GLIST: Ulster’s ever-presents

With two games to go, Michael McMullan takes a look across Ulster’s teams in the NFL to see who are the ever-presents.

ANTRIM

MARK Doran has used 32 players across the five games, with 26 players having started a least one game. Captain Eoghan McCabe, goalkeeper John McNabb, Marc Jordan and Paddy McAleer have played every minute. Kavan Keenan has started in every game. Attacking duo Dominic McEnhill and Pat Shivers have played a part every week so far. McEnhill is their top scorer with 0-18 with Paddy McAleer (3-4) in second place.

ARMAGH

KIERAN McGeeney has used only 22 players across their five league games so far. Of that, Ethan Rafferty and Dan McCarthy are the only two not have been handed a start. Armagh have had 11 players who have started every game – Blaine Hughes, Gareth Murphy, Peter McGrane, Tiernan Kelly, Jarly Óg Burns, Belleek’s Callum O’Neill, Conor Turbitt, Greg McCabe, Cian McConville, OisÍn Conaty and Oisin O’Neill. Of that, Hughes, Kelly, McCabe and the O’Neills have played every minute. Crossmaglen duo Oisin O’Neill (0-27) and Cian McConville (0-19) lead the scoring charts.

CAVAN

THE Breffni Blues have started 21 different players so far in the league with a total of 26 having played during their campaign. Of that, Liam Brady, Jason McLoughlin, Paddy Meade, Conor Brady, Gerard Smith and Darragh McVeety haven’t missed a minute of the five games. Oisin Brady missed just two minutes with nine players in all named to start every week. Paddy Lynch (0-21) and Gearóid McKiernan (0-18) are the top scorers.

DERRY

CIARÁN Meenagh has used 30 players in his first league season as Derry manager, with 21 different players starting at least one game. Shane McGuigan, Ethan Doherty, Paudi McGrogan and newcomer Ruairi Forbes have played every minutes. The last few seconds of the Meath game were all Paul Cassidy missed. A core of 10 men has started all of the games, with Niall Toner having played in them all. Captain Conor Glass missed the Offaly game due to suspension. McGuigan (1-32) and Paul Cassidy (2-12) have scored the most.

DONEGAL

JIM McGuinness has built a team around a formidable midfield third over Donegal’s five-game march to the top of the table. Hugh McFadden, Michael Langan and Caolan McGonagle have played every minute. Jason McGee was replaced late on against Mayo having started every game. St Naul’s duo Brendan McCole and Gavin Mulreany have also been ever-present with top scorer Conor O’Donnell in red-hot form, not having missed a minute either. Shea Malone, Ryan McHugh, Finnbarr Roarty and Peadar Mogan have played in every game too.

DOWN

CONOR Laverty has steered Down to the verge of promotion with two games remaining. He has done so with a core of 12 players who have started every single game in a settled line-up. From that, Ronan Burns, Pierce Laverty, Peter Fegan, Ceilum Doherty and Odhrán Murdock have played every minute. Tom Close is another player to have played every game. Pat Havern (0-30) and Murdock’s 2-14 from play lead the scoring charts.

FERMANAGH

FERMANAGH have used 28 players with 23 different starters in their league campaign to date. Johnny Cassidy, Shane McGullion, Josh Elis Largo, Garvan Jones – top scorer with 0-25 – and Darragh McGurn have played every minute of every game. The only other player to all five games is Brandon Horan. Another six players have featured in all of the games.

MONAGHAN

THE Oriel County have the most different starters (28), having used 31 players in all. Of the half dozen to have started every game, only Aaron Carey and Mícheál Bannigan have played every minute. Despite a long club season, Ryan O’Toole has started all five games. As have Andrew Woods, Dessie Ward and Darragh McElearney. They’ve used three goalkeepers, Jack Kieran, Rory Beggan and Kian Mulligan. Karl Gallagher, Oisin McGorman and Eddie Walsh have played in all the games. Bannigan (0-14), Woods and Stephen O’Hanlon (0-10 each) lead the scoring.

TYRONE

THE Red Hands have used 34 players so far with only four players – Matthew Óg McGleenan, Rory Brennan, Darren McCurry and Ruairi McCullagh – not starting a game. Of the seven players to have started all five games, Aidan Clarke, Cormac Quinn and Conn Kilpatrick played every minute. Ben Cullen, Mattie Donnelly, Ciarán Daly and Ronan Cassidy have had five starts too. Frank Burns, Michael McKernan and Brian Kennedy have featured in each game. Ethan Jordan (1-13) and Darragh Canavan (0-16) are joint top scorers.