By Michael McMullan MAGHERAFELT will be without Derry’s All-Star defender Conor McCluskey for the foreseeable future. ‘Clucky’ will undergo an operation this week on a groin injury that hampered him through his season with Derry and will be out “long term” according to Rossa joint manager Brian McGuckin. After missing the first three McKenna Cup […]
By Michael McMullan BRIAN McGuckin said the Magherafelt camp are “really content” with where they are at ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Glen (Celtic Park, 3.30pm). After seeing off Newbridge, their recovery process and preparations fully kicked in for Sunday’s date with the champions. Conor Kearns, a central player in their 2019 and 2020 runs […]
By Michael McMullan IT was irrelevant who Magherafelt got in the Derry SFC semi-final draw insists Brian McGuckin, and he expects a “huge battle” with Newbridge on Saturday (Owenbeg, 5.45pm). McGuckin and Damian Barton are in their second year in charge of Magherafelt with Kilcoo’s All-Ireland winning coach Richard Thornton coming on board this season. […]
By Michael McMullan GLEN are the team to beat in the race to land the John McLaughlin Cup with the Watties eyeing up a third title on the trot. Magherafelt, who beat them in the 2019 decider, are the main challenger at this point with Sleacht Néill needing a change in fortunes to kickstart their […]
By Michael McMullan THE volume of games in the Derry club scene demands a deep squad insists Richard Thornton who is happy with what Magherafelt have under the bonnet. The All-Ireland winning coach with Kilcoo joined Damian Barton’s management team this season was speaking after one of the newcomers, Ryan Lennox, fisted Rossa to victory […]
BY KIERAN LYNCH THE Derry Football Championships get underway this weekend, and O’Donovan Rossa will be hoping that they can be amongst the contenders at senior grade. The Magherafelt men won the crown in 2019 and were beaten finalists in 2020, but with Glen and Slaughtneil the major players over the last few years, that […]
By Michael McMullan DERRY attacking ace Conall Higgins said a combination of factors made him feel an All-Ireland Minor title was something the squad could accomplish. Higgins was one of five players from last year’s team who were narrowly beaten at the semi-final stage by eventual champions Galway. After missing this year’s semi-final win over […]
By Michael McMullan SUNDAY was a fitting end to Damian McErlain’s first year back in the driver’s seat of Derry’s minor rollercoaster. With Derry staggering around in the darkness of a 13-year minor famine, he took the reins in the autumn of 2014 to pull together an Ulster winning team that forged a change in […]
AFTER the shadow boxing and the largely predictable early rounds, the Derry championship scene starts for real this weekend. DERRY SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER FINALS LAVEY V BALLINDERRY Saturday, Owenbeg, 5pm Advertisement LAVEY emerged from a feisty clash when the sides met last year. Gareth McKinless was sent off against Coleraine, but has his red […]
By Michael McMullan SLEACHT Néill manager Paul Bradley received a boost last weekend with the return of county star Padraig Cassidy. ‘Tad’ came on for the last 23 minutes of the Emmet’s win over Claudy on Sunday and applied the pass for Cormac O’Doherty’s goal. It was O’Doherty’s first taste of football action this season […]
