By Michael McMullan

RESULTS elsewhere in the group meant nothing ahead of Derry’s Christy Ring Cup clash with Wicklow on Sunday in Aughrim.

That’s the take of manager Johnny McGarvey, who plots a second win for his side after beating Roscommon last weekend.

With two teams qualifying for the final and with Kerry heavily fancied to book one of those spots, every group fixture will have a championship feel.

After this weekend, the Oakleafers will have Donegal (H) and Meath (A) coming down the tracks. Firstly, it is about Wicklow.

“I’m happy to get the first (Roscommon) game out of the way,” McGarvey said. “We haven’t played in five weeks, so it was all about navigating through, getting the win.”

Derry lost last year’s Christy Ring Cup final at the hands of London and have yet to win the competition, having lost previous deciders to Kerry, Offaly, Kildare and Meath.

After suffering relegation from Division Two this season, the squad pressed reset ahead of the Roscommon game.

“It doesn’t really change anything,” McGarvey said of a winning start.  “We said to the boys, the group stages are just about trying to navigate through to get yourself in a position to get to the final.

“We had a couple of rough days down in Wicklow in my second year here, so we know exactly what it’s about,” he added.

McGarvey was surprised at the margin of Wicklow’s defeat to Donegal but not shocked Mickey McCann’s side came through.

It took a late Derry goal to sink Donegal in the Conor McGurk Cup final earlier in the season.

“Wicklow will know now that that’s an absolute must-win for them,” McGarvey said looking ahead to Sunday.

“If you get two defeats in the first two – and you haven’t played Kerry yet – then you’re probably in serious trouble.

“If we didn’t beat Roscommon then our Christy Ring season was over and it wouldn’t really matter what happens with the rest.”

Focus

McGarvey touched on relegation being a “problem for another day” and said how the group had to quickly change their focus ahead of the championship.

“The relegation… it has never really been mentioned,” he said.

“The last month has been about getting our players fit, and I don’t mean to a fitness level, I mean physically fit.

“Eamon Conway, Joe (Mulholland), Cormac (O’Doherty), Shéa (Cassidy), Meehaul (McGrath),

“We have done very little training with those lads and it probably showed a bit in the first half when the ball wasn’t sticking for us.

“Getting the game will help, it’ll blow the cobwebs off and look, winning by 12 is a good day out.”