Gallagher content with Derry's progress

Despite letting Cork back into the game, Rory Gallagher was content with Derry’s progress this season, highlighting their unbeaten league record.

“I always find it very surreal playing here (in Páirc Uí Chaoimh). It is an unbelievable stadium. It is not natural to be playing with such a small crowd. It is just really different. The scoring ratios go up, and the chances go up. It is not a normal game.

“Delighted with the league overall. It was great to come out of the division we were in, unbeaten. Even today, you see a lot of good things in us going eight points up. But there is a huge learning in the way we were casual and slack, and let Cork back into it.

“Our attitude wasn’t right. We took shots we shouldn’t have taken. We weren’t competing hard enough, made wrong decisions at several times. But look, that happens when you emotionally switch off after the last six games, and the break.

“I, myself, jetted off on holidays last Monday morning. We came back yesterday. We had a number of players out of the country. Obviously we took a bus down. We travelled in different directions. Guys only came in last night at nine or ten o’clock. It is just not the normal preparation for a league game, but we thought it the right thing to do in the long term to take the week off.”

A league final against Dublin looms?

“Yeah, we were expecting it to be Dublin. We are looking forward to it. It is going to be a big test. We will clearly use the league final as massive preparation for the championship. It is up to us to be on the money next week. But at the end of the day, it is the 15th of April we play Fermanagh.”

Gallagher made seven changes for the Cork match.

Honours even as late goal gives Cork share of the spoils

“We would play a very settled team. Padraig Cassidy came back into the team and Shea Downey. I would count them as regulars, they just had knocks. Lachlan Murray, we would also count as very promising. The other lads acquitted themselves quite well. It is a big ask to come in out of the blue, they haven’t had a lot of games. It will stand to them in the long run.”

And on the injury to Chrissy McKaigue?

“He seemed to roll his ankle. We don’t really know. We’ve ruled out a couple of things. Just unfortunate as he had come on. Hopefully, he will be okay.”