Form teams Derry and Cork likely to reach final

TOMORROW, as ever in recent times, the semi finals of the Church and General National Football League will be judged exclusively on their relevance to this year's championship.

The first of the matches sees. Derry defend their title against Mayo and it looks the more easy to predict of the two fixtures. Derry have had a satisfactory League and are on course to retain their title. Old squabbles have been set aside and the team is moving well.

In terms of playing strengths and experience, they look considerably better equipped than Mayo, who for all their commendable escape from Division Three and eyecatching defeat of. Meath are still deep in the research and development department.

The one nagging problem for Brian Mullins and his selectors is the strength of the panel. This might seem an unusual complaint given the county's reputation at under age level, but it's true. For a start, Derry's under age productivity has essentially dried up at All Ireland level; the domination of the colleges scene by St Patrick's, Maghera disguises a poor return for Derry at intercounty level.

Of the 12 under age All Ireland finals (minor and under 21) this decade, Derry have won none and reached a final only once losing last September's minor decider, memorably, to Westmeath.

Allowing that collective lack of success doesn't rule out the emergence of exceptional individuals, there is still the stark fact that the first choice senior 15 is virtually the same as the team which won the 1993 All Ireland. Tomorrow's team shows five differences, but without injuries would probably show only two.

Former manager Eamonn Coleman is very voluble on this topic and frequently argues that the Derry scene is not as powerful as everyone makes out and that the team, he took to an All Ireland remains the best available. Accepting, this as true, it is not a great indicator for the team's future even in the medium term.

Three years after winning an All Ireland, a team should be able to show some evolution. The line between a settled team and stagnation is a narrow one - as the hurling champions of 1993, Kilkenny, are finding out.

Anthony Tohill returns to the team to start his first match since last summer. This certainly represents good news, although his lack of match practice demonstrably weakened Derry's midfield when he came on against Cavan in the quarter final. According to one observer, Derry looked like "world heaters for half the match and shocking for the other half".

Nonetheless, they held on to repel Cavan's second half change and tuck away the winning point late into match. The most significant change wrought by Mull ins is the discipline with which the half backs Henry Downey in particular move forward.

There is less aimless soloing and rambling out of position, and more calculated movement with earlier release into the forwards.

Seamus Downey has become an excellent full forward in the last two years and his five delightful, long range points against Cavan caused rather than were caused by a miserable afternoon for Damien Reilly.

This leads rather neatly into Mayo's problems. Whatever the prudent caution with which John Maiighan's medical bulletins should be read, the team is definitely short a full back because of Kevin Cahill's suspension.

Pat Holmes's redeployment is a gamble, although James Nallen in front of.him may be pressed into service it circumstances warrant it. One way or the other, it not ideal when facing such an in form full forward.

If Liam McHale is fit, Mayo can reasonably hope to emulate Cavan's surprisingly strong showing in the middle of the field. If not and Tohill has had a fortnight to sharpen up there will be trouble servicing the forwards who have enough potential to cause problems.

Maughan knows that it is his job to restrain the Mayo public as much as his players. Keeping the lid on everybody's ambitions would be part of the build up to a League final and something he could do without.

He should also be mindful of Mick O'Dwyer's fate with Kildare. Reaching a League final in his first season proved a benchmark the team found impossible to surpass for the remainder of his team. Maughan might prefer his progress to be more incremental.

Derry have learned to say little store by a League title win but they could do with a not her top class match and, are not due, out in the championship until a month after the League final. They should, win tomorrow.

The opening match tomorrow has many of the resonances of the second. Cork were Derry's opponents in the 1993 All Ireland final and have also lost to the ultimate champions in the succeeding years.

They haven't exhibited any interest in the League for the last six years which has been surprising because there is a strong corollary between success in the spring and success in the autumn as far as the county has been concerned.

This season has been different. Unfettered by severe injuries. Billy Morgan's side won Division Two comfortably and had a very useful workout when beating Kerry three weeks ago. Tomorrow's opponents, Donegal will give Cork good experience against Ulster opposition, as pointed out by Moran during, the week.

Reaching the final would probably extend that experience and there is no reason for Cork not to want to play on May fifth. Their championship starts the following week against Limerick, but that will hardly inhibit Cork.

In fact it would constitute an ideal programme. Already the panel have been kept together nearly two months longer than usual. Two tough matches leading up to Limerick, with a semi final against Clare a month later would provide a satisfactorily graduated approach to the likely Munster, final with Kerry.

There are still positions to be filled on the Cork team and the final stages of the League are a good place to fill them. Against Kerry, the full forward line looked sharp but the half forwards did not. In the cases of Mark O Sullivan and Martin Cronin, this was apparently an inversion of established League form, but O Sullivan is coming into season.

Although the verdict on which is the best position for Steven O'Brien - who misses this match - now tilts towards centre back, the attack looks to be in greater long term need of his talents.

Donegal were too strong for Wicklow and sufficiently fortunate to make it comfortably. But reservations remain. The team is still committed to a familiar, quick transferring short game and has cut the number of early balls that had begun to feature in their game.

This can hardly be long term policy as the team's strongest card is Tony Boyle to whom the ball should be dispatched early and often. Beside him. Manus Boyle will help shoulder the burden.

Elsewhere the central positions are untested. Noel Heart's expertise is probably better used at centre back, but Mark Crossan has made a reasonable fist of plugging that gap and the former is needed to cover for James McHugh's absence.

Donegal will struggle to replace Declan Bonner for the championship but, more immediately, interest will focus on newcomer James Ruane at midfield, where his undoubted footballing talent needs more consistent application.

The northerners are unlikely to find scores as handily as they did against Wicklow and in a battle of the full forward lines, Cork's has better back up. Similarly, Cork showed against Kerry that they can, at worst, survive a disruptive midfield and of course at best, Liam Honohan and Danny Culloty can monopolise the area.

Last year, Donegal's run to the League final left them in great shape for the opening championship match against Down but took its toll later. Things haven't been as hectic for them this time and it is suggested that manager PJ McGowan mightn't find it too much of a wrench to bow out a little earlier than 12 months ago.