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This shite that by Derry ones that we are punching above our weight needs to stop. Club level, schools level, we should always be at the top table, that's our level. If we fall short so be it, but that that should be the minimum expectation. Mc Kinkess amazing today, 100% man of the match, serious performance. Maybe I'm on a high, but I only see that team getting stronger. Murray be starti g next year for starters. I might be being biased but Ben McCarron is far better than what he has been credited for as well. Needs to go out and show it. Some footballers in Derry coming through as well.

Agree with a lot of that. I think today will bring the team on and perhaps needed the game. I do worry about us defensively against the quality of the Kerry forwards. Derry seem to have an issue down the right hand defensive corridor were we seem to concede a lot of goal chances, which Kerry will punish, also we were very stand offish in defence today allowing cork opportunities to shoot from 30/35 metres, do that against Kerry and they will punish us, Cork just didn't have the forwards to do it.

On McCarron, imho having seen him quite a few times, I just don't think he's anywhere near county level. On Murray, I wasn't too far away from the sideline today and just after he came on he didn't track a runner (or perhaps didn't take up the correct defensive position) and meenagh was very unhappy saying 'where is Murray, he just never listens'. With the way Derry play I would say that's probably more why he isn't starting rather than his forward play, when he matures and learns his role within the system I'd say he'll be a shoe in.

Some of the messages on here this week are hard to believe. Why aren't players calling Gallagher out? Why was Tohill not given a chance? Jesus wept, if you don't know the answers to them then maybe Gaelic Football isn't the sport for you.

I don't think there is a south Derry bias, the best players just are from south Derry at senior level. But there is certainly as issue around player development. The very definition of development is making areas that aren't strong, stronger, yet Derrys whole 'development plan' is about keeping the strong areas strong (and steelstown/the city). A GPO for each of the big south Derry schools and yet only two for the whole of north Derry I believe, outside the city. Surely that should be the other way around if you want to 'develop the whole county'. Also at development squad and underage level there are certainly more opportunities given to players based on their club and their name, this keeps them around stronger players when developing and in turn makes them better, meaning when they get to senior level the majority are still from these usual clubs. Obviously  lathe clubs named like Drum, Faughanvale  etc...certainly don't produce the number of quality players that other clubs do, however it's not false to say that the players they do produce have to work a whole lot harder to get opportunities than lesser players with the right name or from a historic club.

That was an embarrassing performance from Glenullin

Is intermediate in Derry that bad?

I'd say yes intermediate is weak, but not as weak as yesterdays game makes it look. Last year Steelstown won an all Ireland, and arguably their toughest (or at least closest) games were in Derry with both Castledawson and Greenlough running them to a point I think. This year, while it might sound strange given they won every game, I don't think Glenullin are the best team in Derry. It's only a year since they should have been relegated to junior and they were very very poor. I think Paddy has done a great job at finding a system that hides their deficiencies and gives them a platform, and even at his age on his day (which hasn't been that often tbh) Skinner still brings a quality that others at intermediate can't match. I think Glenullin used the groups stage of championship to get on a run and build momentum while other teams seen it as an extension of the league, and when you get on a run it can be a serious hard to stop.  But the issue was always once you get to Ulster you don't have that, your meeting another team with momentum and there was always a feeling that if a team got a run on them and a couple goals would Glenullin have the ability all over the field to cope. Man for man I'd actually put Glenullin 4/5th in Derry at best. As I said that probably sounds mad having won the championship winning every game but sure lol

Do you have proof they were traveling??? How far did they get?? They knew at half 3 about the 3G pitch (it was actually on their Facebook before that advising that the game was now to be on a 3G, but let's go with the official story), so do you really think they had already left at 3:30 for an 8pm throw in with a 2 hour journey?? Almost every version of the story Steelstown have put out doesn't add up.

Looks like the member of the steelstown management who is also vice chair, forgot to tell the club and his team of the contingency plan that was voted on at the Ulster council meeting that he attended.
They were on the bus on the way to the game.....plough on and play it and worry about gaining any moral high ground later in the boardroom. Every player on that bus would have been wearing trainers which they could have used in a 3G pitch if required. As for the steel studs story.....If there were 2 players who had steel studs in their boots I'd be very surprised.
I have sympathy for the players but the blame here is squarely at the feet of steelstown management and officials.  That's my tuppensworth on it.

This 100%. Feel for the girls as it's tough on them to have to play 3 big games in little over a week, but it's not a big conspiracy or anything like that, it was just bad luck. The way steelstown behaved in the aftermath of the quarter final with regards to their social media posts and enraging any and every MLA etc.. they could get was a disgrace. Anyone who knows, knows that Steelstown never had any intention of playing the game, and it wasn't due to player welfare but due to the fact they had players missing due to work and uni. The fault here lays squarely at the feet of Steelstown's management and or committee. Also what people are missing here is the fact that had Steelstown got their way then their opponents in the final (should they have got there) would have had had a 3 week break without a game while Steelstown would have went in battle hardened and on a 3 game winning run week on week with serious momentum. Someone had to lose out in this situation once the first game was postponed and unfortunately that was Steelstown, they should have accepted it and used it as motivation instead of throwing the toys out of the pram.

Any predictions for Senior QFs, relegation playoffs, IFC Sfs or JFC? Swatragh fancy themselves for an upset?

Are the relegation play offs going to go ahead?

Rumours of teams appealing. Anyone any information what the case for appeal is?

Won't matter anyway, they will just change it again in the off season to suit the 'big clubs'. You really think they are going to let Bellaghy or Ballinascreen go down? No chance.

Surprise surprise, exactly as I said weeks ago.

[Coleraine cant sustain senior for long , maybe another 5 years max]

So clubs who cried about relegation from leagues being unfair due to having to play without their county players are now crying that they are in a relegation playoff after playing 4/5 championship games with their county players. Absolutely pathetic that they have went to ulster on a technicality, when in theory the approach taken would have benefitted the 'better' teams. Coleraine are going nowhere and will be an intermediate team (and maybe lower) in the not too distant future anyway, and Screen are just treading water at senior, a year at intermediate to rebuild would maybe be a good thing. Arrogance and entitlement are awful.

Coleraine cant sustain senior for long , maybe another 5 years max

Are they an old team? are the McGoldrick's still playing?

McGoldrick brothers and few cousins make up most of team. Older ones tipping into 30s now.

Very talented family

The Barry lad must be nearer to 40 at this stage?

I think Liam is the youngest of the main group of them (think there's a late one whose younger) and he's 27/28, the rest in their 30's, as is Holly and the rest of the main spine. Barry is 38 I think and done nets in the championship this year at times, Séan Leo 34/35. A wonderful group of players who took the club to places they never dreamt of, but seem to be coming to the end of that run with little or nothing coming off  the conveyor belt.

So clubs who cried about relegation from leagues being unfair due to having to play without their county players are now crying that they are in a relegation playoff after playing 4/5 championship games with their county players. Absolutely pathetic that they have went to ulster on a technicality, when in theory the approach taken would have benefitted the 'better' teams. Coleraine are going nowhere and will be an intermediate team (and maybe lower) in the not too distant future anyway, and Screen are just treading water at senior, a year at intermediate to rebuild would maybe be a good thing. Arrogance and entitlement are awful.

[County board laid all out at start of year. Any complaints about format should of been made then. All teams knew what was happening]

Its flawed concept though, even though I agree they should have just left it. There are teams like  who havent won a match all year and could stay up at last minute

County board laid all out at start of year. Any complaints about format should of been made then. All teams knew what was happening. Teams that go down surely aren't good enough for 12 team senior football anyway??

This is the crux of the matter, on what grounds would they appeal???
Having said that, like I said before, they won't go down, the CB will reformat again to make sure certain clubs are looked after.

Any predictions for Senior QFs, relegation playoffs, IFC Sfs or JFC? Swatragh fancy themselves for an upset?

Are the relegation play offs going to go ahead?

Rumours of teams appealing. Anyone any information what the case for appeal is?

Won't matter anyway, they will just change it again in the off season to suit the 'big clubs'. You really think they are going to let Bellaghy or Ballinascreen go down? No chance.

I don't think the league game has any relevance to this whatsoever, Derry made 3/4 mistakes against the wind and were punished, the game was over very early and both teams will have learned little. I do think Galway are favourites tho, for two reasons, 1) I think they have the inside forwards to take scores from outside the blanket and force derry to push up and open up a little, I think Galway will score more against Derry than any team this year. 2) I think they will press the Derry kickout and get joy as Derry imo have struggled when they have had to go long and there is mistakes in Lynch if he goes short. Having said all that, I don't overly rate Galway defensively, I think they will struggle to match Derrys running game especially in transition, and if Derry are as clinical as they were at the weekend then they could get something, will need other forwards to step up and take scores tho. Overall I'd have Galway 2/3 point favourites but wouldn't be surprised with any result.

That was as complete a team performance as I have seen from derry in maybe 15 years.
They have proved the grit now as well as the skill and game plan.
The fact that we came back from going a couple of points down is some real character building stuff.

Every single player had an impact, mistakes were made but by god when a mistake was made you could see the player bust a gut to make amends.

You could single out a few players like Rogers, Glass and Mguigan, but I thought our collective was much greater than the sum of the parts. That's what a team should be, can't fault it.

I think special praise should go out to Lynch. I think in Derry's game plan now, he has nearly the toughest position on the pitch. I felt he was unlucky for the goal. His kickouts were generally good with only a couple of mistakes. The Donegal keeper certainly didn't outshine him imo.

Just to echo what someone else said, when Derry won in 93 I was on the pitch with my own father. Yesterday, I was on the pitch with my kids and despite ill health, my father was there too. I remember 93 like it was yesterday and this feels like that, I hope my kids look back on this in 30 years with fond memories too.
Sure that's what it's all about isnt it!

I would agree with a lot of this, a brilliant day which will live long in the memory. But I would disagree on Lynch, I thought he was poor and too slow to get the kickouts away. Time and again there was space for the quick mid length kick and he hesitated until it wasn't on. Also thought the goal was a poor error. Having said that he responded well, would have been easy to let the head drop but he didn't and took responsibility near the end in possesion to get Derry up the field. Overall I would'nt be too critical but he'll need to improve.
I think Benny Heron has been a bit overlooked in the reviews of yesterday, his intelligent movement is so important for Derry in creating attacking space. I thought we looked very one dimensional when he came off but almost instantly looked more dangerous when he came back on again. While he doesn't always get on the ball himself, his movement makes so much space for everyone else.

Is it true that the 26 are due to open hairdressers etc... from the 4th of May? If this is the case then surely outdoor competitive sport will also be allowed to return as in the 6. If so, even if they persist with this all island approach we may only have another couple of weeks to wait.

Clarity needed on club county scheduling ASAP so teams can prepare properly

I'd say my club will be training come the 12th April

I think training will go ahead alright, but I don't think we'll be allowed any fixtures or games until we align with the South on that front....

If we can train I'd say that's a start towards games, 7 aside games will be carried out in house, the day the government says outdoor games can go ahead it would be a own goal by Croke to restrict club games, league and championship should be arranged as soon as possible  once it's safe

The way I see it, the county season physically and literally can't go ahead until the 26 counties get the go ahead, so i don't see there being any reason why the GAA wouldn't allow clubs in the 6 counties to play their leagues or district competitions in the mean time, as you say it would be a huge own goal and I think it would lead to serious bad publicity. Another thing that has to be figured in, hugely from a youth perspective, but also in some regard at adult level, is if the executive give the go ahead for games then other sports will be flat out, rugby, soccer will hammer summer cups, cricket, etc.... literally anything you can think of will be up and running and we run a real risk of losing our younger players to these sports. It's already a fight every year and this could do untold damage if other sports are offering them competitive games and we are offering training only.