By Michael McMullan

MATHEMATICALLY, Derry can still nick a spot in the All-Ireland Junior semi-finals but manager Seamus Shivers says his team are focussing on marking their final home game with a positive performance as they host Louth.

The Oakleafers put in a fine performance against London in the Ulster Championship before pushing a rampant Antrim team all the way in the provincial final.

It was pointing towards a springboard ahead of the All-Ireland series but defeats to Sligo and Limerick leave Derry needing to beat Louth and Kilkenny to stand a chance of emerging from the group.

“We came into the Ulster final against an Antrim team that was unbeaten all year and we really put it up to them,” Shivers said.

“If we had had a couple of key players available to us, we possibly could have pushed them further.”

With home advantage against Sligo, it was a game to target given four points separated them in the league earlier in the season.

“We just didn’t perform on the day,” Shivers said. “I suppose when you come up against teams like Limerick, like we did last week, that’s another step up in class.”

Louth’s 2-7 to 0-9 win over Limerick signposts another significant challenge at Owenbeg this weekend.

“There’s a really good bond within the squad,” Shivers said. “Despite the results going against us, there’s a real fun and enjoyable aspect to the whole set-up this year. I think all the girls would tell you that.

“At the same time, obviously we’re out to try and win football games and we haven’t done that, we haven’t progressed the way we would have hoped to have.”

Shivers pointed to the concession of eight goals last weekend and the plans are to improve their set-up and put in a performance. If it’s enough to win, they’ll travel to Kilkenny with an outside chance of qualification.

“We only had 20 girls available to take away to Limerick last week and the average age of that squad was 20,” said Shivers, who has coached with Ballymaguigan and Derry’s underage squads.

As someone who squeezed every drop out of his playing career with Castledawson, he knows his football.

Derry have not been able to match the physicality of their opponents this season. Pace and power have left them up against it in games. It’s a level Derry need to get to but it’s not a quick fix.

“The girls maybe haven’t physically developed yet and probably haven’t done the strength and conditioning work that needs to be done to get to that next level,” he said, pointing to another important area for change.

There was a full round of club games on the week before their trip to Limerick and it’s the same this week.

“Derry is the only team that we’re aware of that the county players are allowed to play club games whilst they’re competing,” Shivers said.

“With all other counties, at the higher levels, they just don’t do that. That’s something that really has to be looked at from our point of view.

“As well as the strength and conditioning programs, the running programs, it just needs to be looked into for Derry to progress. It has to change otherwise we’re just going to stay where we’re at.”