factor.

As we were already aware, there is no real problem with the forwards. The full-forward line of Enda Lynn, Paddy Bradley and Conleth Gilligan scored all eight points between them. O'Boyle scored a goal when introduced, and considering players like Mark Lynch, Eoin Bradley and (potentially) Enda Muldoon are to come in, John Brennan has a lot of firepower at his disposal. The extent of the damage this firepower can cause is dependent on how Derry fare in the midfield and breaking ball stakes. Gerard O'Kane will be out for some months, according to reports, and his energy and drive was missed yesterday - and will continue to be missed over the remaining games of the NFL. However, the midfield pairing of PJ McCloskey and Michael Friel certainly weren't dominated in Newbridge, and Brennan has a headache in the offing when eventually deciding on his preferred midfield partnership. We may not find out until June.

Referee Martin Higgins had some ire directed at him post-game from the Derry boss for failing to award Derry a late penalty, whilst giving the home side an apparently soft one at the other end. All open to conjecture of course, but Higgins has previous with the Oak Leafers this season, and he won't be receiving a bye-ball from this direction. His partner in crime, Padraig Hughes, will referee our game in Navan this weekend, so best if we're careful about what we say... people have been sent off for less!

Some web links from Sunday's game:

• Report on the game from the Derry GAA website
• The southern press were all over the return of Dermot Earley. The Irish Times manages to squeeze in a couple of sentences about the game itself in its report
• If you want a re-hashed version of what you just read, nip on over to the Irish Independent. Alternatively, don't bother.
• Third time's a charm
• BBC Sport barely even mentions Earley
• John Brennan vents some fury at referee Higgins (via RTÉ)
• Some reaction of the audio variety from Kildare FM

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.

Tyrone show no mercy

Surely, things can only get better...

It's now Tuesday. Probably a safe enough distance from which to finally peel the fingers from your eyes. Just like any problem, it's best if we talk it out... the only question is, where the hell do we start?

Obviously, we're all in agreement that it was a very poor display in Healy Park on Sunday, and a difficult one for players and fans to have to endure against our arch-rivals. It was the type of performance that would have made Wes Craven proud. We're all aware of how badly things went at this stage - nobody more so than the players and management - so there's little point in beating that particular drum. Instead we'd be safer concentrating on where things went wrong and what can be done to stem the tide that's currently going against us.

Let's first look at the depleted nature of the Derry squad that travelled to Omagh. It's often too easy to fall back to the trusty old injury excuse after a heavy defeat, but it was a severely weakened Derry side that took to the field on Sunday. The two-man full-back line, for the duration of the game, was Chris McKaigue and Aidan McAlynn. Two players that wouldn't be recognised corner-backs or man-markers for their clubs, yet here they were, in Omagh, detailed with the task of marking two of the most decorated forwards in Gaelic Football. It's an example that perfectly encapsulates the difficulty John Brennan had in naming a side to face a Tyrone team that is more or less firing on all cylinders.

With Gerard O'Kane, Dermot McBride, Barry McGoldrick, Michael Bateson, Mark Craig and Ciaran Mullan (a full defence) all unavailable for one reason or another, the hands of the Oak Leaf selectors weren't so much tied as chopped off completely. Players like McKaigue, McAlynn, Brian Doyle and Brian McCallion all need to be tried and tested, but when you're forced to play them all at the same time, it places a lot of responsibilty on inexperienced shoulders. It all brings into sharp focus the recent retirements of Kevin McCloy and Kevin McGuckin. Their presence and experience will be missed.

But with all that, the biggest problem with the Oak Leaf performance on Sunday, just like last weekend against Galway, was that we couldn't get our hands on the football. Tyrone owned the midfield sector, displaying a sharpness and a mobility that was in stark contrast to Derry. Michael Murphy was excellent for the second successive game against us. He scored three points in the McKenna Cup Final and added 1-2 on Sunday. He may not be a traditional fielding, powerhouse midfielder, but he can move both with the ball and without and get forward to take scores. This is hard to track and can take huge pressure of a forward line. Unfortunately for Derry, our main midfield trio this season of Joe Diver, James Conway and Patsy Bradley are coming back from lengthy injury layoffs, and it will take some time for them to get back to full fitness. Derry's main source of possession in the middle came from referee Maurice Deegan's whistle for Tyrone fouls. At one stage in the game, with Diver off injured and Bradley off for two yellow cards, Derry's only recognised midfielder on the pitch was substitute Michael Friel. The introduction of PJ McCloskey and debutant Blain Gormley added some presence, while John Brennan was left to rue early-season injuries to Niall Holly and John McCamley.

Aside from that, Derry struggled badly in the break-ball stakes. It was a problem against Galway and will be evident again against Monaghan if we don't improve in this area. Neil Forrester made a difference when he came in and it is players of his ilk that possess the attributes required to win loose possession. Gerard O'Kane's return will be welcome also, while Brian McCallion's strong performance and willingness to get on the ball - despite the ugliness of the scoreboard - suggests that his future might lie at half-back rather than corner-back.

Derry's forward line was starved of possession but they had an afternoon to forget. Cailean O'Boyle and Paddy Bradley were well tied up and ended up drifting out the field to try and get their hands on the ball. Mark Lynch had a solid game. He's excellent at winning his own ball, but there was little in the way of support once he had it. Enda Lynn was the pick of the forwards. He displayed a constant energy from the first whistle to the last, always willing to get on the ball and his running off the ball offered an option on the rare times Derry got up the field. Conleith Gilligan offered a spark when he came on and there must be an argument for deploying him in the middle third to try and get Derry moving the ball quicker between the forwards instead of relying on the long ball. Playing directly is a tactic that can have its moments, but the Derry midfield and half-backs need to offer more variety.

Whilst Derry's line-up was inexperienced, the level of performance did not even approach the requisite standard to defeat Tyrone on their home patch. Too many basic errors, bad passes and slack fouling. It was a recipe that led to a diffculty in creating scoring chances let alone taking scores. There's no team better at exposing this than the Red Hands and no team more ruthless in capitalising upon it. A nadir was reached during the first fifteen minutes of the second half when Derry confidence was at an extreme low and numerous balls were kicked into Tyrone chests. Once the home side scored their second goal and the Oak Leafers had been reduced to fourteen men, a game that had struggled to become a contest, was over. The 12-point winning margin in no way flattered Mickey Harte's side.

The good news is that it is only February and Derry are unlikely to be as bad again. It's the right time of the year to be doing the soul-searching and there's time to rescue this NFL campaign. Let's hope we bottomed out at Healy Park and the game against Monaghan in three weeks offers a chance for redemption. The players will be very keen to make up for Sunday past.

There's no doubt John Brennan would not have been wishing the game against the Farney to carry such significance. But, from a long-term perspective, it should provide the Derry squad with the type of pressure-game situation they need to get more practice of in the build up to the Championship. The way things are going, the games away to Meath and Kildare will carry similar weight, and these are exactly the type of situations we might find ourselves in come the summer. The Championship isn't just about the first round, but a lot of teams (especially in Ulster) are probably guilty of preparing six months for one game and then not being able to adapt for a qualifier with six days notice. Brennan will know a lot more about his squad - and how they react to different situations - when consecutive games in March have been completed.

For now, the Tyrone game will still encompass thoughts, but there's three weeks to put things right. Or at least to get back on track. Defeat against Monaghan is not an option.

Some other thoughts on Sunday's game:

• Charlie Kielt looked solid in defence. Performing a fire-fighting role whilst still getting up the pitch and getting scores.
• Not for the first time in his career, Gerard O'Kane's stock is rising despite being on the sidelines.
• Ditto Dermot McBride.
• Ditto Enda Muldoon (need we go on?).
• Paddy Bradley has played a lot since coming back, he will welcome the break more than most.
• And after the year he's endured, no-one should ever be questioning his commitment to Derry.
• Peter Harte is going to cause some bother. And he's only 21. Like Dooher, only he is in total control of a game at centre-back.
• Not a fan of the Railway Cup but it's finally pulling its weight. Derry need all the time they can get.
• Louth have three points already.

Galway deal early blow

Still early days, but Derry need to improve quickly... 

No question, it was a disappointing performance by Derry on Sunday to open up the 2012 NFL season. Galway came to Celtic Park as underdogs and left as favourites to win promotion. That's the difference a 70-minute game of football can make, so the good news for Derry is that there are still another six games in which to make amends.

But a vast improvement is required if Derry are to make up ground.

John Brennan remarked after the game that his side were pin-pointing six points from the three home games and that the defeat has left Derry hoping to just remain comfortable in the division as opposed to harbouring any hopes for promotion. And that just about sums up where this defeat has left the Oak Leafers. But the Derry squad doesn't have time to sit about and look back at what happened on Sunday past. Attentions must swiftly turn to this week's game at Healy Park, where Derry will have to sharpen up considerably if they are to follow up defeat against Galway with a victory over Tyrone.

So where did things go wrong at Celtic Park? In short, Derry didn't get their hands on enough possession. We found it difficult to win primary ball or any of the breaks in the middle of the field. The midfield partnership of Joe Diver and James Conway started reasonably well, but as the game wore on Galway gained a stranglehold, giving themselves a steady platform from which to launch attacks. An obvious conclusion is that Derry need to improve in the breaking ball stakes. We have plenty of players in the middle third with strong, physical attributes, but it takes a smaller, nippier style of player to get down for the second ball. Sean Leo McGoldrick was Derry's best player in this regard on Sunday, whilst Gerard O'Kane's absence was noticeable.

Once Galway got their hands on the ball they were very effective in what they did with it. Nicky Joyce was looking sharp and Micheal Martin is a physically imposing corner-forward who knows where the posts are. But what impressed most about the Tribesmen attack was its variety. Cummins in the other corner didn't trouble the posts, but his pace was causing problems for Derry, enabling Galway to move the ball quickly from midfield and allowed Joyce to find the space a player of his talent revels in. The net result was a difficult afternoon for an inexperienced Derry defence.

It will be an afternoon that Derry's defenders will learn from, and we should remember that five of the six players in our two back lines were not playing in those positions during last year's championship. These guys (including Brian Doyle who came on the first half and Conor Murray who came on at half-time) can only get the requisite experience by facing teams like Galway in the NFL. To that end, John Brennan is doing the right thing by playing them and the hope is that they will find their feet as the spring wears on, strengthening Derry's panel in the process. It should also be noted that Brennan's hands were tied on Sunday with injury ruling out both Gerard O'Kane and Dermot McBride, and things weren't helped by the first half withdrawals of both Mark Craig and Barry McGoldrick.

Injuries aside, the Oak Leafers were guilty of basic errors in this game which helped Galway maintain a healthy lead. We also looked sluggish at times both with possession and without it. Too often was the ball stalled in the midfield third allowing the Tribe's defence to filter back and snuff out any potential threat. When Derry did move the ball quicker, mistakes were less frequent and the forwards had the space to do damage. Chris McKaigue's second-half point was a prime example. Enda Lynn - who added a deal of pace and energy to the Oak Leaf play - made a quick run down to wing to collect the ball from midfield, he quickly fed O'Boyle who had McKaigue running off the shoulder and he slotted the posts. A simple score, but very effective. This type of play needs speeds of movement and speed of thought. The Derry players are capable; they need to produce it more often.

Overall, the forward line did well with the amount of ball that came their way. Cailean O'Boyle continued his early season form with a tally of 1-4 and will have gained a lot of confidence from his performance. He might get a little more attention now against Tyrone, but he really has added a new dimension to Derry's attacking play, and always looks capable of finding the net. His goal may well have been the platform for victory, but - as has happened often in Derry defeats in recent years - we have taken our foot off the gas and allowed the opposition to get back into the game.

It's easy to criticise Derry after a loss like this, but huge credit must be given to Alan Mulholland's youthful and energetic Galway side. There was a great sharpness and variety to their play and they closed out the game very convincingly after the score was brought down to just a point with eight minutes left. As well as the headlining display by their forwards, Gareth Bradshaw was a constant thorn in Derry's side. It looked like John Brennan might have ear-marked him - asking both Barry McGoldrick and Charlie Kielt to mark the right half-back - but his engine, pace and power was unrelenting and he constantly set up Galway attacks, as well as getting up the field to score the game-changing goal. As mentioned above, the Tribesmen are now in the top two in the Division 2 betting, and playing with this amount of confidence they will be hard to beat this season.

As for Derry, Brennan will have been pleased with his team's improvement in the second half and the character they displayed in getting the game to within a point, but he will be disappointed and concerned at how comfortable the away side looked at times in Celtic Park. Sharpness and fitness need to be improved and the mistakes need to be cut out.

After their victory at the weekend in Croke Park, Tyrone are favourites heading into this Sunday's game against Derry, but it is a game that could provide the perfect tonic for this Derry side. The Red Hands have made a lot of changes this year also, so the Derry players should not be in awe of anything facing them in Healy Park. This Tyrone team can be scored against and if Derry can put them on the back-foot a win is there for the taking.

That would be one way to forget about the Galway game.

Some other thoughts from Sunday's game:

• It's easy to see why John Brennan wanted a defensive player on Bradshaw, but Sean Leo McGoldrick might have given him more to think about.
• Good to see Charlie Kielt back for the NFL. Best guess, that he'll start in the half-back line versus Tyrone.
• Brian McCallion again played well at corner back, while Mark Craig looked comfortable at centre back before his injury.
• Nice '45 from Danny Devlin. Memories of possibly(?) the last Derry goalkeeper to score for his county - Conleith Gilligan from the penalty spot for Derry minors in 1997. Ironically, had he not been off the field, Gilligan would probably have kicked that '45 on Sunday.
• The new jersey has acquired the retro style we've seen from the likes of Dublin, Down and Tyrone, but it really could be doing with a red band on the back.
• Galway may have struggled at senior level in the past couple of years, but - without getting carried away after one league game - their success at underage might be about to pay big dividends.
• Tyrone seem to excel in Croke Park, but let's hope they don't look as sharp in the Healy Park mudtrack.

NFL Preview: Part 2

In the second part of our NFL preview we look ahead to Derry's remaining competition in Division 2: Meath, Louth and Westmeath...

(You can read Part 1 of the preview here)

Meath
v Derry: Sunday March 18th (Navan)
Odds to win Division 2: 11/2
Odds to finish bottom: 10/1

On St. Patrick's Day weekend, a week after they visit Newbridge, Derry will find themselves in Navan. These two games will be crucial in deciding our ultimate fate in this division and if promotion is the aim then we can't afford to lose both of them. The Oak Leafs and the Royals have had a very healthy rivalry in the league down the years, with Derry's NFL Final victory in Clones back in 2000 probably being the highlight. And adding some spice to this particular encounter is none other than Seamus 'Banty' McEnaney, now in his second year as manager in Meath. It's been something of a tumultuous ride for the former Monaghan manager and you get the feeling that the locals still haven't really accepted him into the fold. Last season they survived in Division 2 by the skin of their teeth and were beaten by Kildare in the Championship, twice (and you thought Derry had problems with the Lilywhites!). So McEnaney will be keen to get this season off to a good start so that he isn't swimming against the tide for the remainder of 2012. That means pushing hard for promotion, but with an over-reliance on some of their older names - 38 year-old Graham Geraghty is looking for a starting spot - it is a tough ask. Meath are never a team to go down without a fight however, and in Stephen Bray, Cian Ward, Joe Sheridan and Graham Reilly they have a forward line that can get enough scores to win games.

John Brennan got the better of McEnaney in last year's game in Celtic Park, but coming in the middle of a busy March, this fixture looks like a very dangerous one for the Derry men.

Louth
v Derry: Sunday March 25th (Celtic Park)
Odds to win Division 2: 15/8
Odds to finish bottom: 33/1

Derry's final four games are all against Leinster opposition and while the games against Kildare and Meath have the potential to derail any promotion hopes, the good news is that our final two fixtures come against the two teams that came up from Division 3 last season, Louth and Westmeath. The 'Wee' county travel to Celtic Park at the end of March and even at this stage John Brennan will be ear-marking the game for maximum points. Despite finding themselves on the verge of a Leinster title in 2010 and winning promotion the following year, Peter Fitzpatrick's side appear to be on a downward slide. Meath routed them in last year's qualifiers and it's difficult to imagine Fitzpatrick geting much more out of them. They are a team that have their main strength around the middle of the field, and are once again reliant on Darren Clarke to get the requisite scores. Their chief aim will be staying in the division and to that end a trip to Celtic Park won't necessarily be at the top of their list of importance. This Sunday's opening game against Westmeath will be key and they will be be targeting derby games against Meath and Monaghan to try and muster up the points they need to avoid relegation. That's not to say they will throw in the towel on their way up to Derry City (and they could be fighting for their lives by that stage), but they may have their eye on other battles.

The sides last met in 2007 when Derry recorded a facile victory in a Division 1B game that ended up with the Oak Leafers securing promotion. John Brennan will be hoping for a similar result all round.

Westmeath
v Derry: Sunday April 8th (Mullingar)
Odds to win Division 2: 15/8
Odds to finish bottom: 33/1

Come the final round of Division 2 games on Easter Sunday, Derry will have an idea of what they need to do to secure promotion (or God forbid, avoid relegation). Or possibly our fate - whatever it is - will have already been decided before the journey to Mullingar is embarked upon. Westmeath are a team that have featured heavily in Derry's recent history for one reason or another. And it's been all good (1995 All-Ireland Minor Final and 1994 NFL quarter-final notwithstanding). The Oak Leafers beat the midlanders in the 2004 All-Ireland quarter-final and also in a Round 2 qualifier in 2010. In between was a 14-point victory in Ballinascreen in a 2009 Division 1 tie, so Derry will be approaching this tie with some confidence. Westmeath football has been at a low ebb for a couple of seasons with successive relegations and poor Championship campaigns. Manager Pat Flanagan has his work cut out this season also, with a number of players opting to play for the county's hurling team, and the Garrycastle  contingent (including the Dolan brothers and Doran Harte) concentrating on the All-Ireland Club Championship. The Lakemen's squad should improve as the league goes on, with the likes of Dessie Dolan back in the county fray by the end of March, but it might be too late for them if they fail to gather points earlier in the season.

John Brennan is unlikely to underestimate this away fixture, but Derry's approach to this game will depend on where they find themselves in the league table (likewise with Westmeath). However, if points are required this fixture should provide them.

Derry
Odds to win Division 2: 6/1
Odds to finish bottom: 9/1

So where does all that leave Derry? It appears to be a reasonably manageable set of fixtures, with the game against Kildare standing out in terms of difficulty. Derry have beaten all seven of these teams the last time they have played them in the NFL so overall there is nothing to fear. As always with the Oak Leafers consistency will be key, and games against Galway, Tyrone and Monaghan allow for a good start. If we can pick up six points in those three games (a tall order) we will be well on our way towards promotion and it would allow for a bit of breathing space before the tricky trips to Newbridge and Navan. If Derry fail to hit the ground running they will have a bit of work to do and the games against Louth and Westmeath may come too late to make a promotion charge. A lot will also depend on the availability of players and it will benefit the team greatly if the forward trio of Paddy Bradley, Conleith Gilligan and Cailean O'Boyle can stay healthy.

As the age-old cliché goes, we'll just have to take it one game at a time. But rest assured that John Brennan has a strong desire to get his county back into the top tier, so Derry will be going all out right from the first throw-in against Galway.

Verdict
It's unlikely to be cut and dry. In a division that looks so even, any one county will be doing well to exceed a total of ten points and that should keep things interesting for much of the campaign. This is a very difficult division to predict but at the outset it looks like Kildare are going to be in very good shape earlier than usual this year and they should finish in the top two. Tyrone will be experimenting to a large degree and their performances (like in the past few NFL seasons) might be too erratic to get promotion, while Meath love Division 2 too much to ever want to leave. Outside of that, Galway look like they could be dark horses and might just have the bit between their teeth during the spring. They are likely to be Derry's main rivals for one of promotion spots, and the opening game between the sides in Celtic Park could be critical when the final tallies are totted up. Monaghan meanwhile can't afford to get too far off the pace, or else they'll be in danger of finding themselves in a relegation dogfight. Louth and Westmeath shouldn't trouble the sides at the top end of the table, though any points they do pick up could have an important bearing on the overall standings.

Derry have a decent chance, but it will take a few excellent performances throughout the campaign, and even a bit of luck for once when the tiebreakers come into play.

NFL Preview: Part 1

If ever there was a futile exercise, it's trying to predict the outcome of an NFL campaign in the first week in February. Generally what happens is that teams you expect to do well, don't, and there's always one or two surprise outfits that exceed expectations.

Gone are those heady days of 2008 and 2009 when it was left to Kerry and Derry to battle it out for Division 1 NFL honours. Instead we still find ourselves in Division 2 after missing out narrowly on promotion last season (on points difference). It brings to mind Fr. Jack Hackett's famous lament: "Don't tell me I'm still on that feckin' island!".

Donegal and Laois were the chief beneficiaries of Derry's misfortune last year and they have been replaced by the relegated Monaghan and Galway. Also joining the Division 2 party is Louth and Westmeath, replacing Antrim and Sligo. There doesn't seem to be a huge jump up or down in terms of quality, and if anything the division seems to have a fairly even spread.

The second tier is a notoriously difficult group to get out of - just ask Kildare and Meath who have been around there for four seasons now. Whovever finishes in the top two places will have earned it, so let's take a look at the teams standing in Derry's way...

Galway
v Derry: Sunday February 5th (Celtic Park)
Odds to win Division 2: 5/1
Odds to finish bottom: 12/1

The Tribesmen are first up for Derry in this year's Division 2 campaign and bar a difficult trip to Salthill in 2008, the Oak Leafers have a decent record against the Connacht-men in the last few years. It's been a poor couple of seasons in Galway. Joe Kernan wasn't long hanging around after a 2010 season that saw them beaten at home to Wexford in the Championship, and Tomás O Flaharta didn't fair much better last season. In 2011 Galway were unceremoniously relegated from the top tier of the NFL and Meath ousted them in a Round 2 qualifier. This year they have dispensed with the "outside manager" formula and have gone back to basics with local man Alan Mulholland starting from square one. There's been a lot of talk surrounding whether or not Padraig Joyce will rejoin the fold, but the absence of Micheal Meehan will hurt them most. With all of that you would think a bit more weight would fall on Nicky Joyce's elusive shoulders, but he doesn't even start in Celtic Park this weekend. Instead Mulholland has placed his faith in youth, and he will hope that under-21 midfielder Thomas Flynn comes good at senior level.

A home game against Galway represents a good opportunity for Derry to get the league off to a winning start, but it's hard to know what to expect against an unpredictable team that have a lot to prove this season.

Tyrone
v Derry: Sunday February 12th (Healy Park, Omagh)
Odds to win Division 2: 3/1
Odds to finish bottom: 28/1

Our dearest neighbours are second on the fixture list and are favourites to win the Division 2 trophy. Last year Derry stumbled over the finishing line to record a one-point victory over the Red Hands in the opening game of the NFL season, and the previous year the Oak Leafs won with something to spare in Division 1 before both sides wound up getting relegated. Those wins came at Celtic Park, so Mickey Harte will be glad to play Derry this year in Omagh. The last time Derry travelled there it was 2009 and the home team recorded a two-point victory. Following Saturday night's win over Derry in the McKenna Cup final, Tyrone will come into this game confident and they will be keen to follow up that marker with another victory. Red card notwithstanding, Tyrone outclassed Derry in the second half of that game, and unless Derry can return to the level of confidence and energy displayed in the opening stages at the Athletic Grounds, two points will be very difficult to come by in this game.

The Red Hand forward line seems to have remained prolific, despite the introduction of some new faces, but there is a weakness about their defence. They are suspicious under the high-ball and are lacking in tight man-marking corner-backs. It will be their achilles heel come the summer and it is something Derry should be looking to exploit.

Monaghan
v Derry: Saturday March 3rd (Celtic Park)
Odds to win Division 2: 14/1
Odds to finish bottom: 7/2

We've built up a nice little rivalry with Monaghan over the last few years. Since 2007 to be precise when they beat us in Casement. You hardly wanted to be reminded of that debacle - and a few others that came after it - but they were defining games in many respects for both teams. Some might call it a horrible rivalry (and they'd probably be right) but either way it's fair to say it caught most of us by surprise. The last time we played them was in Scotstown in March 2010. It was a really bad Derry performance that put the first nail in the relegation coffin, but things have gone downhill for the Farney-men since then. This will be the first time Derry have played Monaghan since Banty was at the helm and it just won't be the same without him. And you could go so far as to say that the rivalry as we knew it is now over. Odds of 14/1 to win the division signal just where Monaghan are right now, and Eamon McEnaney has a rebuilding job on his hands following a disappointing Championship exit to Offaly last year. The unavailability of Tommy Freeman has hit them hard and while they won't be walked over, they seem to have lost the edge that defined them in the late 2000s. This match won't carry the same edge either.

If Derry are going into this game without any league points this a good chance to get off the mark, and if we have any serious aspirations of getting promoted from Division 2, this game at Celtic Park is a must-win.

Kildare
v Derry: Saturday March 11th (Newbridge)
Odds to win Division 2: 10/3
Odds to finish bottom: 33/1

The match away to the Lilywhites is the second of four consecutive games in March and is arguably Derry's toughest task of the campaign. Kildare have been a bogey team for Derry the last couple of seasons. They've knocked us out of the Championship in both 2010 and 2011 and, put simply, it hasn't been close. Their non-stop running game, speed of movement and speed of thought has left Derry wanting. Kieran McGeeney's side are at a very late stage in their development and if silverware doesn't arrive soon they will be known as another team of also-rans. They maybe have a window of another couple of seasons and a Leinster title must be their chief concern. That makes it difficult to assess just how much they want to push forward in the NFL and they have a tendency to take their eye off the ball early in the season. Although that particular tactic usually ends up with them exiting the Leinster Championship early with a long qualifier route ahead of them. They are strong all over the pitch, but their one weakness is a lack of natural marksmen in the forward line. It's debatable whether or not the potential arrival of Seanie Johnston from Cavan would help them in this regard.

John Brennan will relish the challenge this particular fixture brings and will be aware of how his side went to Newbridge last year and collected two points. You would like to think a similar result this time around would put Derry right in the frame for promotion, but it will be a difficult task.

In the second part of our NFL preview we will look ahead to Derry's remaining competition in Division 2: Meath, Louth and Westmeath. Try and contain yourselves...

Derry must do talking on the field

The following is the Derry team to play Cork in Saturday's NFL round 6 game at Celtic Park: B Gillis; M Craig, K McGuckin, D McBride; G O'Kane, B McGuigan, M Bateson; F Doherty, J Diver; E Bradley, B McGoldrick, C Kielt; J Kielt, P Bradley, M Lynch

There's been plenty of rumour this week about 'crisis meetings' and soul searching within the Derry squad. Players and management alike will have had their views to air, and in light of the Oakleafer's current form it's only to be expected. But at the end of a difficult week there's another match to play, and for it Damian Cassidy has - unsurprisingly - made another five changes to his Derry team.

Cork are the visitors to Celtic Park this weekend, and it is clear that Cassidy has been thinking heavily about how his side can stand up to the Rebel's strong, imposing, attacking gameplan when picking a defensive starting fifteen for this match.

Cork have looked excellent so far in this campaign. Their only blip came against Tyrone in Healy Park. But, quite frankly, the Rebels should have won that game easily. In fact, it looked like a mis-match at times, with three lucky goals helping Tyrone to snatch victory. Derry's form couldn't be any more stark. Four defeats in a row, and little to be positive about following a poor home performance against Mayo and a capitulation last Sunday at Monaghan. The Oakleafers have it all to do against Cork as they aim to somehow pull their heads above the relegation mire, and Cassidy's wholesale changes smack more of hope than expectation.

Barry McGoldrick and Charlie Kielt - both of whom started in the half-back line in Scotstown - move to the half-forward line. This is a move clearly designed to push Derry's defence high up the pitch with the express aim of keeping the attack-happy duo of Paudie Kissane and Michael Shields quiet. The launch pad for Cork's sometimes-devastating attacking play is generally their half-back line, and with Eoin Bradley named at right-half forward, the roving qualities of Noel O'Leary might also be restricted. Derry may be tempted to play McGoldrick or Kielt as extra defenders, but this may be counter-productive in giving Cork a licence to build freely from defence.

James Kielt moves to the full-forward line, where Derry will need to get more out of Mark Lynch and Paddy Bradley. Bradley is yet to find his form this season, while Lynch has also found the going difficult in this NFL campaign as he has flirted with various positions in both defence and attack. It may be time for Damian Cassidy to call him a corner-forward and leave it at that.

Joe Diver replaces Patsy Bradley at midfield. This is a clear indication that Cassidy's hopes for his side to match Cork at least a little in the physical stakes. Diver will also be expected to offer more in an attacking capacity from midfield than the Doherty/Bradley axis is capable of. But it will be a tough ask against Derk Kavanagh and Alan O'Connor in midfield.

In defence, Michael Bateson makes his debut. He is a strong runner, and will add a further physical presence to a half-back line that also contains Gerard O'Kane and Barry McGuigan. Mark Craig comes in at corner-back. This is the key unit for Derry. The defence has played below-par in the previous NFL games - even against forward lines (such as Monaghan and Mayo) that aren't renowned for high scoring performances. Conor Counihan's side will start without the obvious talents of Colm O'Neill, Donnacha O'Connor, Nicholas Murphy and Pearse O'Neill, but in Daniel Goulding, Paul Kerrigan and the hugely impressive Paddy Kelly, they have enough attacking talent to seriously trouble Derry. Cork have scored a grand total of 7-73 in only five games. It's hard to see another experimental Derry defensive unit containing the Rebels to a small enough tally that would illicit a victory.

Derry's form just hasn't been good enough to predict even a slender victory on Saturday night. The best expectation is that Derry will put in a performance that asks some questions of Cork, and that they display the desire and footballing quality that begins to resemble something approaching Championship form.

Depending on other results (i.e. the hope that Dublin beat Galway and Mayo beat Monaghan), a low-scoring defeat might still keep Derry's hopes of safety alive until the final game.

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.

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.