Derry's 'scar tissue' of recent woes gone - Glass

Defeat by Meath in the opening round of the National League meant Derry had gone 13 games without a win in league or championship since coming through on penalties in the 2024 All-Ireland series.

The drop-off that began earlier that year when Donegal rocked up to Celtic Park in the Ulster Championship and hit four goals on their way to a stunning victory was startling when it was considered the Oak Leafers had won the National League and were tipped to at least seriously challenge for Sam Maguire.

As Mickey Harte's tenure rolled into Paddy Tally's one-year reign in 2025, Derry just couldn't get out of the rut they found themselves in.

Ciaran Meenagh, who served as interim boss and landed an Ulster title following the mid-season departure of Rory Gallagher in 2023, returned on a full-time basis this year, but defeat by the Royals in Croke Park on 24 January threatened another difficult season.

"I had spoken after Paddy's tenure, after Mickey's, it was on the players," said Derry midfielder Conor Glass.

"You can prepare so much throughout the week, but at the end of the day, they're helpless on game day.

"We're the ones on the pitch. We were in positions last year that we could have won games. You can't be blaming managers; it's just a scapegoat."

Sometimes it takes just one spark, one result to arrest a decline and a three-point win over Tyrone in Celtic Park proved just that as they went on to win four of their remaining five games in Division Two.

It wasn't enough for promotion as defeat away to Louth proved fatal to those hopes, but there remains a sense a corner has been turned and that victory over their neighbours on the final day of January has reinvigorated the group.

"There was a lot of scar tissue, so regardless if it was a one-point victory or a ten-point victory that day, as Derry people, we just wanted to get over the line," Glass reflected.

"You could just tell by the celebrations after, it just meant a lot to us. Not only as players, but as Derry fans in general."

With that scar tissue "gone now, absolutely", Derry appear to have rediscovered their swagger and a 20-point mauling of Cork at the beginning of March underlined that.

They failed to build on that against Louth, a defeat a game that Glass felt "brought us back down to earth a bit" but did respond to close out the league with a victory over Cavan.

There is a chance they may face the Breffni men again should they come through against Antrim on Saturday, but considering the tribulations Derry have experienced there is no looking past the Saffrons despite entering the game as heavy favourites.

Of course, Ciaran Meenagh's side have ambitions to reach the Ulster final on 17 May, yet recent experiences have taught Derry's players that nothing can be taken for granted.

While Glass maintains that Derry "see ourselves as still one of the top teams in Ireland", legendary Tipperary hurling manager Michael 'Babs' Keating's saying that a pat on the back is just five inches from a kick in the backside has been Derry's lived experience in recent years.

They'll take Antrim's threat seriously this week and if they prevail, look at what's next.

"We haven't earned the right to disrespect anybody over our performances the last 24 months.

"There's no easy side of the draw in Ulster football, but the bigger teams are on the other side of the draw - I'm not going to play that down. We have a more favourable side of the draw, but it's definitely not going to be an easy one.

"Cavan, Monaghan and Antrim, they're all inter-county sides, they're not club teams, so we're just looking to focus on ourselves and if we get a good team performance over those two games, hopefully we'll be standing in Clones on Ulster Final day."