Derry Minors hoping for All-Ireland title number six against familiar opponents Monaghan

All-Ireland MFC final
Derry v Monaghan
Sunday (BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, 1pm)
Live on TG4
Referee: Sean Lonergan

The more things change, the more they say the same. Derry minors made the trip to Emyvale for the first league game of the season, a two-point win over a Farney team they’ll meet on Sunday for the fourth time this season.

For both teams, it will be a 15th competitive game in a 19-week period that has polished them into the smoothest rocks in the land.

Derry were facile winners against Monaghan in the group stages of the championship before an Ulster championship decider that took on a whole new life of its own.

Tommy Mallen had the ball in the Derry net within seconds of the throw-in and before Damian McErlain’s side knew what day of the week it was.

Derry regrouped and had the game won twice but needed Conall Higgins’ pressure kick to force a penalty shoot-out Jack McCloy performed heroics in.

It was an evening in Armagh when the penny dropped to Monaghan manager Dermot Malone that his side had lived with the team he ranked as Ireland’s best.

Since that, so much has changed. Cahal McKaigue has forced himself back into midfield after injury. On the flipside, Conall Higgins sat out their win over Dublin with an ankle injury.

When the Dubs levelled the game after 36 minutes, he was summoned to warmup before Derry’s utter dominance left him back in cotton wool and Damian McErlain is hopeful his Rossa clubmate can play some part this weekend.

McErlain will have to plan without goalkeeper Jack McCloy who was sent off after an incident in the tunnel as the teams went off at half-time in their win over Dublin.

The number one jersey will go to Magherafelt’s Karl Campbell for a first start since a league final defeat to Donegal earlier in the season.

In terms of results, it has been a similar path to Sunday’s decider. Both emerged with a bit to spare from a quarter-final double header in Carrick on Shannon.

Cahir Spiers owned the game against reigning All-Ireland champions Galway with Johnny McGuckian and Eamon Young running riot when Galway put all their eggs in the basket of suffocating Conall Higgins’ space.

The triumvirate of Mallen, Max McGinnity and Matthew Finn tore Mayo asunder in the second game in as dominant a display of minor football as you’ll see. They played much smarter, helped with two fine points from Sean Óg McElwain who starred in Monaghan’s win over Kerry.

Mallen’s goal was a stroke of luck against the Kingdom, but the Farney performance was anything but enveloped with luck. It was total dominance with a late Jamie Mooney save sealing a three-point victory that flattered Kerry.

Derry’s semi-final victory was every bit as comfortable. They rode their luck until Odhran Campbell was shuffled over to shadow the lively Noah Byrne in Dublin’s attack.

Within six minutes of Jack McCloy’s red card, Dublin were level but Derry’s foundations didn’t crumble. They looked deep into themselves to pull another portion of character that fed a performance for the ages.

Goals from James Sargent, Luke Grant and Cahir Spiers, shot Derry into Sunday’s date with Monaghan.

There are a few sub plots. In Dermot Malone’s first year in the Monaghan minor attack, 2007, a Derry team – that included current Oakleaf selector Gavin McGeehan – trounced them 1-10 to 0-1 in a semi-final.

Monaghan Games Development Manager Paul O’Connor was manager Bernie Murray’s right-hand man back them and O’Connor – the man at the forefront of the county’s youth resurgence – will be at Malone’s side as a selector on Sunday.

Malone got his revenge on Derry 12 months later, in 2008, when Kieran Hughes and Kieran Duffy helped him see off Derry in the semi-final to book a place in the final against a Tyrone team who went all the way to lift the All-Ireland that year.

It’s Malone’s first year in as minor manager and Monaghan will be hoping to lean on the hurt carried from their Ulster final defeat, combined with the confidence dripping from their All-Ireland run.

Monaghan will be hoping Conor Jones – brother of senior star Sean – can pluck ball like he did in the Ulster final. They’ll need McElwain, Mallen, McGinnity and Finn firing on all cylinders.

For Derry, it’s a matter of settling Karl Campbell between the sticks and he’ll have been under the wing of goalkeeping coach Johnny Kelly since the Dublin game.

Fionn McEldowney, Finbarr Murray and Odhran Campbell will almost certainly be assigned to the Monaghan dangermen.

At midfield, Derry triangle of McKaigue, Sargent and Rogers will need their understanding to continue.

As much as Monaghan have their star men, Derry are a talented crew. Eamon Young, Johnny McGuckian and Cahir Spiers have been their creative trio. The heartbeat almost.

Aside from that, they’ve Rory Small operating as a cross between a sweeper and a link player. Just like Tomás Quinn does for Monaghan. Quinn’s number 13 means as little as Tommy Mallen’s number six jersey in the world of fluid formations.

Two from Ger Dillon, Oisin Doherty, John Boyle and Conall Higgins’ will be the inside Derry duo. They’ll hope the Higgins is on the more positive side of hopeful this weekend in terms of being available for selection.

This time last year, it took an all-Connacht final to decide where Tom Markham would spend the winter. Mayo and Galway knew each other inside out, with the Tribesmen making little of the underdogs’ tag.

Sunday is the same. There won’t be any surprises. Derry will take any listed Monaghan 15 with a pinch of salt. Dermot Malone will hone in on Conall Higgins’ movement in the warmup, ready put the final calibrations on his marking arrangements.

Derry were disappointed with their Ulster final performance. They have something to prove to themselves.

It’s a first All-Ireland final in 84 years for Monaghan and after failing to beat Derry in the three previous meetings, they’ll hope hunger is the best sauce.

It has the ingredients of another cracker. Extra time? Maybe. Penalties? You never know. Tom Markham’s passport has yet to be stamped. Derry will be hoping it’s title number six and he’s decked out in red and white.