National Hurling League Division 2A: Westmeath v Derry
(Sunday, Mullingar, 2pm)
WHEN these teams met in the league last year, the Derry men emerged as two-point winners.
Having drawn their opening game with Kerry a week before, the omens looked good for them. Indeed, a last day one-point loss to Wicklow meant the Oak Leafers missed out on the Division 2A final. Having also reached the Christy Ring Cup final last term, it can be counted a reasonable season, albeit there were no trophies to place in the cabinet.
But that was then and this is now. There have been wholesale departures from the Derry ranks since last season. Kevin and Liam Hinphey have retired, along with Ruairi McCloskey. Other players have opted out, with the likes of Michael Warnock, Sean McGuigan, Aaron Kelly and Niall Ferris among them. In addition, Patrick McCloskey is still out injured with a cruciate knee ligament injury and Paddy Henry has undergone a recent shoulder operation.
It all points to a tough season ahead. Na Magha’s Alan Grant, named at corner-forward on Sunday afternoon, recalls that last meeting: “We have played against them now for the last number of years,” said Grant.
“I always thought that they were a good attacking team. They never give up and they fight for every ball. Last year, we got a good start on them but then, throughout the course of the game, they pulled it back. Luckily, we got a goal at the end that got us over the line. This year, it is an away match for us - they’ll be going hard to try and put things right from last year - they’ll be looking to get the win out of it.”
Cahair O'Kane and Andy Watters give their thoughts on this weekend's National Hurling League fixtures
Last Sunday perhaps highlighted the scale of the task facing McLean. At Celtic Park, Derry made a good start to the game and led Antrim 1-8 to 0-6. In the second-half, they were out-scored 1-15 to 1-4 as the Saffrons took control of proceedings. Ruairi Convery scored 1-8 of their 2-12 total, with the only other players on target being Brendan Quigley, Gareth O’Kane, Shane Farren and substitute Brendan Laverty.
They will simply have to find a greater range of scorers and, if they are to take anything from the clash on Sunday afternoon, Derry will also have to contend with a potent enough Westmeath outfit, who posted 2-16 in their opening win over London in Ruislip.
Grant conceded he and his team-mates “didn’t come out of the changing rooms” for the second-half of the Antrim game and that they cannot afford a repeat against the Lake county. Asked about aims for this year, the 25-year-old, now in his seventh season with the Derry seniors, conceded the Oak Leafers would be scrapping for their Division 2A lives while hoping the Christy Ring Cup can offer a chance of silverware.
“I was looking at the league fixtures there at the start of the year - it is definitely just about survival,” said Grant.
“We have got a tough league this year, so we will be looking to push on in the Christy Ring. I hope we can make it back to Croke Park and go on and maybe win it this year.”
Westmeath are understandably strong favourites to take another two points on Sunday and they probably will. That is not to discount the certainty that Derry, with the experienced Paddy Kelly in from the start as well as Meehaul McGrath from county champions Slaughtneil, will fight right to the finish just as they did last weekend.
TEAM NEWS
Westmeath: TBA
Derry: D McDermott; E McGuckin, C McSorley, S McCullagh; D McCloskey, P Kelly, M McGrath; O McCloskey, T McCloskey; J O’Dwyer, M McGuigan, G O’Kane; S Farren, R Convery, A Grant.
