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Glen All-Ireland would boost Derry - Gallagher

Jan. 12, 2023
Glen All-Ireland would boost Derry - Gallagher

Derry boss Rory Gallagher is convinced a Glen win in Sunday week's All-Ireland Club Football Final will also bring tangible benefits to the county squad.

Come what way in the All-Ireland final, Gallagher expects Conor Glass and Ethan Doherty to play in Derry's Division Two opener against Limerick a week later.

"They will roll with it," he added.

"Please God, they will celebrate in style for a couple of days and they will be there against Limerick and they will battle it out."

Glass' class for the Oak Leafers in 2022 as he helped them win a first Ulster senior title in 24 years saw him secure an All-Star and Gallagher believes his Glen club-mate was unlucky not to also feature in the football team of the year.

"Conor was a well deserved All-Star. I feel if people really analysed Ethan's game, he could have been an All-Star as well. The impact he had for us, and while [Galway's] Jack Glynn won it, in my opinion Ethan could have been young footballer of the year.

"Ethan's an exceptional talent. We wanted him in in 2019. We didn't phone him because he was still at school. MacRory Cup and stuff like that. I probably should have taken him in at the time.

"His football IQ and his temperament are phenomenal. Him and Conor are winning machines. Since they came into the Glen team, look at their success rate. That's not by accident. They are two special players.

"For now we wish them luck and hope they have a brilliant day in Croke Park on Sunday week."

Lachlan Murray's last-kick point against Tyrone at Owenbeg on Wednesday earned the Oak Leafers a 0-10 to 0-10 draw in the Dr McKenna Cup which secured them a semi-final with Down at Newry on Sunday, with the Red Hands progressing to a last-four clash with Cavan on Saturday evening.

"It was a a good old battle," said Gallagher of the Owenbeg contest.

"You don't want nothing games. We don't really play challenge games. I dunno if Tyrone do. You want competitive games. The McKenna Cup gives that. I think it's a great competition for Ulster teams.

"You don't put it at the top of your list of priorities to win but when you are drawn against Tyrone, you want a battle and we had it."

Wednesday's game saw Newbridge's Mark Doherty making his Derry senior debut as he lined out alongside his 2020 All-Ireland Minor winning team-mate Murray.

Gallagher says that Doherty, Murray and the other youngsters who featured deserved their chance after impressing in recent training sessions.

"They get the opportunity to go to Derry training and you've got to put your best foot forward and the boys that train well get to play. I'm delighted to have that environment.

"There will be bigger occasions but when you see the likes of Lachlan Murray, big Anton [Tohill], Mark Doherty getting his first game, Eoin McEvoy….boys like that being able to battle at that level.

"Young Niall O'Donnell who is still a MacRory Cup player [came on as a late substitute as well]. It's good that they can battle at that level and we want to put out eight, nine, 10 of our stronger players to give them a chance to play in a strong team.

"Lachlan Murray is a special player. It's a massive step up and he knows that but I've seen the progress Lachlan has made since our season finished and the way he's looked after himself and trained and applied himself."


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