A LACKLUSTRE passage into the All-Ireland Under 21 final at Clones must be wiped clean from the memory of Derry’s household 15 tomorrow.
It was only when Mayo rode into a 1-5 to 0-5 lead in the semi-final, that Derry kicked grass from their heels.
Mayo, on paper, are not in the same book of class which enlists the Oak Leafer’s and tomorrow’s showpiece participants Meath.
If Derry, in their first final since 1985, are to bring home the bacon and stir fry Ulster football once again, they must perform in the final exactly as they performed in the quater-final against Mayo, says PRO Gerry Donnelly.
Meath and Derry clash for the second time in the ‘90’s at U21 level, it’s 1-0 to Meath and a score to be settled for Derry, who have not won the U21 crown since 1968.
The inclusion of Gary Doyle in midfield, replacing Kevin Heaney against Mayo, handed Derry back the omitted bite which normally supplies the forward line of Joe Cassidy, Adrian McGuckian and Michael Gribben.
“It’s fair to say we were poor in that game ... we will have to at our best in the final from the throw-in and throughout,” said Gerry Donnelly. “It’s obvious we can’t play as we did against Mayo.”
All-star Darren Fay, who captain’s Meath tomorrow, is one of four All-Ireland medal holders from the 1996 senior winning side.
Derry: S O’Kane; S Donnelly, D O’Neill, M Kelly; P McFlynn, S M Lockhart, E McGilloway; E Muldoon, G Doyle; B Murray, J McBride, S McGuckian; J Cassidy, A McGuckian, M Gribben.
Meath: C O’Sullivan; S Carolan, D Fay (capt), A Meade; N Kearney, M Reilly, P Reynolds; S O’Rourke, J Cullinane; B Smyth, S Dillon, K Dowd; R Magee, B Callaghan, R Farrelly.
Subs: J Curry, G Greville, E Grogan, D O’Growney, K Russell, C McGrath, F Owens, D Regan.
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NIALL Quinn was yesterday recalled to the Republic of Ireland squad for the important World Cup qualifying game with Liechtenstein at Lansdowne Road on May 21.
But there was still no place in manager Mick McCarthy’s plans for Derby’s Paul McGrath, which must now raise serious questions about the veteran’s international future.
McGrath, who holds the record number of Irish caps, was also left out of the Irish squad that travelled to Romania a fortnight ago.
Quinn, who hasn’t featured for the Republic in the last five internationals, won the last of his 61 caps against the Alpine part-timers in Vaduz in August.
On that occasion he helped the Irish to a five-nil victory by scoring twice.
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DARREN Clarke, looking for a win that would take him second in the Ryder Cup points table, could have held centrestage at the Benson and Hedges International Open at The Oxfordshire yesterday.
He was nine under with two to play, but bogeyed them both and had to settle for a 68 and fifth place behind the leader, New Zealand’s Greg Turner.
Christy O’Connor Jnr, the 48- year-old Irishman who was second to Turner after a first day 68, managed only a 74 and dropped back to two under.
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DONEGAL midfielder Dessie McNamara is expected to be out of football for up to 12 months because of a knee injury.
McNamara, who was sent off in last year’s Ulster Championship match against Down, requires a cruciate ligament operation.
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CREGGAN man Kevin Bateson has been elected as chairman of UUJ football club for next season.
Other committee members are: vice-chairman - Michael McMullan (Slaughtneil), secretary - Paul Brogan (Gortin), asst-sec - Brendan Moley (Whitecross), treasurer - Tony McParland (Mullaghbawn), Registrar - Michael Coll (Drumsurn), PRO - P McGuinness (Whitecross).
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THE St Pat’s Maghera team which takes on St Colman’s Newry in today’s Dalton Cup at Derrylaughan will include the latest of the Bellaghy footballing Diamonds.
Laurence Diamond is the son of former Derry senior manager Tommy Diamond and brother of current Oak Leaf senior star Karl.
