Celtic Park to host Derry Intermediate decider
McFeely Group Intermediate Championship Final Desertmartin v Greenlough at Find InsuranceCeltic Park, Sunday 1-30pm
FOR Desertmartin getting to county intermediate finals was an achievement for a small club but winning them has proved to be a problem.
They have lost all five that they have contested.
Greenlough had their first success in 1976 and followed up in 2008, 2015 and 2020. Desertmartin have the remarkable record of winning the senior title in 1953 following up winning the junior the previous year.
This year’s championship has been high quality with these two teams emerging where others like Eoghan Rua, Limavady, Craigbane, Castledawson, Foreglen would have been seen as contenders.
In the last five years three of the Derry intermediate champions - Steelstown, Ballinderry and Glenullin - have gone all the way to the All Ireland finals, with Steelstown successful.
Both were in handy enough groups for the qualifiers. Greenlough were paired with Drumsurn and Castledawson and Desertmartin with Ballymaguigan and Foreglen.
Both won their matches comfortably. In two high quality semi finals Desertmartin hit three goals on their way to victory over Craigbane while Greenlough scored a deserved narrow win over a fancied Eoghan Rua team.
Each has a central figure in their line out. For Greenlough Derry forward Niall Loughlin plays at midfield while for the St. Martin’s the powerful Lachlan Murray is full forward but has come back from injury and his best may not have been seen yet.
Both feature players who have won All Ireland medal winners with Derry and Murray is included in that group.
Sean Brady is in his second year as Desertmartin manager and they have shown a major improvement this term. After a slow start in the league they finished strongly and in the championship their direct style has been hard to counteract.
Eunan McElhennon can open up defences with his searing pace while Ryan McEldowney has been solid at midfield. The defence, anchored by full back Dylan Ormsby and centre half Conor Shiels, can close down opposing attacks quickly and set up the counters.
Lachlan Murray is the man to watch at full forward but his two flankers - Joe Connery and Rory O’Hagan - have been getting good scores.
Greenlough have some promising footballers coming through from the under age ranks like Luke Grant, Caomhan McNally, Shea Birt and Seoirse Lagan and they have been making an impact under Niall Loughlin’s leadership.
It has all the ingredients to be a brilliant game but the result could well be defined on how Greenlough stop the goal scoring potential of Lachlan Murray.