'Delighted' Derry may be left red-faced

They are keeping a low profile in the north. Since Tyrone eliminated them in the Ulster semi-final, Derry have been advancing through the alternative route with the minimal fuss. Their passage has been smoke-screened by the more dramatic events elsewhere, and now, with a tie in Clones against Cavan, they are tipped to advance to the last eight.

For once, Derry is out of fashion. Over the past few seasons, they flattered sporadically without ever making the impact that was expected of them. Their most polished performances tended to come in the early hours of the Ulster campaign - often against Cavan.

The memory of those drubbings in 1999 and 2000 tend to enforce the view that Sunday's all-Ulster qualifier will be relatively predictable.

"Human nature being what it is, Derry are probably delighted and will fancy themselves to go on to the last eight now," offers Cavan manager Val Andrews.

But it is a perilous time for Derry. They have been stubbornly hard to assess in this championship, appealing at times, certainly, but not the force that Eamon Coleman shaped during his first tenure.

The Henry Downey cameo has been worrying. Retired for the league, the 1993 All-Ireland captain returned at the 11th hour and featured as a substitute in the third-round qualifier against Laois.

Whether those minutes were enough to sate his appetite for the big-time for another year or whether he found that you can never come home twice is unclear; either way, Henry has not been back to training since.

Coupled with that, Ronan Rocks, the sometime member of Derry's mystifyingly stagnant half-forward line has quit the panel since the Tyrone defeat.

One Ulster title since the 1993 breakthrough is a poor return for the county.

What they don't need now is widespread assurances that they simply have to turn up in Clones to find themselves among the last eight survivors in one of the most competitive championships in decades. But they will be tipped.

"Derry have a number of incredibly gifted individuals," points out Andrews. "Players like Tohill, Seβn Marty Lockhart, Paddy Bradley, Enda Muldoon and in addition to that they are a balanced side. But the situation has changed slightly from when we played each other before. We have brought in a number of new players, we have had a lot more games and we are progressing."

That was most evident against Tyrone, when Cavan surprised a lot of people with their at times sparking play in the Ulster final.

"After 58 minutes, the game was tied and, while we had chances, we spilled a fair bit of ball and Tyrone, in fairness, were very clinical to them."

Are Derry improving? League champions in 2000, they appear to be moving sideways under Eamon Coleman, lacking the vital break here and there. They were arguably unlucky in last year's Ulster final and against Tyrone this year challenged for the match despite conceding three snap goals.

Add to this a number of personnel misfortunes - the early retirement of Niall McCusker, the rumoured injury to Tohill - and they weren't so far away from the Ulster champions. If they progress they are probably a team that none of the other survivors would welcome meeting. But are they viable All-Ireland title candidates?

"Well, if we knock them out on Sunday, they aren't going to win anything," laughs Andrews. "Look, they are a good team, as are all the teams left at this stage."

The question that Derry have been trying to ascertain is precisely how good. As ever, Clones will be their litmus test.