DERRY can attack from everywhere. All angles, all positions. The Oak Leaf county’s attacking game has flourished this season and they’ve shown that so far in the Ulster Championship, hitting 4-38 in two games, with 12 different scorers.
Ahead of Sunday’s decider in Clones, it’s something Armagh are aware of, according to Orchard joint-captain Aidan Nugent, but there’s a difference in knowing about it and trying to stop it.
“I think confidence comes with momentum and Derry have built that up this past few years,” said Nugent.
Shane McGuigan is the main attraction up front, having top-scored with 2-14 against Fermanagh and Monaghan, but they have so much more than McGuigan in their arsenal.
Conor McCluskey has added an attacking flair to his game, goalkeeper Odhran Lynch has hit a point from play in both Championship games.
Midfielders Conor Glass and Brendan Rogers bomb forward at will, as do Paul and Padraig Cassidy. Derry attack from everywhere.
“It’s the sign of a great team that they have their marquee forwards, the likes of McGuigan, but if you look at the end of the game, their scores are spread throughout the team and that’s hard to play against.
“The people that maybe aren’t known for scoring are popping up with crucial scores for them and that means they’re a dangerous team.
“You go out trying to shut out they’re main men and sometimes you might do that, but they have other players popping up with scores.
“(Lynch) has kicked a few points and he can pick out passes too so it’s just another string to their bow, they have another weapon there and they’re using it to the best of their ability. We’ll just have to be on guard and keep an eye out for him coming up the pitch.
“I think that’s just the way the game’s going, any team now very rarely has out-and-out markers, they might be pinned with a job, but they’re all expected to get up.
“If teams are putting 15 behind the ball you’re going to try and press up on them whether you’re corner-back or corner-forward, at some stage of the game you’re going to get a chance to shoot so everyone is expected to be able to put the ball over the bar. Derry seem to be able to do that very well lately.”
This will be Armagh’s first appearance in and Ulster senior final since 2008 and while getting their hands on the Anglo-Celt isn’t the “be all and end all,” it remains hugely important.
“It’s new territory for us, we haven’t been in the Ulster final, anyone in the group,” added Nugent.
“I don’t think there’s anyone in the team that has been there but we’re looking forward to it.
“We like the big days as much as anyone so we’re looking forward to it. I think I said it before, Ulster’s not the be all and end all.
“If it was coming up to an All-Ireland final you would be saying it’s a must win, it’s do or die.
“Obviously, you’d like to win the final, but I don’t think it’s something that has hampered us over the last few years because we ended up trying to get a run through the qualifiers and we got a good bit of momentum built up last year.
“It is important, it’s vitally important, you want to win every game you can, but I don’t think it’s something that we’ve dwelt over too much over these last few years of not getting to an Ulster final, I think it’s more people outside the camp that’s been more worried about it.”
