Down determined to demolish Derry

Down determined to demolish Derry

3 June 2015

ALL roads lead through the Glenshane Pass to Derry City on Sunday as the minor and senior footballers of Down go into battle with old foes Derry in the quarter-finals of the MFC and SFC.

The curtain raiser between the two minor sides will throw in at 12.15pm with the senior game starting at 2pm.

Last year’s Ulster SFC didn’t bring much joy for Down or Derry.

Down bowed out to Tyrone after a preliminary round replay while Derry were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Donegal.

In the All Ireland Quailifiers things didn’t get much better. Derry capitulated to Longford in round one of the qualifiers while Down succumbed to Kildare in the second round.

However, their paths took a somewhat different direction during this year’s NFL.

New Down boss Jim McCorry guided Down back to Division 1 while Brian McIver’s side slipped to the second tier after winning only one game.

However, the league is nothing, but a distant memory. The championship is the real deal and there will be a lot at stake for both sides in Celtic Park.

Both management teams will have been hoping for a clean bill of health going into this game, but it hasn’t worked out like that.

Down defender Conor Garvey looks almost certain to miss the tie after aggravating a back problem.

Kilcoo’s Ryan Johnston is doubtful after suffering ankle ligament damage in a recent league game against Rostrevor while Warrenpoint’s Ross McGarry has a torn hamstring.

Mark Poland had been out of action after his freak injury in warm up during the NFL Division 2 final, but he returned to the field with his club Longstone last week and he is now back in the frame.

The injury crisis is worse for the Oak Leafers as they will be without Patsy Bradley, Fergal Doherty, Emmett Bradley and PJ McCloskey. 

This leaves a severe dent in their midfield options. Michael McIver has a torn hamstring and won’t feature in the defence, but Dermot McBride is back in contention.

Down experimented quite a bit in the league, but a settled team did emerge towards the end of the campaign.

Stephen Kane has grown into the goalkeeper’s slot with Darren O’Hagan, Luke Howard and Damien Turley expected to front him.

Brendan McArdle is the ideal man for centre half back with the unorthodox positioning of Paul Devlin on one wing being accompanied by Conail McGovern on the other, who is set to make his championship bow.

Peter Fitzpatrick is flying for Ballymartin at the moment and will be looking to join either Peter Turley or Niall Madine as one half of the midfield pairing.

Expect to see Kevin McKernan, Mark Poland, Conor Maginn, Donal O’Hare, Conor Laverty and Caolan Mooney named as the six forwards.

McKernan will probably deeper Mooney given licence to roam. Laverty and O’Hare will provide the targets inside.

Derry’s line-up may have an unfamiliar look to it, but as always, Emmett McGuckin and Eoin Bradley will provide the danger up top.

Optimism in the Down camp may be a bit higher than that in the Derry ranks at the moment.

There is a freshness to the Down side while Derry are still in the midst of a relegation hangover.

There isn’t much between these two sides.

It is set to be nip and tuck all the way with a kick of the ball the likely deciding factor at the long whistle.

Down’s recent form at minor level has been substandard and manager Shane Mulholland will be hoping for more success in what is his second year in charge.

A decent Ulster League campaign saw some notable results in the form of wins over Cavan and Monaghan.

Some hard training has been done in the interim and the team should be well prepared to overcome the Derry challenge.

Shamrock’s Mark Harte, Saul’s Pierce Laverty and Darragh Cross lad Oisin McConvey will form the nucleus of the defence with Mayobridge’s CJ Barr expected to play a big role at midfield.

Burren’s Conor Cox and Shamrock’s Jack Mallon are good ball carriers out the field while the scoring burden will rest on Ballyholland’s Tiarnan Rushe and Shamrock’s Jody McGovern.

This is quite a young minor team and they will want a good outcome come Sunday.

The pressure is on this current management to deliver and a victory here would boost all concerned.