Survival in Division Two 'absolutely massive for Derry hurling'

Intensity it just one word but Johnny McGarvey hails it as the building blocks for Derry staying in Division Two next season.

The Oakleafers’ focus last year was being in the division when the leagues were revamped and their status game down to 70 minutes of hurling on Saturday in O’Donnell Park.

Derry had to beat Donegal. That’s how simple it was. Black and white. Anything else was unthinkable.

The Oaks put in their performance of the season to beat Meath seven days earlier but delivery the same electricity to see off a Donegal side who had beaten Kerry and ran Meath close.

“Our intensity, I would say won us the match,” same the Derry manager’s initial summation. “If I could base anything on it, that would be it.

“The intensity that we brought today and the intensity that we brought a fortnight ago in Celtic Park is the reason that we're staying in Division Two next season.”

Derry were 0-15 to 0-3 up by half-time having created three goal chances but Sheá Cassidy had the ball in the net within 18 seconds of the restart. McGarvey’s side never looked back.

“You have to bring it every single day you go out,” he said, hailing the impact of Cahal Murray and his pace in the Derry attack.

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“We were missing players earlier on (in the campaign) and we'd taken a couple of hammerings (Meath and Kerry.

“You get down on yourself a wee bit but our boys bounced back and we've been amazing over the two matches.”

Before a ball was pucked, McGarvey stated the importance to staying in the division. That’s one box ticked. Now, they embark on the championship phase as Derry aim to win a first ever Christy Ring Cup. They play Donegal on home soil in three weeks’ time before a trip to London.

“Momentum is everything,” McGarvey said of their two recent wins and impressive performances on the cusp of the championship.

“Timing is everything and getting players back fit and ready to play at the right time on top of finding about a form at the right time. It’s absolutely massive.

“It won't be like that in three weeks' time in Celtic Park,” he warned. “That was Donegal’s worst, the worst they've performed this season. I know that's not easy and I'm gutted that they're down.”

McGarvey was fully aware of his side’s task on Saturday. They needed to win. It was win or bust and he genuinely feels for Donegal. In a season where they pushed on, they’ve been relegated on four points.

INTENSITY ... Derry manager Johnny McGarvey led his team to Division 2 survival with a thumping win over Donegal at the weekend

“Look at the gulf that's in the top of the division to the bottom of this division,” McGarvey added.

“Is the team that finishes second in the division below…any division, are they ready to come up? I think it should be a second-place play-off game because Donegal were brilliant in this league.

“That's not me trying to patronise them in any way. They went and they beat Kerry out here and they've performed really, really well.

“Do they deserve that after the season that they had when they're trying to build something? A bit like ourselves. If that had happened to us today, is there any great benefit in coming up from one season, getting five or six games in the middle of the winter and you're straight back down and you have to start all over again?”