DERRY GAA: Transition time in Craigbane

Slaughtmanus v Craigbane - Sunday 3.30 - Celtic Park SEVEN times winners Craigbane will have an unfamiliar look on Sunday when they lock horns with Slaughtmanus at Celtic Park. From the team that succumbed to Greenlough’s attacking flair in the last year’s county final, almost half are gone - including long serving duo Fergal Crossan and Gavin Conwell. The warrior Crossan featured once during the season giving them a ‘pull out’ and Conwell retired after last season. Nowadays the back of Conwell’s van is never without a set of balls or bibs as he passes on his knowledge to the younger generation of Lily Whites but his unrivalled leadership will be missed. Both in the dressing room and in the midfield battleground when a crucial ball needs won. These type of men don’t grow on trees. The loss at midfield continues with Bliain Gormley sustaining a horrific leg break. Livewire attacker Noel Reilly also has a broken leg as Craigbane continue to be plagued with injuries. Also missing are utility players Aidan Kerlin and Ruairi Gormley. Add in the unavailable Sean Mortimer and Rory Moore who is in Australia and it shows why Craigbane don’t field a reserve team this year. Kevin Moore picks up the pieces with the rebuilding process.  “In saying that, there is a crop of young boys who have come in. The Reillys (Ronan and Thomas) and Eoin Coll. They’re going rightly but are inexperienced. “The likes of Shane McMenamin and Oisin McNulty are all regulars now,” said Moore who struggles to get consistency to his selections. “We’ve never had the same team out two games in a row in the league, it’s even harder than last year.” “Lee (Moore) and Aidey (McLaughlin) are fit enough now and if we get out of the group stages we’ll be happy enough,” predicted Moore ahead of this season’s campaign. “We played them (Slaughtmanus) in the league and that was the day Bliain got injured. He wasn’t supposed to be playing and he wouldn’t have been only we didn’t have the numbers.” Moore noted Slaughtmanus gameplan wasn’t that defensive but as Moore suggests, both teams weren’t showing ‘a full hand’ with the championship clash on the horizon. “They know us inside out and we know them. I don’t expect there to be a lot in it.  We have Aidey, Lee, Rainey (Brian) and if Ryan (Moore) comes to the fore, we have four or five players that can mix it with anybody,” said Moore. “Christopher Lowry (injury) looks like he will miss out but Jude Roe (McLaughlin) is going righty and big Aidey is playing as well as I ever seen, “added Moore. Last season Craigbane leaked too many goals, something that is still a concern for Moore. “If we don’t concede goals we’ll be hard to beat. “We played Foreglen in the league and Lee wasn’t playing. We had them penned in for the first 10 or 15 minutes but just couldn’t get a score.  To me whoever beats them will win it – but every other team can beat each other. If Kevin Moore’s team are to prevail they will have to keep tabs on Conor McGee, Gavan McShane and Adrian O’Kane. Conrad McCloskey and Brian Rainey are the likely defensive options. With Derry minors exiting the championship the energetic Sean Mortimer now comes into contention and will be an important addition. A tough game to call but there is little to choose between the sides. Craigbane were badly depleted going into the last year’s semi-final with Castledawson and pulled out a top drawer performance.  Their championship experience, grit and the firepower of Lee Moore could see them edge it. VERDICT: Craigbane