Derry seniors still a work in progress - Derry v Galway (Preview)

Derry’s senior camogs take on Galway on Saturday in the second game of their National League Division II campaign. Having won last year’s All-Ireland Junior title, injuries and retirements have meant that Derry are now having to rebuild their team, and the experimentation will continue at the weekend with changes expected from the team that defeated Wexford in the first outing three weeks ago. Three of the team that started that day are unavailable on Saturday, Edelle Henry and Sinead McKeever in defence and Aileen Laverty in the forward line.

However, Derry’s options are boosted by the availability of new players and the return from injury of established names. Swatragh’s Claire McNicholl and Paula McKenna, and Lavey’s Attracta McPeake are in the frame for a competitive debut in the weekend’s game, and the Derry management are hopeful that regulars Kate Laverty and All-Star Aisling Diamond will be able to take some part in the game, having returned to full training since the Wexford match. Gráinne McGoldrick remains on the injured list, although she also has resumed light training during the week.

Co-manager Pádraig Ó Mianáin remains philosophical about Derry’s unexpected early difficulties, and is encouraged by the attitude shown so far by his players. “The win against Wexford was vital, as we were missing all but two of the spine of last year’s team and a lot of players had to adapt to new positions. The first half was difficult, as the step up from club to intercounty came as a shock to the new players, but the experienced players showed good leadership and as the game wore on the team grew more confident.”

Galway will pose a different threat, though, and with the number of changes to the lineout again, it is still very much a learning curve for the Derry contingent. “It is hard to gauge progress at this stage,” says Ó Mianáin. “The intermediate teams we face can change from week to week depending on the demands of their seniors or of colleges’ camogie. Any significant changes to the lineout can have an unsettling effect, especially as we’ve lost so many of our experienced personnel, but the only way we can properly assess our options is by giving players opportunities to prove their worth. The league in itself, while it would be nice to win it, is only of secondary importance in relation to the championship, particularly as we find ourselves facing major reconstruction of the team as opposed to tweaking it here and there.”

Galway lost their last match, but Ó Mianáin isn’t reading too much into other results. “At this stage in the season, the intermediate teams can field vastly different teams from week to week, and you can never read any form from other results. Our priority is to establish this year’s group as a team in their own right, and every game we play is an important step, particularly as we have only three more competetive matches before our championship begins in late May. Another two points would leave us in a strong position to qualify from our group, and that is our only focus on Saturday.”