'That's the million-dollar question' - Can Derry bounce back from Armagh loss to keep season alive?
LOOKING FOR ANSWERS: Derry manager Ciaran Meenagh during the All-Ireland Round 1 match against Armagh. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
It is a credit to Armagh that they managed to strip all jeopardy from what should have been a perilous fixture. Of all the provincial champions, they were the most comfortable.
By half-time, they led 1-9 to 1-3. The only setback came when Jason Duffy was harshly shown a black card when his screen on Conor McCluskey was deemed a third-man tackle. Their measured response when they returned to the full complement, rattling off five successive scores for six points, was the hallmark of an elite side.
A lot of what they do is slick and smart. Tiernan Kelly’s goal came after he elected to have a go from range, knowing they had advantage and could come back for a routine free if it didn’t work out. His brilliant effort into the top corner of the net ensured it did.
Derry were able to punish one errant Blaine Hughes short kickout when Lachlan Murray raced away, but they squandered similar chances, including when Shane McGuigan blasted wide with options left and right.
For boss Ciaran Meenagh, this was the most frustrating element of their display.
“I tell you, this is an age-old thing for us. We're doing a lot of shooting practice and training. We're taking a lot of that in our video work. Maybe the more you make these things players aware of it, the more you work on it, then the more it becomes almost a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“I don't know what way you get around that one. If you take over 50 per cent of the opposition's kick-outs and you take over 60 per cent of your own, but you leave 17 chances behind you and 13 more turnovers, you are not going to win a game of football against one of the best one or two teams in the country.”
They did enjoy a brief spell against the Ulster champions after Duffy’s black card, scoring four of the next five points. Hughes’ kickout retention was just 48 per cent. But their inability to generate a bigger return ultimately proved fatal.
It was two from seven on two-point attempts, with Paul Cassidy and Ethan Doherty producing orange flags in the final quarter when the game had already drifted away from them.
“All of them things that we really, really looked at in terms of Armagh went well today. It was ultimately that we didn't perform ourselves and ultimately, it might sound like something you'd say to an U12 team or something, but it is this simple.
“We just didn't put the ball between the sticks. We didn't take our chances.”
Where do they go from here? It is remarkable to consider what has happened to the side that were crowned Ulster champions in 2023. In their last 12 championship games since the start of 2024, they have won just three.
Can they bounce back now with their season on the line?
“That's the million-dollar question,” said Meenagh.
“Your guess is as good as mine, but I would like to think that they can. They have a lot of history, we have had a lot of great days together, we have had some tough days together now in the last number of weeks, but I believe in the quality of the players that is there.
“There is serious quality within that changing room, there is serious quality on the bench. It is just a matter of getting one big result and getting one big scalp, but we're now running out of time and if we don't get it right over the next two weeks, our season is going to be over.”
Meanwhile, Kieran McGeeney had enough encouragement to satisfy him, for now. They finished with 11 different scorers. The only injury concern is Andrew Murnin, who limped off holding his hamstring, although they were hopeful it was just a cramp.
Kerry and Roscommon struggled after their provincial success, while Westmeath required extra-time to see off Cavan. Armagh were clinical by comparison, but McGeeney felt the disadvantage was still real.
“The provincial finalists thing is a tough thing at the minute. Over the last couple of years it seemed in the first game, whether it was in the Super 16 or this, it was tough. But I think that is the way the GAA want it.
“It is well seen that they're looking to wrestle the provincial championships off them, so that is a fight that doesn't concern us.”
C. Turbitt 0-4 (1 tp); T. Kelly 1-0; O. Conaty 0-3 (1 tp); J. Duffy, T. McCormack, B. Hughes (tpf) 0-2 each; J. McElroy, D. McMullan, A. Murnin, J. Og Burns, O. O’Neill (f) 0-1 each.
L. Murray 1-2; C. Doherty 0-3; P. Cassidy (tp), E. Doherty (tp) 0-2 each; N. Loughlin, C. Glass, S. McGuigan, S. Young 0-1 each.
B. Hughes; P. McGrane, A. McKay, G. Murphy; J. McElroy, T. Kelly, G. McCabe; J. Og Burns, A. Murnin; C. McConville, D. McMullan, T. McCormack; C. Turbitt, J. Duffy, O. Conaty.
R. McQuillan for McCabe (53); O. O’Neill for Duffy (60); R. Grugan for Murnin (67).
J. Duffy (42-52).
S. McGuckin; R. Forbes, B. Rogers, C. McCluskey; D. Doherty, G. McKinless, P. McGrogan; E. McEvoy, C. Glass; E. Doherty, S. Downey, N. Toner; N. Loughlin, S. McGuigan, L. Murray.
P. Cassidy for Downey (42); D. Higgins for Toner (48); J. Sargent for Forbes (54);S. Young for Murray (56).
M. McNally (Monaghan).
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