By Michael McMullan

GLEN manager Rory Kavanagh has used the Derry League to have a look at his squad with a host of key players missing.

Conor Glass, Ciaran McFaul, Ethan Doherty and Danny McDermott were part of the county squad this season.

McDermott, called in after the u-20 campaign, was back in action for last week’s win over Castledawson and there was also a return for Ryan Dougan from injury.

Glen face Lavey on Wednesday night and have Swatragh, Loup and Bellaghy still to play. Newbridge are in pole position to win the league. Glen need all eight points on offer if they are to have any outside chance of a title.

“We were getting used to the rules for the first few games,” said Kavanagh of coming into the post.

When Glen won their first Derry Senior title in 2021, it was Kavanagh’s St Eunan’s who faced them in their historic Ulster debut in O’Donnell Park, a day when Kavanagh deployed defender Aaron Deeney at centre forward to mark Ciaran McFaul.

“We were coaching the rules in training and we’re getting the grips of those,” Kavanagh added of Glen’s preseason.

“Then there was the fitness and we were getting the grips of that. We were getting the grips of the new players and having a look at a lot of the younger players throughout the league.

“Hopefully now we’ll start to bed in some of the more experienced lads approaching the end of the league and build towards championship.

“After the summer break, we’ll get the county fellas back integrated too and that’s going to be important for us.”

Head and shoulders above everyone in last week’s win over Castledawson was Jack Doherty, who stepped away from the Derry squad having taking up Paddy Tally’s initial invitation.

“JD (Doherty) has been out to football for a while,” Kavanagh said of the injury against Kilmacud Croke that ruled him out of their All-Ireland final win over St Brigid’s in January 2024.

“JD is back enjoying playing football again after that long break and it’s good to see him out there.

“It’s important for him now that we get other players bedded in beside him.”

Derry CCC have replaced the group format with a ‘back door’ format for this year’s championship. The draw is expected to take place in late August, two weeks before the first round of games.

“We’ll approach it the same way they’ve done in previous years,” Kavanagh said, expecting a competitive campaign.

“All championship games are big games, that’s the reality. There’s a backdoor element to it this year, a shorter element in terms of getting into the quarter-final if you win your first two games, with the potential for a week’s break.”