Derry’s green shoots are showing but we have to be relentless: Chrissy McKaigue

It’s not often that Derry have been so ideally equipped for Championship warfare but McKaigue more than anyone perhaps knows just how vital it is to bring a generous ration of self-belief to the table.

In the past, Derry have grown accustomed to carrying the underdogs label on too many occasions and while they might not yet be quite flavour of the month, the fact that the side has earned fresh respect and goodwill provides a rich source of encouragement to the players.

Skipper McKaigue, never one to pull his punches, is adamant that Derry are being presented with a golden opportunity today to enhance their image and lay down a marker that they can end their provincial title famine.

“While it could be said that every team in Ulster is in a phase of development, this certainly applies to Derry. And this is where you have got to be greedy and you’ve got to be relentless to accelerate that development. I feel that’s where Derry are at now,” states McKaigue.

“Look, whatever happens in the Championship happens in the Championship but people are starting to see that there are green shoots in Derry and we’re starting to do things right. I don’t think anyone can deny that.”

Derry have certainly prospered under the baton of Rory Gallagher to date but it’s the manager more than most who insists that the team’s journey from relative obscurity has yet to engage top gear.

In three years Derry have ascended from Division Four into Division Two and while they are already targeting a slot in the top bracket next year, the Ulster title is the main item on their shopping list right now.

“We are in a much better place now than we have been of late. The management team is great and I hope they stay for a long time,” says McKaigue with considerable feeling.

“There’s a lot of talent within the county coming through that I feel will add to current progress and these types of things are built long-term. But I’ve heard the phrase too many times in my Derry career that Derry are in a phase of development. Let’s say we will be giving everything in a bid to deliver the goods if we can.”

McKaigue’s passion and commitment are absolute and if anything have been further honed by the consistency that Derry have achieved.

Their unbeaten League campaign has seen the side flourish with McKaigue the cornerstone of a rugged defence, Conor Glass and Emmet Bradley an imposing midfield pairing and Shane McGuigan one of the hottest forwards on the island with considerable support from Niall Loughlin and Benny Heron.

Donegal showed in accounting for Down that their hunger for another Ulster title has intensified and the strength in depth at the disposal of manager Declan Bonner would suggest that he will be well able to answer any permutations that Derry throw at him today.

But McKaigue’s conviction that Derry’s positive stance in terms of their attacking policy can underpin their efforts today allows him to believe that this will not be yet another one-sided Ulster tie.

With Down having lost by 3-25 to 1-12 to Donegal, Fermanagh having surrendered by 1-21 to 0-14 to Monaghan and Antrim losing by 4-15 to 0-14 to Armagh, there is now a grave fear that an ‘us and them’ mentality might prevail in the province.

“While we are well aware of results to date in the Championship, this will certainly not deter us from running and taking men on,” insists McKaigue.

“I think that this is the style which has evolved within our team and we certainly don’t want to take that out of the players.

“We know that there are times when scoring a goal is maybe not on for us and we then have to settle for chipping the ball over the bar but we know that if we are patient in our build-ups and our ball retention then real goal opportunities
may well present themselves.”

Finding a balance between defensive and attacking play may have been a problem on occasions for Derry in the past but it would appear that the right players are in the right places just now to allow the side to flourish.

“You would not want to take the magic of Ethan Doherty, Shane McGuigan or Ciaran McFaul out of the equation,” stresses McKaigue. “Things are going well for us at the moment but this will be a major challenge. Donegal are at home, they have retained their place in Division One and they already have a big Championship win under their belts. Need I say more?”