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.