Within touching distance - Nicky Rackard Cup Final

Derry v Armagh Saturday 3.00 Croke Park Ref: Shane Hynes (Galway) DERRY take on Armagh in Saturday’s Nicky Rackard Cup Final hoping to bridge an 11 year gap.  It would bring a welcome piece of silverware to the county and shoot the Oakleafers into next season’s Christy Ring Cup. Victory would represent a successful end to Collie McGurk’s first year in the Derry hot seat.  Another step in the transition towards the upper echelons of hurling. When Swatragh’s Mickey Conway stood on the Hogan Stand’s steps to accept the cup in 2006, Derry had easily accounted for Donegal 5-15 to 1-14. Earlier in the campaign Sean E McCloskey’s sidestepped the Warwickshire banana skin by just two points in Páirc na nEiréann and grabbed three goals to see off Armagh in the semi-final. From that side Ruairi McCloskey, Eugene McGuckin, Ruairi Convery, Liam Óg Hinphey and last year’s captain Sean McCullagh are still on board - hoping to plot the downfall of Armagh. After the well-documented losing streak in 2016 and the relegation that followed, Tom McLean stepped down as manager. Derry appointed former dual player McGurk.  It was time to rebuild, to raise standards and get back to the glory days at the turn of the millennium.  Derry won back-to-back Ulster titles and pushed Offaly every step of the way in an All-Ireland Quarter-Final. FALSE DAWN An early season hockeying by a rampant Down in the pre-season Conor McGurk tournament at QUB was a reality check.  It was followed by an average league campaign before the real business began. Relegation from the Ulster hurling championship and Christy Ring Cup hit the county hard.  It was all about making the first step on the road back.  The hammering of Monaghan in the semi-final and a hard fought battle with Tyrone in Carrickmore saw Derry win the Ulster shield to secure their passport back to the championship. This Saturday is part two of the plan and with the demise of the Ulster championship, qualification back to the Christy Ring Cup is the most important of all. For former Derry captain McGurk, it was all about getting the best players back out on county duty again.  Last season, at a low ebb the team almost picked itself.  There is now genuine competition for places. When he sits down this week with selectors Kevin Kelly and Mickey Glover to select the starting 15, it will be a long meeting.  The kettle will need boiled more than once, the options will bring a welcome headache. A representation from the hurling management to have last Friday’s club fixtures, involving dual players,  pulled fell on deaf ears, so with 23 of the panel in action McGurk had his fingers crossed. OPTIONS McGurk’s ability to entice the Slaughtneil crop on board was the biggest coup.  Too often the top players have not threw their lot in with the county. Chrissy McKaigue had previously played hurling for the county in the 2012 Ulster Final and made two substitute appearances so far in a balancing act between football and hurling.  The same for Brendan Rogers, who has slammed in six goals in two brief appearances. After a brief sabbatical at the start of the year, goalkeeper Darryl McDermott and Sean McCullagh are committed to the cause. The Hinphey brothers and Ruairi McCloskey are back on board and Ballinascreen’s Paul Cleary also answered the call. McGurk looked further afield. securing of services of the Naoise and Cian Waldron.  The brothers were part of Cuala’s All-Ireland success.  Under rule 6.10, Derry have availed of, for the first time, the special eligibility ruling for hurling – under the grounds of their mother Sheila (Devlin) being born in Loup. In front of ‘keeper McDermott, Derry’s defence will be built around Sean Cassidy and Oisin McCloskey, the latter the only Derry player to feature in all 13 games this season. Gerald Bradley has impressed in recent games, featuring between wing-forward and midfield.  His ball winning ability will be a major factor to feed the Derry attack. The other side of Derry’s game is the direct running, with Meehaul McGrath a regular at centre-forward, searing through defences.  McGrath picked up a knock last week but is expected to be passed fit to play. Ruairi Convery, Chrissy McKaigue and Brendan Rogers all come off the bench in the semi-final win over Monaghan with great effect - with later duo listed in the starting 15. Convery, Darragh Cartin, Naoise Waldron and Aaron Kelly are viable options to bolster the attack later in the game. The Armagh camp know the cards in the Derry hand.  There is a link in the Orchard camp, with former boss Gabriel O’Kane still part of manager Sylvester McConnell’s backroom team in a coach/selector role.  O’Kane is the current Ballinascreen manager and will have an insight to the hurling scene in Derry. With his clubmate Kevin Kelly further down on the corridor on Saturday in the Derry dressing room down the corridor, it brings an interesting dimension to the intricacies along the sideline. Winners of the title in 2010 and 2012, Armagh are in their third successive final after defeats to Roscommon and Mayo. This season McConnell’s side finished bottom of division 2A, with their only point coming in a home draw with London.  Armagh surprised Down in the Ulster championship before going crashing at the hands of Antrim in the final. In the Nicky Rackard Cup a skeleton squad fell to shock defeat against Donegal in round one, ensure Armagh were on their last legs.  Wins over Longford, Louth and Tyrone took Armagh on their way back to Croke Park. From last season Declan Coulter has switched allegiances to Donegal where he now resides.  Eoin McGuiness, who hurls with Newry Shamrocks is likely to start in attack, with his brother Artie in the full-back line to curb Brendan Rogers, should he start. Shea Gaffney’s season looks to be over with injury but brothers Sean and Ryan are expected to be named in the side. Fiachara Bradley scored a goal against Longford and Danny Magee, of Sean Tracey’s Lurgan, has an eye for goal, so Derry will have to have their defensive house in order. Cathal Carville is the man Collie McGurk will need to keep the tightest eye on – he is Armagh’s big game player. As the clock ticks towards 4.15 on Saturday the ribbons will be tied on the Nicky Rackard Cup.  Orange or red? Despite struggling in the first round against Louth, this weekend will be Derry’s toughest opponent.  Before a ball was struck, this was the final everyone predicted. With their strongest squad in decades, it’s difficult to argue anything other than a Derry win and red ribbons on the cup as Oisin McCloskey holds it aloft. VERDICT: DERRY DERRY SQUAD:  Darryl McDermott, Paddy Turner, Sean Cassidy, Darragh McCloskey, Paul Cleary, Oisin McCloskey (capt), Liam Óg Hinphey, Conor McAllister, Chrissy McKaigue, Gerald Bradley, Meehaul McGrath, Alan Grant, Brian Cassidy, Brendan Rogers, Cian Waldron. Subs: Cormac O'Doherty, Aaron Kelly, Darragh Cartin, Sean McCullagh, Kevin Hinphey, Ciaran Steele, Paddy Henry, Brian Óg McGilligan, Naoise Waldron, Ruairi Convery, Eugene McGuckin, Ruairi McCloskey, Jonathan O'Dwyer, Tiernan McCloskey, Dominic Mullan, Mark McGuigan, Brendan Quigley, Ruairi McCartney, Seán Ó Caiside, Éanna Ó Caiside, Francis McEldowney.