Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup Section B: Derry v Down (Saturday, Celtic Park, 6.30pm)
IT’S been the Mickey and Jim show in the opening week of inter-county football’s much-anticipated re-emergence.
Bumper to bumper in Ballybofey for a first look over the wall at Donegal, journalists beating a path to Cavan to get a glimpse at Mickey Harte’s Derry – repeat, Mickey Harte’s Derry - there is no doubt who, and what, continues to capture the imagination.
Championship meetings between the pair usually carry an extra edge, and the return of those managerial heavyweights to the provincial stage on May 21 ensures eyes are unlikely to stray too far from the north-west.
Yet there is plenty of interesting sub-plots to keep an eye on elsewhere during this Dr McKenna Cup - not least in Down, where the presence of former Derry boss Ciaran Meenagh in the Mourne backroom team adds some spice to Saturday’s McKenna Cup clash.
This time 12 months ago it was Down who were about to set tongues wagging with a goal-laden pre-season showing, burying the bad memories of a disastrous 2022 by easily dispatching Monaghan and Donegal before losing an edgy semi-final to the Oak Leafs.
A marker was being laid down under new boss Conor Laverty, yet fine margins ultimately proved the difference between a brilliant first year and one which finished up with a couple of significant what-might-have-beens by the time players returned to their clubs for good.
Promotion from Division Three was the top priority then, and will be again. Tailteann Cup success would have guaranteed a crack at the All-Ireland, but a disappointing final defeat to Meath leaves Laverty’s men starting 2024 from scratch once more.
Yet there remain plenty of reasons to be cheerful. For a start, interest in the county side returned to levels not seen in a few years. Ulster Championship victory over an admittedly beleaguered Donegal brought Pairc Esler to life, while a win over bogeymen Cavan and subsequent day trips to Croke Park created the kind of momentum Down have been craving.
Throw in a second Ulster U20 title in the space of three years, and solid foundations had been laid. The challenge now is to build on them.
Retaining the services of Burren midfielder Odhran Murdock - amid interest from the AFL - is a huge boost, while Loughinisland’s experienced Jonny Flynn and Downpatrick speedster Caolan Mooney are back after missing last year due to injury.
Laverty has also placed his faith in youth by bringing Oisin Savage and Finn Murdock up from the U20s, with Savage named to start against Derry.
He served notice of his potential with some stunning performances during last year’s Ulster Championship success, with the nippy Loughinisland forward named player of the competition.
Also drafted into the McKenna Cup panel are Clonduff’s Ben McConville and Castlewellan’s Gareth McKibben, as well as the Carryduff pair Pearse McCabe and Ronan Beatty.
McCabe - whose older brother Owen is expected to be involved later in the year as he continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury - impressed at wing-back for Carryduff during the club championship, while injuries have limited Beatty’s involvement through the years.
Club-mate James Guinness is named to start on Saturday, though an Achilles injury picked up in a challenge game against Louth could delay the talented forward’s return to the starting 15.
Laverty has also run the rule over Annaclone veteran Kevin Anderson.
Thirty-six-year-old Anderson, previously part of the panel as a half-forward during Laverty’s playing days with Down, is being considered as a possible sweeper-keeper option, with Niall Kane and John O’Hare the other goalkeeping options.
Mayobridge’s Charlie Smyth is to join Monaghan’s Rory Beggan and Wicklow’s Mark Jackson in American Football’s shop window at a combine in Indianapolis from February 27 to March 4, so isn’t involved with Down for now.
Barry O’Hagan continues to work his way back from a cruciate nightmare, while Clonduff club-mates Ross Carr and Paddy Branagan are currently in Australia and aren’t expected to play any part this year.
For Derry, meanwhile, it will largely be a case of as you were from Wednesday night’s victory over the Breffnimen. Harte is renowned for taking the McKenna Cup more seriously than most, so shuffling of the pack is likely to be kept to a minimum.
Chrissy McKaigue and Shane McGuigan both came off the bench in Kingspan Breffni and could start at Celtic Park, while Harte also suggested their Slaughtneil team-mate Brendan Rogers may feature against the Mournemen.
Derry: TBC
Down: J O’Hare; P Fegan, R McEvoy, P McCarthy; M Rooney, D Guinness, P Laverty; O Murdock, J Flynn; C Doherty, L Kerr, J Guinness; G McKibben, P Havern, O Savage