Anything can happen in a derby says Derry camogie manager

By Niall Gartland

DERRY came a cropper in the last two Ulster Senior Championship finals at the hands of Antrim, and the respective formlines suggest that it would be something of a shock if they overcome the Saffrons in Saturday’s provincial semi-final against Portglenone.

While Antrim enter the provincial series on the back of relegation from Division 1A, it certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying. Their surprise win on the road against Cork drew praise from all quarters, but it wasn’t out of sync with the rest of their campaign, producing some really strong performances against the very best in the business.

Derry, meanwhile, felt their way through a fairly low-key Division Two campaign. They finished fourth out of sixth – and staying up was probably the main thing – but there isn’t too much to suggest they have the potential to dethrone the Saffrons. Manager Mickey Henry isn’t countenancing that type of speak, even if he does acknowledge their underdog status.

“We’re under no illusions about how tough it’s going to be. Antrim will fancy themselves going into the game. At the end of the day, there aren’t many people giving Derry a chance.

“I’d say the only ones backing Derry are within our own camp. But that could suit us – we’re going in under the radar, and all the pressure is on Antrim as they’re expected to win.

You know yourself, nobody will give us much of a chance, but it’s a local derby, and anything can happen.”

Derry’s Division Two record read two wins and three defeats so it was a mixed bag in that respect. In their final match, they fell to a particularly bruising defeat to Kerry, so they’ll be hoping to make a decent fist of it against the Saffrons at the very least. Aside from the serious business of results, their team manager is confident that they’re building for the future.

“We’ve had some good performances – maybe there was one or two we’re not overly happy with. But we’ve blooded a lot of girls, and that was the main priority. It’s no secret that Derry is a new-look team, very much in transition. We wanted to get as many girls game-time as possible while still trying to stay competitive.

“I don’t want to single out individuals, but we’re really happy with all of them. Anyone who’s been at our games will say there are three or four girls who’ve bedded in really well, and it’s looking positive for next year and beyond.”