Spring finds: How Derry and Dublin have made hay
Derry's Brendan Rogers and Dublin's Cormac Costello ahead to the upcoming Allianz Football League Division 1 Final. Pic Credit: Dan Sheridan, Inpho.
Rory Gallagher brought the Steelstown Brian Ógs man into the Derry panel last year but it was Mickey Harte who gave him his first start in the McKenna Cup.
The 24-year-old looks a cert to start in the championship and now there are real options in the full-back line.
If the emergence of Eoin McEvoy last year freed up Brendan Rogers to push into midfield, Baker provides the type of dynamism Derry enjoy through All-Star Conor McCluskey.
Harte may not have to rely so much on veteran Chrissy McKaigue although McEvoy could end up playing anywhere in Derry’s defence come the Donegal game.
When Harte started Conor Glass, Ethan Doherty and Ciarán McFaul against Kerry six days after their All-Ireland final win with Glen, it appeared he was taking a leaf out of his predecessor Gallagher’s book and going full throttle.
Twelve months earlier, Gallagher had started Glass and Doherty against Limerick soon after the loss to Kilmacud Crokes.
However, no sooner had Derry secured their Division 1 status that Glass and others were given the night off against Dublin in Celtic Park.
“I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world that we didn’t win that game,” an honest Harte said this week. Harte knows Derry have to pick their battles.
In Division 2’s seven rounds last season, Shane McGuigan contributed 35% of Derry’s total scores. In this campaign, his contribution as Derry’s scoring total has jumped over 13% has decreased to less than 32%.
That reduction is a win for Derry as they look to extend their spread of scorers, something the players have been told in no uncertain terms.
“Horse (Devlin) has challenged me to increase my scoring rate,” said McCluskey, who has scored three goals including one against Dublin.
Speaking this week, Brendan Rogers said of the management: “Gavin’s breakdown of it is phenomenal so really, really, it’s appetising for forwards, it just means the defenders get a harder time in training when they’re going well…”
One Ballyboden St Enda’s forward Colm Basquel only made his seasonal bow for Dublin last weekend but another has begun all seven rounds and scored 0-13 along the way.
Wing forward McGarry appeared to be making a name for himself during last year’s Division 2 run and Leinster championship but didn’t see any game-time after being taken off at half-time in the provincial final. McGarry possesses the physicality and the sleight of foot to get himself out of and put opponents in trouble.
He is similar to Ciarán Kilkenny (if he lacks Kilkenny’s awareness and skill, he is quicker). A league All-Star if they were giving them out.
:
Dublin are scoring an average of over four points more a game in this season compared to last when they were in Division 2, 22 points per game as opposed to 17.9 in 2023.
If it was a team other than Dublin, everyone would be raving about them but such transformations are what people have come to expect from Dublin.
Behind those statistics lies a considerable one – Dublin have found the net 11 this term, six more times than last year.
Hitting a Tyrone team for five goals in Croke Park last Sunday when the visitors had nothing tangible to play for obviously helped but their aggregate of 154 points may just be an all-time record (Mayo hit 148 points in 2014).
Obviously, not a find but the energetic Templeogue-Synge Street man has certainly rediscovered his form. The five-time All-Ireland winners turns 30 next month and he hasn’t done much wrong since being drafted in from the off in the 10-point mauling of Kerry.
Scully is coming off the back of a difficult couple of seasons after losing his starting berth for last year’s All-Ireland final having been an ever-present in the championship up to that point.
The season before, he was largely restricted to coming off the bench.
Indiscipline would have been an issue but Scully’s resurgence is coming at a great time.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
