Damian McErlain has guided Derry to another Electric Ireland MFC title. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
By Francis Mooney
Ten survivors from last year’s All-Ireland MFC winning squad brought serious levels of depth and quality to a successful retention of the Tom Markham Cup, according to Derry boss Damian McErlain.
Oak Leaf dominance of the Minor football scene was maintained at O’Neills Healy Park as the holders saw off Armagh by 2-7 to 0-10 to win a third title in five years.
“Every one of them brought quality to it, brought it not just on the field of play, but quality in the background in terms of culture,” said McErlain.
It was three of those stars of the 2023 triumph that stepped up in the clutch moments as the holders came from behind to push for home in the final quarter.
Skipper James Sargent, Luke Grant and Eamon Young stood tall in a towering finish for the Oak Leafers, capped by a clinching goal from Cody Rocks.
“We have come to see that. They go to the one school, they have grown up together those three lads in that school environment,” said the team manager.
“And they look to each other in those moments, they dig deep and their quality shines through. And when it came to the big moments, those three men just stood up.”
But McErlain had praise for his entire squad, each one of whom had their own contributions to make. “They’re a serious group of players, serious talent among them.
“The workrate, the attitude etc, that’s bred into them in their houses first, clubs, schools and then when they ge to us, then you’re moulding it again to another level.
“This is an elite level, and the boys have adjusted to it really well.”
Meanwhile, Armagh manager Aidan O’Rourke refledted on missed goal chances and fine margins. “If you’d have said we’d score 10 times and they would score nine, I would have been fairly sure we’d have won the game,” he said.
“I was sure we’d have scored the goals too - you’d do well to get a goal against us and they got too.
“Derry are a superb football team - they are the best team in the country. That’s been demonstrated, not just today, but over the course of the season. They’ve been unbeaten so it was a big task to come here and win the game.
“We gave ourselves a great chance - with 10 minutes gone in the second half, we’d turnovers and unforced errors. Tiny things.”
