Derry's passion for Ulster remains evident ahead of semi-final

Ulster GAA Senior Football Championship

Derry vs. Monaghan

Healy Park, Omagh

Today, 5pm

Derry have already made it clear that they are every bit as eager to win the Anglo-Celt as they were last year.

With a new championship structure in place in 2023, many have started to question the value of the provincial series. But current top dogs in Ulster, Derry, showed against Fermanagh recently that they are every bit as eager to retain the title they won so memorable last summer.

Two weeks ago, the Oakleafers went about their business against Fermanagh in a ruthless fashion in a display that had all the hallmarks of a championship winning side.

If the underdogs were to stand a chance against this red and white juggernaut, they would need to have stemmed the Derry attack from minute one and make the most of the chances that fell their way.

But the world of championship football is an unforgiving one and with barely six-minutes on the clock, Paul Cassidy had just kicked Derry into a four-point lead. Already the game was getting away from Fermanagh.

"We started the game with a real good intensity, a real good desire and I suppose when you are a team that feels you are better than the other team that's important to do,” said a satisfied Rory Gallagher at the time.

“Fermanagh would have been coming to try and hang in the game and I suppose we blow it wide open very early.

"We wanted to hit the ground running and take the lead because it just makes the game I suppose more on your own terms. We knew they would target Gareth (McKinless), push and shove at Shane and players like that, Paul Cassidy and Ethan (Doherty) but then the other players came up the field, players that maybe don't get the same attention and it was good to have the boys in sync with what they need to do if that happens.”

Last year Derry came in from under the radar with their championship run, but with that surprise element now gone, it’s all about evolution this year as they attempt to add another string to their bow as they aim to go further in this year’s championship.

Last year one critique aimed at the Derry team was that they were too reliant on Shane McGuigan for their scores. Again, McGuigan was to the fore as the Slaughtneil man returned with 2-5. But against Fermanagh he was just one of eleven scorers.

“Ah, listen, it’s not from the likes of yourselves the lazy analysis has come, it’s some pundits. Naturally Shane is a heavy scorer and a phenomenal free-taker. But look, everybody’s got to defend, everybody’s got to attack, when you’ve got the ball and when you don’t, that’s the flexible way football is now and you have to step up - It’s up to players to have the ability to do that and we think we can.

"It is a mad thing to say but half the time at training you spend without the ball and half with it so it is up to players to have that ability to do that and we believe they can.”

Monaghan will have been buoyed by the 2-8 Derry conceded in the quarterfinals, and Gallagher admitted that he doesn’t want to see a repeat of that with one mark of the Oakleafers’ progress in recent times a stubborn defence.

“There is no doubt that the Championship is hotting up and we have to be on our toes,” he admitted. “We conceded 2-8 (vs. Fermanagh) but we take serious pride in defending. We are certainly going to have to put more emphasis on this now that we are getting to the cutting edge of the Ulster Championship.

“The fact that we took the game against Fermanagh by the scruff of the neck early on stood to us but we have to be ready for bigger challenges.”

Glass fit

Meanwhile, Derry fans will be glad to hear that midfielder Conor Glass has declared himself fit and available for today’s game after recent injury concerns.

The Glen man limped off in the Division Two League Final defeat against Dublin in Croke Park and was then withdrawn against Fermanagh last week, but, speaking at the launch of the GAA World Games this week, he insists that latter decision was imply precautionary.

“(It’s) all good,” he said. “It was more precautionary than anything. It's been a long year, two years, for me, so any chance I can take to get a break I'll try to take it. “It was the same (injury as the Dublin game). Not anything to the extent out there (in Croke Park) but. Thankfully it's all good, I've had a full week's training under my belt now.”