Allianz National Football League Division One: Derry v Leitrim (today, 3pm, Croke Park, live on TG4)
THERE was always a chance this would be today’s final pairing. Even from the outset.
Wind the clock back to west Belfast on a freezing, blustery Sunday in January and the Corrigan Park tunnel provides welcome solace from the elements.
Minutes earlier Michael McEvoy’s block prevented an Owen McKeown equaliser, after Padraig Cassidy had nosed Derry ahead of Antrim.
Inside, news filtered through of Leitrim’s 15 point filleting of Wexford.
“Leitrim would be a team that we’d be thinking have a very dangerous side to them,” said Derry manager Damian McErlain at the time.
“They’ve Terry Hyland involved now as well, which is getting a bit of structure in place.”
With the League effectively over after round five. It was followed by a couple of bouts of shadow boxing.
For both camps, it was all about today and a first Croke Park meeting of the counties since Derry’s 1959 League semi-final win over Leitrim.
In last month’s tepid and meaningless League game Derry were 2-16 to 1-12 winners over Terry Hyland’s men. Nine of today’s starting team were on board. Leitrim had eight.
With a more central role this year, Ciaran McFaul was the star man in the Oak Leafers’ promotion race but a hamstring injury sustained in training hasn’t recovered and he misses out.
Padraig Cassidy slots into midfield with Emmett Bradley making a return to the attack after injury.
Shane Moran is the attacking midfielder in Leitrim’s blueprint. It will be up to Padraig Cassidy to hammer the hammer and impose himself on the game.
In a surprise, Terry Hyland omitted midfielder Pearce Dolan from the side. Emlyn Mulligan should feature at wing-forward. Domhnaill Flynn will start on the 40 with Dean McGovern at midfield.
The Leitrim selection will give Derry food for thought. Darragh Rooney went through two markers before Brendan Rogers was able to curb his ball-winning ability at Celtic Park. If he plays up top, the Slaughtneil man will be on him from the outset.
Ryan O’Rourke, with 3-8 from play in a 4-22 tally, was rested for the Derry game and he should have Karl McKaigue for company this afternoon.
Niall Keenan did a job on Mulligan in Celtic Park, Michael McEvoy is the likely chaperon for Flynn, allowing Chrissy McKaigue to sit back as a sweeper, a role that always appears to be more difficult at Croke Park.
Paul McNeill had an excellent game against Wexford and will need to have his wits about him against Evan Sweeney.
At the other end where Leitrim will pose problems. Sean McWeeney has played as their sweeper role. Derry could push Christopher Bradley up on him in a bid to try and make Aidan Flynn the free man.
Captain Michael McWeeney, one of 18 players based in Dublin, is expected to pick up Shane McGuigan.
He was unmarkable in Celtic Park and his every move will been dissected to the nth degree in a bid to prevent him going to town on the Westerners’ defence.
It will be up to Enda Lynn to unlock Mark Plunkett from his expected role at centre-back.
On one wing will be Shane Quinn, grandson of fanatical Derry fan PJ Mullan. It is the other flank where Derry need to be on their guard. It they push up Christopher Bradley, they cannot afford to leave Raymond Mulvey free.
He scored in every game so far. Conor Doherty, an attacking midfielder by trade at club level, could be tasked with making Mulvey defend. It will go a long way to negating Leitrim’s counter-attacking game.
Aside side from the three dead-rubber games, in the other four decisive contests – against London, Antrim, Wicklow and Limerick – Derry combined winning margin was 20 points. Leitrim’s was seven.
The worrying statistic for Damian McErlain this week will be having just one clean sheet, against Wicklow.
On the flip side, Leitrim only conceded six goals in total with four of them coming in the last two meaningless weeks.
Surprisingly, Terry Hyland opted to stick with goalkeeper Cathal McCrann who played in both those games. His kick-outs were very accurate against Derry but Diarmuid McKiernan played in the first five games, behind an unchanged defence and midfield duo.
In a way it is a contrast. A team that have leaked cheap goals against a team tough to break down.
If Derry can organise their attack to make sure Mulvey and Sean McWeeney defend, it will be the first box ticked.
They will need Chrissy McKaigue’s positional sense tuned to perfection.
Leitrim will bring a bumper crowd on a novel trip to Croke Park. But if Lynn, Emmett and Christopher Bradley can get enough quality ball to McGuigan and Bell, Derry will have one hand firmly on the cup.
“I just think this Saturday is massive for the whole morale in the county and with this group of players, we need silverware,” said skipper Chrissy McKaigue after their win over Wexford.
“We need to be on our game and we need to get silverware.”
Today is the day.
Derry: T Mallon, K McKaigue, B Rogers, P McNeill, M McEvoy, C McKaigue, N Keenan, P Cassidy, C McAtamney, E Bradley, E Lynn, C Doherty, S McGuigan, R Bell, C Bradley.
Leitrim: C McCrann, A Flynn, M McWeeney, P Maguire, S McWeeney, S Quinn, R Mulvey, M Plunkett, S Moran, D McGovern, E Mulligan, D Flynn, D Rooney, E Sweeney, R O Rourke.
