By Michael McMullan

DERRY u-20 hurling manager Ryan O’Neill said his team are one of the hardest working teams in the county and deserve their success.

A second All-Ireland B title was something they locked into their sights and O’Neill hopes their win over Roscommon is another step on the ladder to the senior panel.

He has called for the players to go back to their clubs, stake a claim for a regular spot and take the next step in their hurling career.

“These boys were probably one of the hardest working teams that is in around Owenbeg this year and anybody that was in there will tell you that,” O’Neill said.

“I’m delighted for them, I’m so proud of them and they deserve every bit of credit that comes their way.”

Many of the panel are underage next season but there are four players already on the senior squad, with the concluding stages of the Christy Ring Cup now coming into view.

“Their end goal probably is to get into the Derry senior hurling team,” O’Neill said. “They’re all hurlers and there is nobody fighting on two fronts there, with football.

“If we had all the boys (including those who opted for football) available to us, we wouldn’t be in a B competition.

“We wouldn’t be getting beat by Antrim and teams like that, if we had everybody available, but we’re happy with who we have.

“The boys are buying into it now. They want to hurl for Derry, getting them through in the senior ranks, that’s the end goal for them.”

A goal from Felix Glover helped shoot Derry into an early lead. He combined with his brother PJ and senior player Ruairi Biggs in the attacking line.

While Derry were in a position of control, Roscommon hit them for a goal to leave just three points between the teams at half-time.

Despite missing chances in the second half, a more composed Derry side never looked in any danger on their way to a 1-17 to 1-10 victory.

It’s their second title at this level after winning the Richie McElligott Cup for the first time in 2023.

Ryan O’Neill has led Derry to two All-Ireland u-20 B titles

“We saw a bit of them and knew they were going to get their patch,” O’Neill said of Saturday’s final in Kingspan Breffni Park.

“They got their patch before half-time and it came at the right time for us. We were able to get in and get settled down.

“I thought our boys were outstanding, our defence was outstanding,” he added, “Emmet Óg McKeever, Cailean Gallagher and Declan Kelly, all the boys were class.”

On one occasion, when Roscommon reshuffled their pack, a crossfield ball was won by Kelly in commanding form in Derry’s defence. Seconds later, Biggs fired over the score of the game at the other end.

“We were trying to get momentum broke and just keep chipping away at it,” O’Neill said of Derry’s approach.

“I knew that we’d have enough in the tank to get out because we are a fit side this year.

“It was just a matter of getting in and getting settled,” he said of half-time.

“We’d worked hard for that all year. We knew the teams that we were playing were coming at us, coming at us hard.

“It was a competition that we had set at the outset that we wanted to win this year.”

The Derry word was honesty. It was mentioned ahead of last weekend’s final and O’Neill backed it up from the winners’ enclosure.

“The boys are honest to us and we’re honest to them,” he said.

“If they want to hurl and they want to turn out and train for Derry, then they’ll be part of the setup.

“We’ll have them on board, they can chip away and learn. If you take a look at Sean Walls from St Finbarr’s, he’s going back to his club as an All-Ireland medal winner, from a new club.

“The next thing for him would be to push on from 20s now, see if he can push on the senior ranks and have a Derry senior hurler in the club. That’s what the aim is, to get as many boys into Derry senior as we can.”