Wednesday, March 9

EirGrid Ulster U21 Football Championship Preliminary Round**

Derry v Antrim, Celtic Park, 8pm

It's 19 long years since Derry won an Ulster U21 title, and eight since they reached a final at a grade they haven't prioritised for quite some time.

They have a new manager this season, Fergal McCusker, an All-Ireland winner with Derry in 1993, replacing Paul McIver in the hotseat. McCusker has been involved with the all-conquering underage teams at Glen Watty Grahams in recent seasons, and given what they have achieved at underage level (they won the Ulster minor club title four years in a row from 2011-2014), McCusker seems like an ideal man to step into U21 management at inter-county level.

Derry do not play in a pre-season U21 competition, so it is not always easy to assess them during pre-season. Talented forwards Terence O’Brien, Niall Loughlin and Niall Toner are senior panellists who are all available to McCusker, while Glen clubmen Ciarán McCloy, Oisín Hegarty and Danny Tallon are all down to start.

Derry also have a strong group of players from last year's Ulster minor winning side involved, but two of those, Jack Doherty and Shane McGuigan, are unavailable due to St Patrick's Maghera's involvement in the MacRory final on St Patrick's Day. Conor Glass, the star of last year's minor side, is now under contract with AFL side Hawthorn.

Antrim are managed by Gerard McNulty, who is a senior selector with Frank Fitzsimons. McNulty is assisted by Seán McGoldrick, who has been involved with the Antrim minors for the past few seasons. It's 27 years since Antrim last won - or indeed reached - an Ulster U21 final, and it is a competition in which they are rarely tipped to shine.

At minor level three years ago, Antrim were beaten by Monaghan by 17 points in the quarter-final, and their performances at minor and U21 level in recent years don't suggest they have the pedigree to make a meaningful impact this year.

Much will be expected of senior players Oisin Hamill and Ronan Hanna, but Pádraig McPartland and Tommy McGoran are unavailable.

DERRY: Ciarán McCloy (Glen); Niall Keenan (Castledawson), Tomás McCrossan (Doire Trasna), Oisín Hegarty (Glen); Jason Rocks (Loup), Michael McEvoy (Magherafelt), Peter Hagan (Banagher); Jarlath Bradley (Ballerin), Meehaul McGrath (Slaughtneil); Danny Tallon (Glen), Terence O'Brien (Loup), Jamie Donaghy (Claudy); Niall Toner (Lavey), Niall Loughlin (Greenlough), Aidan Keenan (Castledawson).

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There's a busy night of action elsewhere on Wednesday in the EirGrid U21 Football Championship, with early round games taking place in Leinster and Munster.

Leinster U21 Quarter-Final Preview: Laois v Wicklow Munster U21 Football Quarter-Finals Previews

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