Oakleafers look to avoid Ulster Championship shock

Derry are unbackable favourites this weekend as they step into the Ulster Championship arena when Antrim come to town.

The Oakleafers can’t win. Not really. Lose and it would send shocks saves across the nation. Account for Antrim and it’s a case of taking care of business.

Manager Ciarán Meenagh will have had a look under the Antrim bonnet but keeping the Derry engine purring will be his most important focus.

Speaking after their defeat to Louth, he referenced a humbling against a team shorn some of their key men. Derry were supposed to win. That was the narrative. The didn’t.

Derry will be fancied to go all the way to the Ulster final but they have to make sure they step over the first fence first.

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There are familiar faces in the Antrim dressing room on Saturday. Mark Doran was the Slaughtneil manager for the last three seasons.

His wing man Paul Bradley is a former Derry player while Barry Gillis has played between the posts in the past.

Antrim endured a stale start to the season with three league defeats before upping the ante to win the last four, losing out on promotion to Division Three.

Derry stuttered in the McKenna Cup before losing to Meath on the opening day of the league. A breach handed the Royals the initiative with Cian McBride their second wind after Derry got a foothold.

The Derry league story kicked into gear after beating Tyrone in a pressure game after going all the way through 2005 without a win.

There was the deep dig to come through against Kildare in Newbridge. Derry hammered both Offaly and Cork before coming a cropper in Ardee.

They won’t say it on the outside, but Derry had a golden opportunity to reach another Ulster final.

Staying clear or Armagh, Donegal and Tyrone is massive. It was about time the draw kept them apart.

Conor McCluskey and Eoin McEvoy made returns from injury. James Sargent is being balanced through his rehab. While he’ll not feature this weekend, he will be a welcome addition.

Shea McGuckin is in line for a debut between the posts, ahead of Ryan Scullion and Louis Regan with Odhrán Lynch also on his way back. With McEvoy and McCluskey in line to start, there could be changes in defence.

Brendan Rogers, Dan Higgins and Conor Glass will be the options across the middle.

In attack, Shane McGuigan once again leads the line but Matthew Downey has joined the supporting cast that already has Lachlan Murray, Niall Loughlin and Paul Cassidy chipping in with scores. Loughlin has been immense this season.

Cavan or Monaghan will await the winners in the semi-final and it would take a brave man to bed against Derry.

The back-to-back Ulster titles of 2022 and ’23 are close enough to be an inspiration but bar enough away to leave Derry dining on the best sauce of all – hunger.

Antrim held Derry for long periods of January’s McKenna Cup game in Owenbeg.

Think back to last year and they also gave Armagh plenty to ponder. Saturday could be the same, with a similar result.