'Plenty to work on' for Derry despite dominant win

Derry manager Ciaran Meenagh admitted there is "plenty to work on" despite seeing his side progress to the Ulster Championship semi-finals with a dominant 2-23 to 1-13 victory over Antrim.

The Oak Leafers were heavy favourites and largely controlled proceedings, but Meenagh was frustrated by their inefficiency in front of goal, particularly during the opening half.

"We had a definite plan, but the most frustrating thing is what we left behind us," he said.

"In the first half especially, we created plenty of goal chances, which is the positive, but we just didn't convert them."

Derry carved out several clear-cut opportunities before the break, with Conor Glass and Lachlan Murray both denied by goal-line clearances.

"You have to roll with it. Some days everything goes over, other days it doesn't, that's football," Meenagh added.

"We didn't have challenge matches after the league, we had a block of training, so while the players are up to speed physically, there's maybe a bit of rust in terms of sharpness and the intricacies of our play."

Despite the missed chances, Meenagh is confident his side will improve ahead of a sterner test in the semi-finals.

"The level is going to go up substantially in our next game. I'm confident that we will improve, and we will need to," he said.

The Derry boss also pointed to the benefit of the break after the league campaign, which allowed a number of players carrying knocks to return to action, including Conor McCluskey and Eoin McEvoy.

"A lot of lads got valuable minutes today and they'll be the better for it. All in all, it was a good workout," he said.

There was also praise for the experience within the squad, with Shane McGuigan marking his 100th appearance for the county.

"Fair innings, especially when he's only 28 years of age and considering the scoring he's done in that time," Meenagh said.

"That experience is very important for us."

While Derry were comfortable winners, Meenagh acknowledged the challenge of such a fixture.

"It's a difficult game to prepare for and a bit of a no-win situation," he added.

"It's about getting the win, dusting yourself down and getting ready for the next day."

Derry will now await the winners of Cavan and Monaghan as they look ahead to the semi-finals.

"I'll be in Clones myself, we'll be keeping a close eye on things ahead of the next game."