Mickey Harte’s remarkable day came to fruition when he acquired the managerial post of the Derry team, a decision that left many, especially in his home county, perplexed. Nevertheless, his inaugural season culminated with national silver joining the ranks of the trophies on his mantel.
The team celebrated an impeccable league by showing both skill and tenacity in their performance. A minor contention was only about them prevailing in the competition thrice since the All-Ireland Champions refused to capitulate, but gave in eventually.
Even his calculated risk to sit out few key players in the match against Dublin, that was played in the Celtic Park at the start of the month, received vindication owing to the ultimate triumph. “Various factors can be speculated upon, but we felt confident with our decision at that time and today’s win might seem like a confirmation of our strategy, but life is indeed more complicated than that.” Harte observed.
The climactic finish was a thrilling league final competition, striking an awkward chord with those arguing for the elimination of the event and bestowing the title to the league’s leaders.
An array of goals, additional time, red cards, and penalties marked the day, which witnessed a crowd of 33,145 onlookers in a pleasantly cool and sunny spring day. “I believe it was an exceptional day for Gaelic games and keeping the national league finals on the calendar is crucial, considering how anticlimactic it would have been to win the title last Sunday in Celtic Park. Isn’t this a compelling argument for it?” Harte posited, remarking on the satisfaction of other counties participating in league finals that weekend.
In a surprising turn of events, both the supposed underdogs managed to snag the win, with Donegal piping Armagh to the post with Aaron Doherty’s last moment scoring. Nobody could surpass the elation of the Derry locals when their team clinched a win over the All-Ireland champions at Croke Park, successfully refuting the claim that they had not achieved a significant win against a competitive team at the main venue. While it took some time, they eventually emerged victorious.
Harte revealed that they assumed they had the match in their pocket multiple times. However, he noted that a game cannot be considered won if the rivals are not entirely subdued – a feat they had yet to achieve. The rival team showcased their determination, skill, and resilience by continuously making a comeback. The lesson drawn from the day was that defeating Dublin couldn’t be taken as a last-minute task.
In their recent games, Dublin had demonstrated remarkable potential, although the quality of their opponents, who had been hit by absence of key players or apparent lack of interest, raised doubts over their credibility.
These doubts found substance when Dublin’s main players failed to make their mark on the day. Brian Fenton was outshone by Brendan Rogers in the middle, while others, including Ciarán Kilkenny and Con O’Callaghan ended without any points from the game.
Adding insult to injury, Fenton and Paddy Small were shown the red card at the end of additional time. Fenton could possibly challenge the referee’s decision, whereas Small, instigating a small brawl following Dublin’s last-minute equalising goal, might find it harder to justify his actions.
Manager Dessie Farrell expressed his disappointment over the results, but was pleased that his team put up a fight. He was also glad that the areas they needed to improve upon were now in focus.
Farrell was self-critical, pointing out instances in the game where they were lagging. They, however, managed to hold on, even beyond normal playing time, and take it to penalties – a small yet significant solace.
However, he acknowleged feeling let down by the opportunities they squandered, and by conceding on kickouts. He was, nonetheless, aware that there was much improvement needed. The game, he believed, offered useful insights and lessons to learn, making it a valuable assessment tool.