By Michael McMullan

DERRY will put their impressive recent record on the line on Saturday afternoon in Ardee.

Four successive wins have given the Oakleafers a chance to make an immediate return to Division One.

As statement wins go, Derry’s 1-31 to 0-14 hammering of a previously unbeaten Cork is well up there.

It was a victory built on midfield control, variation in their play and a dozen players chipping in with scores.

“I can’t see us having 12 different scorers in Ardee,” Manager Ciarán Meenagh said in his post-game interview, with eyes already set on the next step.

Derry have lost just one game but it was at the hands of fellow promotion challengers Meath.

Cork and Derry have also lost once. It leaves this weekend a crucial set of fixtures. The Rebels take on Kildare with Meath facing Tyrone.

For Louth’s part, they will be hoping for a fourth win and a third in succession. They turned over manager Gavin Devlin’s native Tyrone before easing past Cavan.

Derry will be the fancied team but will still have the memory of three years ago and needing a slice of luck on the way to Niall Toner’s game-breaking goal in a 2-11 to 1-11 success.

Meenagh was Rory Gallagher’s right-hand man while Devlin was there under Mickey Harte’s management.

Add in the factor of Devlin having spent a season as Derry coach and his close friendship with Chrissy McKaigue. There is plenty to Saturday’s subplot.

Of the 20 players Derry used in their win three years ago, 12 remain on board. If you add retired duo McKaigue and Benny Heron, that adds two more views of how hard they had to dig. Louth will have eight of the team back on track but they now have the confidence of Leinster champions. The Wee County also have been punching high at minor and u-20 level.

This is a winnable game for Derry but it is a banana skin too. The average Joe looks to Sam Mulroy but they’d be foolish. Louth are about so much more. An interesting game awaits.