Derry manager Ciaran Meenagh has described it as “madness” to view his team as favorites to reach this year’s Ulster final.
The Oak Leafers are set to face Antrim at Celtic Park this Saturday at 17:00 BST, with coverage available on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer, website, and app. They are favored to progress to a semi-final clash with either Monaghan or Cavan.
Advertisement
Meenagh took charge on an interim basis when Derry last secured the Anglo-Celt Cup in 2023. Following a successful run in Division Two, expectations surrounding the team have risen as they enter the provincial championship, reflecting on a challenging few years.
Despite the optimism, the Derry boss remains focused on the immediate challenge and warns against looking too far ahead.
“Monaghan has consistently performed at a higher standard than Derry for many years; Cavan proved to be a formidable opponent in our last league match, which we narrowly won,” Meenagh noted.
“Looking back at Antrim’s performance last year against Armagh, they were leading at both half-time and after 45 minutes.”
Advertisement
“Our goal is to focus on winning one game at a time, and if we are fortunate enough to win that, we shift our focus to the next one.”
“What we need to succeed is to have all our players available. Over the past two years, the challenges we faced largely stemmed from the management not being able to field a full squad.”
In their earlier meeting this year during the Dr McKenna Cup, Derry emerged victorious, pulling away in the second half.
However, Meenagh acknowledges that the championship is a different landscape, especially with Antrim now under a stable new management team and coming off a streak of four consecutive wins in Division Four.
Advertisement
“We must give all our opponents the respect they deserve, and I hold Mark [Doran], Paul Bradley, and the McCann brothers [Mick and Eamon] in high regard. Ignoring that would be foolish.”
“We faced them in the McKenna Cup, and both teams had a number of key players present that night. Our entire focus has to be on them.”
“Winning becomes a habit, and with their four-game winning streak, they carry some momentum into the championship.”