Harte insists 'There are tougher things to come'

Allianz Football League   |   Galway vs. Derry

Pearse Stadium   |   Sunday, 1:45pm

Derry manager Mickey Harte insists his side won’t be getting “carried away” despite last Saturday’s 3-17 to 0-13 victory Monaghan taking their winning run to seven games.

Harte mentioned the “good stuff” coming to Celtic Park in two weeks’ time, hinting at the visit of All-Ireland champions Dublin.

There was plenty to be positive about and the Derry boss was pleased with his side’s tally on the night, in front of an attendance that included the watching Galway manager Padraic Joyce.

"I am happy we rattled up a good score because sometimes you can play a lot of good football, create a right few chances but not take them,” Harte said. “I was just waiting for the day we'd start taking those chances and I think that was today.”

Derry trailed 0-2 to 0-1 after six minutes before hitting seven unanswered points with Shane McGuigan in unerring form.

Monaghan battled their way back to within four points but Conor McCluskey’s 28th minute goal helped the Oaks stretch their lead to 1-9 to 0-6 by half-time.

“Monaghan were still well in the game considering they had the breeze in the second half, but it just teaches you that if you can get a goal early on it gives you a bit of a comfort zone to play more ball,” said Harte.

He agreed that Paudi McGrogan’s goal in the 50th minute was the telling score in dampening the Farney spirit.

“Goals are big scores,” he said, “and at half-time we did know that if Monaghan got a few scores and got themselves back in the game they' get a lot of momentum.

“The whole idea is when you have a bit of a lead and you are going against the breeze, try and get the first point at least; try to peg off a score for every time they score and when we could do that, they had to come out at us.”

Derry's Conor McCluskey after scoring his side's first goal against Monaghan last week. (Photo: Ramsey Cardy / SPORTSFILE)

Conor Doherty bagged Derry’s third goal with Shane McGuigan taking his tally to 0-11 for the night.

It was a game that saw Eunan Mulholland – who provided the assist for Doherty’s goal – become the eighth debut under Mickey Harte.

Lachlann Murray and Marty Bradley also saw action for the first time this season with the latter having an outing under Damian McErlain in the 2019 McKenna Cup. It takes the number of players used by Harte this season to 35.

“Look it is only early days yet and we can't get carried away by anything,” Harte summed up of his seven-game tenure to date.

“It is three (league) games and three wins and that is brilliant but there are tougher things ahead, we know that.

“There is good stuff (Dublin) coming up here again in a couple of weeks' time, we have to go to Galway, we have Mayo to play, you have Roscommon to play; these are all tough games and you can never take your eye off the ball.

"We can't get carried away. Days like this happen, when the run goes for you and you're able to get scores. Until that second goal went in Monaghan would still have fancied their chances of getting into that game so that's what sunk them at the end.

"Probably that scoreline doesn't do them justice for the work they put into the game so we’re happy of course. It is good to score goals, good to get league points early in the season as it takes a bit of the heat off the relegation zone and that's a good place to be at this stage.”