Derry head for HQ

DERRY take on Dublin on Saturday night and manager Paddy Tally is expecting another ding-dong encounter in the top flight.

After losing to Tyrone and Kerry, the Oakleafers picked up their first point of the campaign against Galway on Saturday night.

It was a game Derry trailed by nine points before almost winning late on only for Ethan Doherty having his shot blocked by John Daly.

“That is going to be a massive challenge,” Tally said of Dessie Farrell’s side, who came back to win in Tralee.

“We are going now (to Croke Park) with a point in the bag and all to play for against Dublin.”

There were plus points from Saturday night. Paudi McGrogan made a return from injury while Martin Bradley acquitted himself well in defence on a first league start.

There was a league debut for Cahir McMonagle in attack who showed some neat touches with Lachlan Murray’s 0-3 earning him man of the match.

“Lachlan was outstanding,” Tally said. “He came in and he just turned the game.

“He hit three points, every time he got the ball he looked dangerous. Then Galway started to retreat in front of their goal because Ethan (Doherty), Lachlan, Brendan (Rogers) and Conor Doherty were all really going at them.”

Aside from improving performances, Derry only have one point from three games with Donegal, Armagh and Mayo yet to come on the horizon.

From Celtic Park, the biggest takeaway for Tally was the guts to comeback from nine points down.

“That’s serious heart,” said the Derry boss. “You are nine points down facing into a third defeat and they just wouldn’t lie down.

“The key is that the team proved tonight they just didn’t want to get beaten, that was so important to us.”