INSIDE THE BAINISTEOIR’S HEAD

IT WAS 20 years ago yesterday that Rory Gallagher (right) enshrined himself into Ulster GAA folklore, scoring 3-9 for Fermanagh in a senior championship game. Monaghan were the opponents that day in Clones and the Belleek man has haunted the Farney County as manager too, leading his native county to a shock Ulster semi-final win in 2018. That upset was all about how well-organised and well-drilled Fermanagh were, keeping themselves in the game and striking for a lastminute goal. And that’s the thing about Gallagher’s side. They are always wellstructured, sometimes too wellstructured. When things went pear-shaped in Donegal in 2017, the feeling was that the players had enough of being micro-managed to the nth degree. And the sense is that there is always a shelf life with Gallagher’s managerial methods. But one of his great gifts as a manager is his ability to get the match-ups right. And the winning and losing of tomorrow’s game will be in the match-ups – shutting down Jack McCarron, Conor McManus and Gary

Mohan will be key for Derry. Gallagher’s big decision is where to detail Chrissy McKaigue, who curbed Darren McCurry, and Brendan Rodgers. The thing is that his two best man-markers also enjoy a foray forward. The Oak Leaf boss might fling a wild card by suggesting that the pair join Derry’s counterattacks, meaning McCarron and

McManus will be on the back foot. The way that they dismantled Tyrone, and the energy shown by their middle eight, has earmarked Derry as a team to watch this summer. All eyes will be on how McKaigue and Rodgers shut down the Farney threat. And if they are able to restrict the opposition danger men, it will be up to Shane McGuigan and Niall Loughlin at the other end to fire them into an Ulster final.