Football

Derry football boss Gallagher hails defensive improvement

Derry senior football manager Rory Gallagher during the win over Cork at Owenbeg.
Derry senior football manager Rory Gallagher during the win over Cork at Owenbeg. Derry senior football manager Rory Gallagher during the win over Cork at Owenbeg.

DERRY football boss Rory Gallagher has hailed his side's defensive improvement since they last lost a League match, almost two years ago.

The Oak Leafers shipped three goals against Cork in Pairc Ui Rinn on March 1, 2020 in what the Belleek man termed "a two-point annihilation", the 3-13 to 3-11 defeat effectively costing the visitors promotion from Division Three.

Yet while the Rebels went on to top that table, and even win the Munster Championship that year, they have regressed since then.

Derry, however, have won 10 league games in a row, over three seasons, and only narrowly lost in the 2021 and 2022 Ulster SFC encounters against Armagh and Donegal. In those dozen matches they have conceded just four goals.

The Oak Leafers sit top of Division Two and Gallagher acknowledged that beating Cork was significant for Derry: "Yeah, Cork was a big milestone in our heads to be honest. The last game before Covid hit this country and hit the world we got a two-point annihilation down there.

"We got a few goals but it was a shambolic set-up at the time and I don't think we have lost a league game since. We've lost a couple of Championship games but we've turned a corner since.

"Obviously Cork are going through a transition and that's their business, we're not too concerned with that, we're delighted with the commitment of our players, the loyalty to each other and the direction we are going."

The experienced Slaughtneil duo of Brendan Rodgers and captain Chrissy McKaigue were typically excellent against the Rebels, but Gallagher also pointed to the contributions of some younger players who have become regulars in the rear-guard:

"Obviously with Brendan and Chrissy, their reputations went before them and I would have known them coming in - but since working with them they have been better than I ever thought.

"Since we came in we've played Conor Doherty and Paudie McGrogan nearly every day. We're playing 'Clucky' [Conor McCluskey] now that he's fit all the time and [goalkeeper] Odhran Lynch is the same.

"We were establishing a new group of defenders and Ethan Doherty is another one playing in the defence... The sooner they get to 20, 25 appearances the more mature they'll get and the more experience you have. We've stuck through a couple of bad days with them and they have rewarded us."

Derry's nine-point win over Cork was all the more impressive given the absence of two key players due to minor injuries, although both may be back for the trip to Ennis this weekend:

"Hopefully we should have Gareth McKinless and Ciaran McFaul for the trip to Clare so that should help us. They are two brilliant players and two of our best players but even more so, I'm just delighted because we haven't had the preparation I would have liked.

"Obviously given Slaughtneil and Glen's longevity in the club competitions [football and hurling] it has been quite difficult for those players to come back.

"I really enjoyed the two weeks since the Offaly game to get the bodies right, the likes of Ethan [Doherty], Conor Glass, Shane [McGuigan], Chrissy [McKaigue], Emmet Bradley, getting a bit of quality work into them was good…"

Gallagher is glad to be developing squad depth, and the right attitude from players who don't make the starting 15:

"We'll very much welcome Gareth and Ciaran back, Paudie 'Tad' [Cassidy] is another one who is just easing his way back in with very limited training.

"It's no more than the likes of Armagh, Monaghan who can be missing players, Tyrone and Donegal, the top teams in this province - we want to be like that and you just cannot do that with 13, 14, or 15 players…

"You can see it developing and that's down to the boys in training with their commitment to each other. None of them is huffing.

"Shea [Downey] had a great game against Offaly and played all the McKenna Cup but Chrissy came back I and Shea had to settle to a place on the bench. I'm sure he's not happy in his own head but he puts the team first and we very much appreciate all that from everybody."

Clare will be tough opposition, but Gallagher is quietly confident: "You get momentum because you are doing the right thing and that is very important.

"It can be difficult because you are getting players back training and playing that you know you probably shouldn't. The problem is we don't have the squad to get that momentum without them so I very much appreciate what everybody has done. We have the momentum now but we have to capitalise on it."