Allianz Football League Division Three: Derry 1-15 Offaly 0-13
IT was a dank, thoroughly uninspiring kind of afternoon at Celtic Park. Concrete skies, drizzly rain, heavy sod and a meagre 570 supporters that turned up to watch Derry claim their first League points of the year in yesterday’s re-arranged NFL Division Three fixture with Offaly.
But Damian McErlain won’t mind.
He can’t control the weather or the prevailing apathy towards the county team. Not yet at least.
A performance that was book-ended by a strong start and finish yesterday, McErlain urged “patience” among the Derry public and to “keep the faith” as he continues to introduce a host of young players to the rigours of senior football.
With the Slaughtneil contingent still absent and Niall Keenan and Ciaran McFaul stepping away from the panel last week, the new Derry manager said that rebuilding the county’s fortunes was going to be slow process.
“We’re still in February 2018, we’re building slowly,” he said after yesterday’s six-point victory over winless Offaly. “We’ll keep sticking to the process, keep the faith and have faith in the set-up that we have and the boys that we have.”
McErlain named a 22-man panel – four short of the allotted 26 for match-days – for yesterday’s third game in Division Three including eight players he coached at minor level.
“We’re still using our U20 squad. That was the intention from the start. We named a small squad, less than 30 and if the squad needed replenished we would use the U20s, so they’re getting a wee bit of a blooding and they’ll be released back to the U20s eventually.
“That’s the plan. Some of our young players today were our better players, so the quality we have coming through is good.
“They weren’t brought in for the first two or three matches – they’re here the for the long run and we’re trying to turn the tide. We had three good minor teams and good U21 teams. We’ve just got to start bringing them through and everybody has to be patient to allow that to happen.”
Midfielder Emmett Bradley, one of the older heads in Derry’s youthful ranks, bagged an impressive 1-5 (0-4 frees) during yesterday’s vital win.
Enda Lynn pulled the string at centre-forward for the home side, notching three points from play, while the 44th minute introductions of James Kielt and Mark Lynch stymied Offaly’s gutsy second half comeback.
Both subs eased Derry over the line with a point apiece in the closing stages while Danny Tallon also made a good impression from the Oak Leaf bench.
“Those guys [Lynch and Kielt] are absolutely massive,” said the Derry boss.
“It’s great to turn around and to have them come in. They’re scoring men too; they’re always going to chip in with a point or two each, like they did today.
“They’re great lads to have about the set-up in terms of their whole mentality and the experience of years gone by. We’re delighted to have them and delighted they’re still putting their shoulder to the wheel.”
