'Missing players can't hold us back' - Derry manager Johnny McGarvey

Allianz Hurling League Roinn 2  |  Kerry vs. Derry  |  Austin Stack Park, Saturday, 1pm

Derry manager Johnny McGarvey admitted his side weren’t good enough in Saturday’s NFL defeat at the hands of Down at Owenbeg.

It leaves the Oakleafers with a week of soul-searching ahead of Sunday’s clash with Kerry in Tralee.

The sides were level at 0-4 before Down hit seven points without replay to get a foothold in the game and they never looked back.

McGarvey said his side were “totally outplayed” and they needed to put the performance behind them.

“We weren't at it when the match was in the melting pot after about 15 or 16 minutes,” McGarvey said of Saturday’s game.

“When the game was at that stage, we had chances to be tagging on scores and to be a wee bit closer. We didn't score for 12 minutes and it drifted out to seven or eight (points).

“We got the last two of the first half and came in and set ourselves down and we tried to work it out and set ourselves properly for the start of the second half.”

Within a minute, Down added 1-1 to their 0-14 to 0-7 interval lead and the game was all but over with Ronan Sheehan’s side full value for their win.

After an opening day victory over Kildare, Down have put themselves in the driving seat for a place in the league final.

“To concede two early soft goals at the start of the second half and the game was over at that stage,” McGarvey said of Down’s 2-2 tally in seven second-half minutes.

That was the start Derry needed to make a challenge in the game with Down playing some ruthless and slick hurling, led by Tom McGrattan with a 0-15 tally over the game. McGarvey didn’t sugarcoat anything about his side’s performance.

“Look, it just wasn't good enough,” he stresses. “The amount of breaking ball that we didn't get, balls going inside, boys trying to let the ball run past them, maybe trying to play summer hurling in the winter.

“Too much of what we were doing today wasn't good enough and, look, we got beat out the gate.”

McGarvey was without Jack Cassidy. Cormac O’Doherty and Ruairí Ó Mianáin were recovering from injuries carried in from Slaughtneil’s season.

Paddy Kelly and Eamon Conway were still recovering from injuries sustained in a challenge game with Antrim.

Down manager Ronan Sheehan caveated his side’s win with the quality missing from the Derry side.

McGarvey agreed they were missing key players but it didn’t excuse the level of his side’s showing.

“There's no excuses, the players that aren't playing today are not an excuse for getting beat the way we get beat today,” he said.

“Of course, some of our best players are missing there,” McGarvey said. Nine of the players who hurled in their Christy Ring Cup final defeat last year were unavailable.

“There's not much we can do about it; we have to play with the players that we have. We're certainly better than we showed today but look, you put it behind you and you move on.

“We wanted to play at this level to try and push ourselves on, that's with the players that we have now that are available to play. We can't worry about players that aren't available to play.”

Derry registered 14 wides over the game. McGarvey pointed to some of them being poor wides with players in space.

Derry play Kerry this weekend before the break in the league, something the Derry boss hopes will give them a chance to get some of his players back on the field.

Derry manager Johnny McGarvey admitted his team were well beaten last week against Down. (Pics: nwpresspics)

Eamon Conway may be available to the trip to Tralee but Cormac O’Doherty looks like missing the entire league with injury.

“It's disappointing but it is what it is. We move on to Kerry next week.” McGarvey said. “In terms of the injury, we need the break as quick as we can to get players back but the match is next Sunday.

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“You dust yourselves down, we'll have a chat in here and we'll just get on with it again. I fancied Down to win this thing and always did,” he said, disappointed with the manner of Derry’s defeat.

“They're a class team, Tom McGrattan absolutely destroyed us. We contained Daithi Sands, we contained Eoin Sands, (Finn) Turpin.

“I don't think they had another forward who scored more than two from play. Our best two players in the day were probably Sean Tad (Cassidy) and Mark Craig. We need more leaders out the field.”