Derry's most skilful hurler has a mission

This weekend's most historic event will be the Guinness Ulster hurling final in Casement Park. Not for 67 years have Derry qualified for a final and their meeting with Antrim, opponents in 1931, brings some welcome novelty to the northern province where Down and Antrim have exercised joint control since the Ulster senior championship was re-instituted eight years ago.

A vital factor in Derry's emergence has been the presence on the team of one of the best hurlers in the country, Oliver Collins. Although his circumstances rarely bring him to the attention of the wider hurling public, on the occasions he does appear on a national stage, he shines.

It has accordingly been frustrating to miss out on two Railway Cups, one from injury and one because of suspension picked up during the infamous Ulster club hurling final between his club, Lavey, and Dunloy. In the 1995 Railway Cup final which Ulster lost by only a point to Munster, Collins was the best player on the pitch. He has starred in Derry's championship outings over the past two years. His appearance as a substitute while still injured last year was nearly enough to win the match against eventual Ulster champions Down and this year he was the difference between the teams as the titleholders were deposed.

"When you hit frees," he says by way of explaining his influence on Derry, "the team depends on you but I'd say it's a well-balanced team, a blend of old and new. I'm one of the older ones although I'm still 25 but there's two or three who were on the team before me."

A senior inter-county hurler since the age of 16, Collins captained the county to an Ulster under-21 success in 1993. He also was a member of the football panel a couple of years ago and sat on the bench as an 18-year-old in 1991 when Lavey won the All-Ireland club football championship.

Although his allegiance has been and remains to hurling, Collins admits that occasionally the siren call of football's broader possibilities makes itself heard.

"Sometimes you do think about it, wish that the hurling was better in the county but you like the challenge of going out with players not up to your capability and helping them put the team together."

Recognising Derry's achievement means recognising the tiny increments of progress. Collins says that the team played well in the harder section of Division Two of the National League, against such opposition as Carlow, Wicklow and Kerry, of whom only Kerry are senior.

Progress within Ulster is still foothills stuff, as Collins recognises. "There's three things I think could be done in Ulster. Coaching is well below the standard in Munster, Connacht and Leinster and an overhaul of those structures would be a start. We need to start at foundation level and take it from year to year through to minor.

"There's only two coaching officers in the county and they're both footballers. Sean Martin Lockhart I'm sure is fine as a coach but he doesn't hurl for the county, he plays football.

"Then there's the amount of teams in Ulster. There's only three senior clubs in Down, nine in Derry about a dozen in Antrim. I think it was Sambo McNaughton who first suggested that to tackle the gap that had opened up between Ulster and the other provinces, an all-Ulster League would help.

"The Down clubs already play in Antrim so you'd be adding a few from Derry, Armagh and so on.

"You'd probably also look at the open championship," he continues. "The momentum's been lost in Ulster since 1989 when Antrim reached the All-Ireland and we need competition."

Meanwhile, Sligo have made two changes for the Connacht senior football semi-final replay against Roscommon in Markievicz Park on Sunday.

Ronan Keane and Con O'Meara come into the side at right wing back and midfield respectively, with Colin White and David Durkin losing out.

There have been a couple of positional changes. Niall Clancy moves from left wing back to full back with Connacht Railway Cup player Eamonn O'Hara dropping bcak from midfield to replace him and O'Mara coming to fill that vacancy.

In the drawn match O'Meara replaced midfielder Paul Durcan, who holds his place.

SLIGO (SF v Roscommon): P Kilcoyne; N McGuire, N Clancy, M Cosgrove; R Keane, B Kilcoyne, E O'Hara; P Durcan, C O'Meara; K Killeen, D Sloyane, S Davey; B Walsh, P Taylor, G McGowan.

DERRY (SH v Antrim): K Stevenson; A Hickey, C Murray, N Mullan; B Ward, D Cassidy, C McGurk; R McCloskey, O Collins; G Biggs, M Conway, M McCormack; P McEldving, G McGonigle, J O'Dwyer.