Ulster U20 Football Championship final: Derry v Tyrone (tomorrow, Athletic Grounds, 6pm)
AS a Derry manager from Tyrone, Mickey Donnelly knows. As a Tyrone manager who grew up a couple of minutes from the Oakleaf border, Paul Devlin knows. And from the sounds of it, the players know too.
The Derry-Tyrone rivalry may have been diluted at senior level in recent times given the dominance of the Red Hands but at underage level it remains sacrosanct. What’s more, it’s Derry who have held the upper hand recently.
They go into tomorrow’s Ulster U20 final at the Athletic Grounds as holders while it’s they who have been involved in four of the last five last Minor finals while Tyrone are appearing in their first Ulster decider since 2013 when they face Monaghan. That Red Hand dominance remains exclusively senior for now.
Tyrone U20 captain Ruairi Gormley doesn’t need any reminding of just how important these clashes can be.
“If we had wanted one team then it definitely would have been Derry,” said the Strabane Sigerson’s clubman.
“We took it each game at a time, but we knew the different sides of the draw and that Derry would have a great chance of coming through if we reached the final.
“We are delighted to be in the final but we’re not happy to just be here, we want to push on and win it now.”
The teams have enjoyed similar games en-route to the final even if they were at opposite ends of the scale in their respective quarter-finals.
The holders looked destined to lose their grip on the title against Armagh as they trailed by 10 points early in the second half. Incredibly though, they would win comfortably following goals from Lorcan McWilliams, Paul Cassidy, Kealan Friel, Padraig McGrogan and Ethan Doherty.
Ten points was also a key number in Tyrone’s match with Down as they led the Mourne county by that margin at the break. Back Down came though and with a strong wind behind them, they looked good to complete the comeback as they trailed by a single point with a few minutes still remaining. It was Gormley who killed those intentions with the clinching score at Healy Park.
Their respective semi-finals were similar as both held off difficult challenges against sides that passed up a number of goal chances. Tyrone had four points to spare against Cavan while Derry were three-point victors against Fermanagh.
“We got over the line in the end up,” Gormley said of the Cavan game. “Cavan are no easy side and we were very happy to get past them.
“We did some bits very well but other bits showed that we clearly have a lot still to work on.
“That Down game was a really big test; it was a game of two halves.
“We were 10 points up at half-time and they really came back at us. We just managed to hold on. It showed great character.
“Last year against Armagh we died out, so it was good to show that we could hold on and finish strongly.
“This year the character amongst the boys still here from last year, the new boys in, has really shown. Everyone has stepped up.”
That 2018 Armagh game still sticks in the craw of the Tyrone players back on board this term, and not just because of the condemnation of the punch up video that went viral afterwards.
They were asked serious questions by the Orchard county and they didn’t have the answers. Gormley believes the introduction of the development leagues this spring has definitely sharpened their reflexes.
“I think from this year to last year, the league has been massive and we have benefitted so much from it,” said the midfielder, who got to life the Philly McGuinness Cup after their league final win over Sligo.
“Last year it was friendlies and while they can be good, friendlies are friendlies.
“The league meant there was a lot more competitiveness in the games, and we have taken that fight into Ulster.
“We played the likes of Mayo and Sligo so it was good to get that sharpness and to play teams from outside Ulster.
“I suppose inside of Ulster, everyone knows each other. You always know who you’re coming up against,
“In the league against those teams you didn’t know who you were playing and that is always a great way to test yourself.”
Now comes the ultimate test. If they are as sharp as their captain claims, then Tyrone can strike another big blow in this famous Ulster rivalry.
