All Ireland Final for Oakleaf Men this weekend

DERRY Masters make the long journey to St Peregrine’s GAC in Dublin this Saturday to face London in the All Ireland Intermediate Final.

It has been a terrific first season back in Masters football for the Oakleaf County, finishing joint second in the league behind unbeaten Tyrone, before qualifying for the Intermediate Final.

Derry last won the Masters Intermediate Final in 2007, and backed that win up by capturing the Masters Senior All Ireland the following year. However, the Oakleafers dropped out of the event after that victory, and only re-joined this season in spectacular style.

Despite a trip into the unknown, and very much learning on the hoof, Derry have certainly turned heads in this their inaugural season back at the veterans grade. That first league win of the season, toppling Intermediate Champions and near neighbours Donegal signalled Derry’s intent. The talismanic Paddy Bradley may have done most of the scoring damage, banging home 1-9, but Derry’s performance that day  -combative and slick - undermined the confidence that they could certain compete with the more established counties.

A hard fought win over a gnarly Antrim side handed Derry two wins from two outings before the Oakleaf men were brought crashing down to earth when reigning All Ireland champions hammered their traditional rivals, albeit a very understrength, Derry.

But since that chastening evening in Carrickmore, Derry won their next three league fixtures to finish in Tyrone’s slipstream at the upper echelons of the league table.

That agonising one point extra-time play-off loss to Kerry brought the Oakleafers to a semi-final pairing with Cork at the Intermediate grade. Once again Derry would return to the scene of the crime in Swinford in County Mayo. But second time around, and this time with most of their big guns now available, Derry produced their best performance of the season in brushing aside Cork 0-17 to 0-5.

The big win carried the Derry men to a final meeting with another side that has turned a few heads this season in London. The exiles recovered from an early defeat at the hands of Tyrone, and chalked up impressive wins over Sligo, Waterford, Kildare and Laois. Better still, London made a mockery of their underdog status when they knocked out reigning Intermediate champs Donegal in last month’s semi-final in a display marked with athleticism, physicality and hunger.

Derry manager Ronan Rocks was certainly impressed with Saturday’s opponents. “We played a very good Donegal team at the start of the year and bar Tyrone and Kerry, they were up there in that bracket in terms of quality,” he explained. “London beat a very good Donegal team in their semi-final. We had a couple of spies at that game and by all accounts London were very well set up. They’re very strong around the middle of the park, good forwards and tight in defence.

“I’m not putting pressure on anyone,” he continued, “but if London are beating the reigning champions at this grade it puts them slight favourites for me. This is our first year and we’ve had to learn plenty in a short time.”

Rocks and fellow manager James McGrath can call upon a Derry Masters squad that oozes class and experience, with a few debates over final selection ahead of the final in Dublin.

“We played the semi-final without Paul McFlynn and Paul Cartin,” explained the former Derry star. “They’re both back from injury and both flying in training. We’ve a couple of lads with niggles – Brian Mullan and Eunan Murphy. But at the end of the day, Masters football is a thirty man game and we’re going need every man to put his shoulder to the wheel at some point this weekend.”

Derry Masters fist gathered as unknown quantity on a cold wet morning at the start of April, but the ship quickly steadied and has gradually gathered pace as the season approaches its denouement.

“We’ve trained hard every Wednesday night and James McGrath has ramped it up this last few weeks so the boys are in great nick in fairness to them,” said the Bellaghy man. “James is a great man to have in your corner and has left no stone unturned as you can imagination. Listen, it’s not every day you make an All Ireland Final and I think we’re all really looking forward to it now.”

Rocks admits he’s been taken aback by the popularity of Masters football, and concludes with a big thank you to all the generous support throughout the Oakleaf County.

“Aye, I think on behalf of myself and all the players we’d just like to say that businesses and people within Derry have been unbelievable in their kindness towards us. Hopefully we can repay them on Saturday and bring home the title. But, listen, we’re going to have to fight hard for it.”