Derry name their A team for Sunday

Derry have named their team for Sunday’s League semi-final against our lads at Croke Park (throw-in 2pm) and, as expected, they’ve named a very different side from the one they sent out to play us last Sunday in MacHale Park. Here are the details of the starting fifteen and subs (another fifteen) named tonight:

Derry (NFL Division One semi-final v Mayo, 13/4/2014): Thomas Mallon (An Lúb); Oisín Duffy (Forghleann), Chrissy McKaigue (Leacht Néill), Dermot McBride (Baile na Scrine); Kevin Johnston (Dún Geimhin), Gerard O’Kane (Gleann an Iolair), Sean Leo McGoldrick (Eoghan Rua); Fergal Doherty (Baile Eachaidh), Patsy Bradley (Leacht Néill); Ciarán McFaul (Gleann), Mark Lynch (Beannchar, captain), Enda Lynn (Grainlocha); Benny Heron (Baile na Scrine), Emmett McGuckin (Machaire Fíolta), Cailean O’Boyle (Leamhaigh). Subs: Eoin McNicholl (Gleann an Iolair), Conor McAtamney (Suaitreach), Karl McKaigue (Leacht Néill), Charlie Kielt (Cill Ria), Aidan McAlynn (An Lúb), Mark Craig (Dún Geimhin), Niall Holly (Eoghan Rua), Aaron Devlin (Baile an Doire), Danny Heavron (Machaire Fíolta), Carlus McWilliams (Baile na Scrine), Ciarán McGoldrick (Eoghan Rua), Aaron Kerrigan (Clóidigh), Declan Mullan (Eoghan Rua), James Kearney (Suaitreach), Emmet Bradley (Gleann). 

Only two players who started last Sunday – Oisín Duffy and Emmet McGuckian – will line out for the Oak Leaf County at Croke Park, as the first-teamers responsible for their excellent run in this League campaign return to action for the semi-final. A number of the fringe players who appeared at MacHale Park are, however, included in the list of subs they’ve named tonight.

14 thoughts on “Derry name their A team for Sunday

  1. ah ya and we need to watch that Mark lynch lad i think he is top scorer in the league so far . Vaughan will need to keep on that lad .will caff or cunnnife take that big feck Mcguckin. Im expecting a a big performance from our lads. Id expect us to lord over midfield and a lot more pressure by our forwards on their back line as some other poster mentioned we havent started doing this year yet . So hopefully we can choke them in around their own half and if our own attack is fluid we are in business .

  2. Yeah Mark Lynch will take watching alright, he is well able to kick long range points, so we’ll have to be wary of that. It’ll be very interesting to see who will be marking him. Fergal Doherty at midfield for them is a very experienced player, he has come back on the scene again this year and has being playing very well. Him and Patsy Bradley will be a big test for our midfield. Benny Heron is a handy player too and will take watching. We seen what Emmett McGuckin can do when he wins possession, like last Sunday, so we’ll need to keep an eye on him. It’s a well rested big, strong and physical Derry team so we’ll need to be at our best to beat them. You’d think we’ll have to win the battles before we win the war in this game. I’d say they’ll really get stuck into us from the start.

  3. As Roy Keanes gift grub persona would say “all credit” to their set of backs-but if they can contain our lads they’re doing well…I realise they were stuck in division 2 & haven’t been in high profile games on TV but it’s a big step up face a top 2 team that knows Croke Park inside out

  4. McGuckin is going to take some marshalling, …Ger is going to have to bring his “A” game. Pivotel wil be FB Ger, MF aido/ jason and FF freezer IMO.

  5. Physical and mobile Derry team that has had a weeks rest and management have had a chance to suss out the Mayo setup. I think it will be a very tough battle and that it will be 50/50 in these stakes because Derry are able to handle physicality. I also don’t think we will dominate midfield but our running game may be an advantage. Sunday will be a game for some big names to stand up and show what they are about. Very hard to call.

  6. Yes I agree we need to treat this game as a all final, forget about Dublin, Cork yet, to many time as Mayo supporters we have lost the run of our self when it comes to outing in croke park .hope James and his back room staff have something planned for the Derry forward line, let’s hope the side line can switch things if it needs to quickly As it did not happen in the past

  7. Lads, we had Dublin, A I champs well beaten 3 times in their own back yard, only to let it slip. So , if we can’t handle Derry , with our experience of C P , we need’nt worry about 60 per cent attendance . I’m not worried yet.

  8. I heard C O’C on the radio this morning doing the interviews re Sunday.

    It’s a Horan trademark to have injured players where possible doing the pre-match interviews. Don’t think we’ll see C O’C in action on Sunday.

  9. Id imagine mayo will give Lynch the same treatment they gave Michael Murphy last year – crowd him out. For this reason, Higgins will continue in the forwards. We could see a 2 man inside line. McGuickan is a false alarm. Cafferkey slipped for his goal the last day, he was going nowhere if that hadnt happened. If he can put the brakes on Michael Murphy as he did in the 12 final, then he can do it to this lad.

    It was a smart move on Horan’s part removing Keegan and McLoughlin from the equation last week, those were the lads Derry wanted to size up the most. They will be worried about these lads.

  10. Mayo should win this game without much difficulty. Being the second best team in the country would surely imply that the Ulster Championship this year would be something they would take in their stride were they compewting in it.

  11. Depends on what your overall goals are. If Derry were priming themselves this year for a decent run in the League and a crack at the Ulster championship then they would b coming into peak fitness from this time up to June. On the other hand we’re likely to be priming ourselves to be coming into peak fitness in August.

  12. “McGuickan is a false alarm” really?

    V Tyrone 0-1
    V Kerry 0-3
    V Westmeath 1-1
    V Cork 1-0
    V Dublin DP
    V Kildare 0-2
    V Mayo 1-1

    Sure thing, he’s a false alarm -:)

  13. What I think about McGuickan’s goal is, it was very similar to a lot of goals that we have conceded down through the years especially in the big games. A high ball played into our full-back line, their forward winning the ball in the air, our backs been knocked out of the way, then the ball ending up in the back of our net. We really need to be wary of this. You’d think that Derry will be trying this tactic early in the game so we’ll need to be on our guard for this. It’ll be interesting to see who will be given the no. 4 jersey for this game.

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