4W DeRRy

WHO: Derry
WHAT: Round 6 of the Allianz Division 2 league Mountain
WHERE: Celtic Park, Derry
WHEN: Sunday 2:30pm

So The Great relegation Escape returns to our memories, after getting carried away with ourselves after the first two, three games, we remembered that this Division 2 Mountain is no small task.

We climbed the first peak Westmeath, with relative ease and even surprising ourselves with an away point in Galway. But as the peak’s got that bit more trickier this Louth team, like an inexperienced expedition started slipping.

We wasted valuable energy against Tyrone, with nothing to show for it. 50 minutes into the Monaghan game we were spent. The Kildare game saw us regain some confidence but in reality we are hanging on for dear life.

Relegation is staring us in the face and as much as we are afraid to look down at the rocks below, Division 3. To climb to safety, we need to change our gung-ho approach and win ugly because it is possible.

We have two games to survive.

But first we need a plan and a whole lot of luck.

Like a climb we need to make use of our resources, cut off the dead weight.

We need to tighten the reins…..Obviously!

Our score difference is minus 19, but the thing is, at the back individually they are the best players slash defenders in the county and we have a number of players as options off the bench to come into the backline. (Gerry Hoey is having a tremendous season)

The problem is, the team as a whole the team is too loose.

Unlike the U21’s, we’re very individual in our approach…due the lack of systems in place by our manager.

Players are thinking too individually, not as a unit, fighting for a place from a poor manager’s approval.

This approach is evident in his selections or rather no selections, selfless lads like Derek Crilly, Adrian Reid are not being selected and Mark Brennan and Andy McDonnell are being used as the square peg to suit the round hole.

You’re thinking, Why would forward selection affect our concession of scores

You see These lads give up their whole game for the team.
When Reido and Crilly have played on the wing we picked up three points our only three points!! We haven’t played with a pure forty yards player all year bar when Andy moved there ingame against Galway and we possess two of them!

When an opposing half backline drives forward, They set the tone, it is very hard to defend and stem the tide especially at this division, So our defenders are up against it, constantly.

Adrian Reid and Derek Crilly can stem this Tide, with Andy on the forty and Mark Brennan roaming around the middle as he has been doing.
This will tighten up that whole area and stopping the problem at source, therefore helping our defenders get that hand in and delaying the ball in that extra second.

Now that I’ve solved our defensively dilemma lets look positively and more into today’s game.

Meath losing last night has given us that bit of luck, we now need Kildare to beat Westmeath and Galway to beat Monaghan. These will give us the best chance of surviving Relegation Easter Sunday!

Also it would help, if Louth beat Derry!!

Derry are really there for the taking, massively inconsistent due to a unsettled team hampered by a lot of injuries.

Plus, Louth go to Celtic park with no pressure, no one expects us to win. We can go and express ourselves and work on not exposing our defense because the Derry Forwards although accurate they lack pace.

Also how formidable is Celtic park? if Galway go up there and beat them.

This game allows this expedition to seize together put the head down and work for each and hopefully help ourselves from falling.

Things to expect: Eoin Bradley there but not to make his return to competitive action, thankfully!! Derry City jerseys with McClean on the back and people eating 99’s on the terrace.