Football

Mickey Donnelly the front runner to become next Derry senior football manager

Mickey Donnelly led the Derry U20s to this year's Ulster final, where they lost their crown to Tyrone Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Mickey Donnelly led the Derry U20s to this year's Ulster final, where they lost their crown to Tyrone Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Mickey Donnelly led the Derry U20s to this year's Ulster final, where they lost their crown to Tyrone Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

MICKEY Donnelly last night emerged as the front runner for the Derry senior manager’s post which was vacated by Damian McErlain last week.

McErlain decided to call it a day after a second consecutive defeat at the first hurdle of the Ulster Championship and a subsequent Qualifier defeat to Laois, which followed a victory over Wexford.

Donnelly is currently manager of the Derry U20 footballers, although the young Oak Leafs’ summer is also over following their surprise 13-point defeat to Tyrone in the Ulster final earlier this month.

Last night, Derry PRO Conor Nicholl said the county had yet to conduct their end of summer review and that, following the conclusion of this exercise in establishing where it went wrong this year, nomination forms would then be sent to clubs regarding the senior manager’s position.

However, despite the availability of potential candidates such as Malachy O’Rourke, who stepped down from the Monaghan job after seven years in charge, and Cian O’Neill, who led Kildare to back-to-back National League promotions, it is understood Donnelly is the favoured man for the role.

Derry will play their football in Division Three next year after McErlain led them to promotion from the National Football League’s basement at the first time of asking in the spring.