A hurdle too far for Derry?

GIVEN their pathological distaste for one another and given the nature of the most recent championship clash between Tyrone and Derry, it would come as no great surprise if tomorrow’s Ulster semi-final in Casement Park turns out to be another summer Sunday where we get to utter words like “manly”, “gritty” and “grimly compelling” more often than we would like to.

The malevolent undercurrent in Derry’s last outing against Monaghan a month ago, the subsequent remarks from Derry manager Damien Cassidy about the merits or otherwise of entertaining football and the recent disquiet in the club scene surrounding James Kielt’s broken jaw may place a burden of moral responsibility on the Oak Leafers this weekend as a reemergence of any of Gaelic football’s darker arts might earn them a reputation as a cynical side — a reputation they wouldn’t entirely deserve.

Almost as if to create a guard against complacency, Tyrone players and management have been at pains trying to evoke memories of the last time they faced Derry as defending All-Ireland champions three years ago in Omagh.