Ciaran Meenagh and Derry aiming for top spot with victory on 'Calculator Saturday'

All-Ireland SFC round three
Derry v Clare
Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, 6pm
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone)

By Michael McMullan

Derry have top spot in their sights as they make the journey to the midlands today for a fourth meeting with Clare in the last two seasons.

The Banner have nothing to play for but pride as the only team in the last 16 who cannot make the knock-out stages of the race to take home Sam Maguire.

Karl O’Connell’s late equaliser in Celtic Park left topping the group out of Derry’s own hands. Ciaran Meenagh’s charges must better any winning margin Monaghan can muster if they see off Donegal. Both games throw-in at the same time and fans will be tuned into social media for updates.

If Donegal can avoid defeat against Monaghan, then any sort of victory in Longford would ensure Derry finish top of the pile.

Speaking after their win over Donegal, Ciaran Meenagh was an advocate of the new-look group stages and how the match practice helped top up fitness levels with training tapered away back.

That said, having a free weekend when the rest of the teams are slogging it out in the preliminary quarter-finals is firmly in Derry’s sights.

Their exploits of a league final, the focus on promotion and a successful Ulster title defence that went all the way to penalties was a testing spell. Add in the mental challenge of dealing with the entire off the field situation that led to Rory Gallagher stepping down as manager.

In terms of injuries, Derry’s squad has been threadbare in recent weeks. Oisin McWilliams, their main impact man during the league, has yet to make an appearance since early March and that thumping point to help see off Dublin at Celtic Park.

Former All-Ireland minor winning skipper Matthew Downey’s quad injury – aggravated against Down in the u-20 final – was deemed long-term.

On the goalkeeping front, Ryan Scullion’s dislocated finger on the eve of the Donegal game led to an operation and a six-week spell of recovery.

On the flip side, conditioning coach Peter Hughes and the medical team have been able to keep everyone else in tip-top shape.

Shane McGuigan is playing the football of his life. Conor Glass and Brendan Rogers are growing their understanding with every game at midfield.

One of the players of the Gallagher/Meenagh years has been Paul Cassidy. He had two quiet games before kicking into life in Ballybofey with another four points.

Paudi McGrogan’s tackling, tough and no-nonsense approach continues to deliver. Conor McCluskey has doubled up on his 2022 form with Eoin McEvoy having an excellent debut season.

There is always the saying “beware the wounded animal” and Chrissy McKaigue will have an extra bite this weekend. The All-Star defender is rarely given anything close to the tough hour Oisin Gallen inflicted on him. It’s hard to imagine anyone in the country with as high standards of himself and his Clare direct opponent will face a backlash.

There is an interested Ulster view in the Clare camp in the form of new Slaughtneil manager Mark Doran who joined Colm Collins’ backroom team this season. He will know the Derry game inside out.

Eoin Cleary and Podge Collins – son of the manager – are injury doubts ahead of this weekend. Cleary missed their defeat in Clones with the latter picking up a knock.

Clare shipped five goals in the championship drubbing at the hands of Derry last summer. By the time they met in the league this season, it was still a comfortable Oakleaf win, but Jamie Malone was tucked that bit deeper as sweeper to limit goal chances.

Emmett McMahon and Keelan Sexton are their main outlets up front. Gavin Cooney, strangled listed on the bench at Owenbeg earlier in the year, could feature. Aaron Griffin, who was snuffed out by McCluskey in Croke Park last summer, is a likely starter.

But when all it said and done, today comes down to one thing – Derry’s inner focus. If top spot is important enough, this game needs treated with the respect a knock-out game would get.

Clare will come with abandonment and freedom. They’ll want to finish with a flourish. It’s up to Derry to get the job done and it’s hard to see how they won’t, but they’ll need to do so with some to spare. Karl O’Connell’s equaliser was always going to make this a calculator Saturday.