Desertmartin eye historic first Intermediate Football Championship crown
St Martin’s look to banish five previous final defeats in a highly anticipated showdown with Greenlough.
Desertmartin will look to finally break their hoodoo and secure a first-ever Sheridan, Bateson and Lee Cup at the sixth time of asking when they take on St Oliver Plunkett’s Greenlough in the Premier Electrics Derry Intermediate Football Championship final on Sunday afternoon.
It will be a first county final appearance in 23 years for the St Martin’s men, who suffered an agonising 0-13 to 0-12 defeat to Ballymacguigan after a replay in their last decider appearance all the way back in 2003. Lining out for the St Trea’s men that day was current Desertmartin manager Sean Brady, who will be hoping for a happier ending for the South Derry side this time around.
Having eased past Craigbane in last weekend’s semi-final to book their place in the decider, there is a growing feeling that a breakthrough title may be within reach for a supremely talented group emerging at Desertmartin. Derry sharpshooter Lachlan McHale has been in electric form throughout the campaign and central once again to their hopes on Sunday afternoon.
After opening their championship campaign with a narrow group-stage victory over Foreglen, followed by convincing wins over Ballymacguigan and Claudy, Desertmartin have emerged as one of the competition’s form teams. Their dominant semi-final victory over Craigbane has further strengthened their credentials as they seek to finally get over the line.
For Brady, the opportunity to end the club’s long wait for silverware is particularly significant, given his own involvement in the 2003 final.
“Desertmartin have lost five finals. The last one was in 2003. I was actually playing against them that day. It went to a replay, and my team, Ballymacguigan, beat them. Look, they’ve been very unlucky down through the years. It’s five finals without a win, so we want to make sure that it’s not six.
“The campaign hasn’t been too bad. We had a good league campaign; we finished in the top six, and we narrowly missed out on a play-off, but we regrouped for the championship, and so far we have gone unbeaten, so we’re going well.
“I suppose it’s now a mix of relief and joy for us. It’s been a very long time coming for the club. It was 2003 the last time they got to a final, and that's a long time ago now, so we’re just very happy in that regard.”
The prospect of securing a maiden Intermediate crown and competing among the county’s senior elite for 2027 represents a massive prize for an exciting young group within the St Martin’s ranks. With arguably the youngest squad in the championship, Desertmartin have built their campaign around that youthful energy and quality all over the pitch.
Standing in their way, however, is the considerable challenge of St Oliver Plunketts Greenlough, who have also established themselves among the competition’s leading sides. Plunketts survived a late scare against Eoghan Rua in their semi-final, as they seek to secure a first intermediate crown since the Covid season.
Brady is under no illusions about the task awaiting his side but believes they have the quality to get over the line if they cane reproduce their best form.
“I think before a ball was even thrown in, Greenlough were probably favourites for the championship. They’ve got quality all over the pitch and a great blend of youth and experience. It’s going to be a tough challenge, one that we’re looking forward to, but at the same time we know that if we perform, we have a good chance of beating them.
“It’d be massive if we could get up. There’s a very good group there with an average age of about 23. The only way is up for them, and hopefully that starts on Sunday with a win. These boys have played top-level football all the way up through underage, and a lot have been involved with the Derry minors and under-20s. Everyone is in good form, and we’re all just looking forward to Sunday.”