“That’s a fair innings”: Meenagh pays tribute to Shane McGuigan

By Michael McMullan

DERRY attacking ace Shane McGuigan made his 100th senior appearance for the county in Saturday’s win over Antrim.

The Sleacht Néill man landed 0-9 as the Oakleafers booked their semi-final spot against the winners of Cavan and Monday.

McGuigan, Conor Glass and Shea Downey were part of the 2015 Ulster minor winning team that ended the county’s 13-year wait for an Ulster title.

Two years later, he made his senior debut, coming on as a sub in the Ulster Championship defeat at the hands of Tyrone under Damian Barton.

Semi-final will be a “mammoth test”: Meenagh

He went on to play for Derry in the McKenna Cup and League, going on to lead the line as Derry shot their way to the Ulster titles on 2022 and 2023.

Bar being rested against Wexford in a dead rubber Division Four game in 2018 and a controversial sending off in Roscommon keeping him out the Galway game a week later in 2022, he has been ever-present in league and championship since the start of 2018.

Speaking after their win over Antrim, manager Ciarán Meenagh was full of praise for McGuigan and the long-serving Derry players.

“That’s a fair innings, especially when he’s only 28 years of age,” he said. “It’s fair going and the scoring that he has done in that time as well.

Shane McGuigan was man of the match in the 2015 Ulster minor final

“Brendan Rodgers (110) is in that 100 club and so is Niall Toner (107). Conor Doherty will come into that. Hopefully, if we can win a few more games, they’ll come into that before the year’s out as well,” Meenagh added.

Doherty made his 97th appearance on Saturday. Niall Loughlin is one behind him with Paudi McGrogan on 93.

“That’s a fair bit of experience in your team,” Meenagh said of the players in and around the 100-game mark.

“Those lads have played a lot of football, especially the likes of Ethan Doherty (74) and Paul Cassidy (82), who are still in their early to mid-twenties.

“They’re well up on the 70 or 80 appearances as well. Those are all positive things.”