By Michael McMullan

THERE are two halves to Paddy Tally’s tenure as Derry manager to date. Before Ballybofey and after Ballybofey.

As the Oakleafers prepare to step into the lion’s den against All-Ireland champions Armagh, in their own patch, the Derry boss has had time to take stock.

An eleventh-hour replacement for Mickey Harte was behind the eight ball from the start.

A rushed pre-season ran into eight games in 11 weeks. Injuries. Rule enhancements. A bumpy road to relegation.

Since a championship exit at the hands of eventual Ulster Champions Donegal, Derry spent the last seven weeks in the long grass.

“Although we didn’t plan it this way, the break from the Donegal game has helped the team get work done that we never got a chance to do early in the season,” Tally told Gaelic Life.

Getting players fitter and nursing their walking wounded back has been the dual focus.

Without having another game coming on the toes of a defeat and a clamber for league points, the Derry camp have been off-piste.

“When you’re not looking towards the next match then you’re really only looking at yourself,” said Tally, 10 days out from their visit to the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds.

“It gave us an opportunity to say that our full concentration now for the next number of weeks is just on ourselves.

“On getting fitter, getting better at coaching and getting work into the players and for us to have time to do things without having another game to get ready for.”

It was time well spent. Tally can see a difference in form in training. Now, it’s a matter of getting their teeth into what he – like everyone in the country – classes as a difficult group.

Tally has enlisted four u-20s into the panel. Ruairí Forbes, Tommy Rogers – cousin of Brendan, Danny McDermott and Fionn McEldowney, while the latter is continuing his rehab from an injury.

“The other three boys are in training and they’re definitely lifted it up,” Talty said. “They’ve given us a bit more energy in the group which is great, so we’re delighted with the way they’re going so far.”

Having been hit with a raft of injuries during the season, Tally and the management are being careful with bedding players back in again.

There is also the mindset of considering their group games as a block and managing who is available as opposed to putting all their eggs in the basket of Saturday in Armagh.

“Odhrán hasn’t done an awful lot,” he said of goalkeeper Odhrán Lynch who tore his quad taking a kickout against Mayo.

“That’s a very severe quad injury he’s had, so getting him back will be tight for this game.

“We have to look at it as a three-game competition, like another mini league.

“The first game’s going to be really important obviously, but we’ll have to look at the three games in their totality.”

It’s the same with Conor McCluskey who is back in training and Tally hopes he can follow clubmate Lynch into contention at some point.

“’Clucky’ has done a good bit of running and he’s getting stronger,” the Derry boss said.

“We’ll have to look at it. Getting him playing during these next three matches would be fantastic, so that’s what we’re working towards.

Tally said there are other “bits and pieces” of injuries but feels they’ll have a stronger hand going into the All-Ireland series.

After taking “a few days” off after Donegal, the Derry thoughts were zoned in on the next and final phase of the season.

With to fully reflect on their championship exit, Tally felt they’d prepared well and that carried into the start of the game. There was an assurance.

In the end, there was a missed penalty and a lack of composure in front of goal. Not a good combination when Donegal were tough to break down and had such a high shooting efficiency.

“As the game went on, we started chasing it and Donegal punished us,” Tally said.

“Once they get their noses in front, they’re very good at defending that lead, you know, and keeping the opposition at arm’s length from them.

“You could definitely see Donegal had a lot more work done than we had,” he added.

“I think that’s where the big learning came out of it. It’s very difficult to play a team that’s so well prepared from a long way back.

“On the day they were much better, so no complaints, we got a good lesson that day.

“I don’t think it was a 10-point game, I think it was tighter than that, four or five points maybe, if you take the chances we missed.”

That’s where the Derry regret lies. The ifs. For now, it’s about banking on it and learning from it.

The challenges keep on coming. Donegal went on to win Ulster and needed every sinew to see off an Armagh team who Derry meet this weekend.

“Their home record is outstanding,” Tally said of the All-Ireland champions.

“They lose very few games in Athletic Grounds, especially this last couple of years.

“They have built a very strong squad. This Armagh team are very formidable. You don’t win an Ireland by being an average team, you have to be very good, and they’ve also built a very strong squad.

“This is going to be an incredibly tough starter, but you’ll know where you are.”

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