All-Ireland SFC: 'Quiet self confidence' driving Derry - Meenagh
- Published
Derry scored three goals to blow Donegal away in Group Four on Sunday
Derry manager Ciaran Meenagh says there is a "quiet, inner self-confidence" behind his side as they chase a first All-Ireland since 1993.
Conor Doherty, Lachlan Murray and Paudie McGrogan all netted as Derry beat Donegal in the All-Ireland on Sunday.
Victory over Clare in their final Group Four game would likely secure automatic progression to the quarter-finals.
"They're the most modest, down-to-earth group of lads," Meenagh said.
"I think that's reflected in how they play out on the field. They don't play with a lot of nastiness or aggression, it's all very controlled.
"That's their behaviour, their mannerism. There's a lack of ego to them. There's a quiet, inner self-confidence, they're very comfortable in their own skin.
"They've had quite a lot of success at club level, school level, underage level and now success with Derry in back-to-back Ulsters. There's a confidence in them but it's a quiet confidence."
Meenagh, who moved up from his assistant's role to become manager after Rory Gallagher's departure last month, added that Sunday's victory over Donegal "was a good win" and "a big result for us" as the Oak Leafers look to build on back-to-back Ulster titles.
The result, coupled with Monaghan's win over bottom side Clare, means the Ulster rivals are set to battle it out for top spot and automatic progression to the quarter-finals.
Second and third place, a spot that Donegal currently occupy, will progress to the preliminary quarter-finals of the new All-Ireland format.
"Clare are a bit like another Ulster team for us, we've played them that many times in the last few years and they know us inside, out.
"We will just play that game totally on its own merits and let Donegal and Monaghan slog it out. It's great that the three of us have something to play for, going through in first, second or third.
"I think everyone would prefer to go through in first place. You look at some of the teams that are probably coming through as second seeds as well.
"We're used to playing games week on week, we'll take it whatever way we get it. We just want to win the game and take it from there."
Paul Cassidy top-scored for Derry in Ballybofey with 0-4
Derry's win saw 10 players getting on the scoresheet Paul Cassidy top-scoring with 0-4 and Meenagh said that was a "positive" after some media chatter about an over-reliance on main marksman Shane McGuigan.
"We got a good spread of scores throughout our team outside Shane McGuigan. There has been a lot documented and written about that."
Meenagh added that the jury was out on whether the exertions of Derry's run to the Ulster Championship will ultimately hurt their All-Ireland ambitions.
"If ourselves and Armagh don't go deep into the championship, that will be the narrative. If we do go deep into the championship, it'll be the narrative that the Ulster Championship fairly prepares you and battle-hardens you.
"In terms of freshness and what not, winning that Ulster is tough. You can see, Armagh are finding it tough. We partied for a few days after it, to get back on the horse after that and the penalties and the emotion of it, that is tough.
"If we can dust ourselves down - and psychologically getting through that today is a big thing for us, it almost creates a bit of a relief. And we have two weeks now to prepare for Clare, that's also important for us.
"To answer your question, who knows? It was still an amazing occasion to win that back-to-back Ulster in Clones but if it does come back to harm us later in the year, that'll probably be the prognosis after it that that's what worked against us."