Derry footballers and hurlers gearing up for Championship campaigns

Focus now shifts firmly towards championship action for the Derry senior footballers and hurlers, with the Allianz National League campaigns in the rear-view mirror and just weeks to go until their respective seasons get underway.

It is now only three weeks until the Foylesiders face Antrim in the AIB Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final at Celtic Park. While for Johnny McGarvey and the Derry senior hurlers, their championship opener arrives even sooner, with Roscommon visiting Celtic Park in just a fortnight as they begin their Christy Ring Cup campaign.

It was a mixed league campaign overall from a Derry perspective. Ciarán Meenagh’s men narrowly missed out on promotion back to Division One after suffering defeats to Louth and Meath. The Oakleafers finished fourth in the table behind Cork, Meath and the Wee County, but ahead of Tyrone, Cavan and relegated sides Offaly and Kildare.

The decisive result proved to be their Round 6 defeat to Louth, which ultimately left promotion out of their hands heading into the final game against Cavan.

Meenagh’s side knew a win alone would not be enough and that other results would also need to go their way to secure a late push for promotion.

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The Leinster champions impressed in their 1-19 to 0-18 victory in Ardee that day, with Derry talisman Shane McGuigan enduring a rare difficult outing. The Slaughtneil forward had been in outstanding scoring form up to that point but struggled in the Wee County, missing a late penalty and failing to register a score despite averaging 0-7 points per game across the previous five rounds.

However, he returned to form in the final round against Cavan, finishing with an excellent haul of 0-10 points. Derry supporters will be hoping the Slaughtneil man can carry that momentum into the championship, where he remains the focal point of the county’s attacking threat.

Similarly impressive throughout the league were the consistent contributions of Paul Cassidy, Niall Loughlin and Lachlan Murray, with the trio combining for 6-48 over the course of the campaign.

Meenagh will take encouragement from many aspects of his side’s performances as they build towards the Ulster Championship. Defensively, Derry were particularly strong, conceding an average of just 0-17 per game, the best defensive record in Division Two. At the other end, the Oakleaf County finished joint second in scoring, averaging 0-23 per game and ending the campaign with the strongest scoring difference in the division.

On the hurling front, it was very much a campaign of transition for Johnny McGarvey following significant panel turnover after last year’s Christy Ring Cup final defeat to London.

In total, sixteen players left the panel during the winter, most notably Slaughtneil’s Ruairí Ó Mianáin.

In their place came a number of younger players emerging from a developing Derry hurling pipeline.

It was London who inflicted further disappointment late in the league campaign, their two-point victory at Celtic Park in Round 5 confirming relegation for the Oakleafers.

An opening-round 5-23 to 0-12 defeat at home to Kerry also served as a difficult start, with the Kingdom expected to pose a major challenge in this year’s Christy Ring Cup.

Despite those setbacks, there were several positives. Encouraging performances against Westmeath, Laois and Meath offered signs of progress, while a number of under-20 players stepped up in the wake of the winter changes to gain valuable senior experience.

The likes of Ryan McGarvey, Tiernan Melaugh and Ruairí Biggs all saw significant game time during the league, exposure that should stand to them as they continue their development within Ryan O’Neill’s Richie McElligott Cup panel as well.

Shea Cassidy and Cormac O’Doherty provided the main attacking threat for McGarvey’s side, with Deaglán Foley also proving a constant menace.

The trio combined for an impressive tally of 2-69 across the league campaign.

With the league now behind them, attention turns fully to championship action for both codes. What success looks like may depend on perspective, but a strong provincial showing and a meaningful All-Ireland run will be the minimum expectation for a Derry football side still chasing its full potential.

For the hurlers, mounting another serious Christy Ring Cup challenge will be the target following three consecutive seasons of final heartbreak.