Derry SFC reaches quarter final stages

O’Neill’s Senior Football Championship Quarter Finals

Glen v Banagher at Owenbeg, 5pm Saturday

AFTER surprise victories over Ballinderry and Dungiven this Banagher team might have been expecting one of the lesser lights in the draw but instead got the title favourites Glen.
No opposition seems to phase the Feeny men but meeting Glen for a second time is as tough as you could get.
They lost to the Maghera men by six points in the qualifying rounds despite a good second half performance.
Glen were minus several key men in that game but players like Emmett Bradley, Danny McDermott and Michael Warnock are expected to return.
Both teams have played Dungiven with Glen having the more comfortable win.
This might just be a step too far for the St. Mary’s.

Magherafelt v Bellaghy at Owenbeg, 7pm Saturday

This could be a very interesting contest between the very experienced Bellaghy and a youthful Magherafelt team.
Bellaghy lost to Slaughtneil and then stayed in the championship with an easy 2-20 to 3-11 win over Faughanvale.
It will worry Bellaghy as to how they conceded such a big score against an out of touch Faughanvale!
Magherafelt beat Ballinascreen by ten points but found it a lot tougher against Lavey where they had a 3-10 to 1-11 win.
Experienced Magherafelt manager Gavin Devlin, who takes over at Louth for the 2026 season, has been involved in football management for the past two decades.
He has spent quite a few years alongside Mickey Harte and won an All Ireland championship medal in 2003 with his native Tyrone.
Devlin is well versed in Derry football having been involved with several club teams in the past.
Niall Toner has been one of the players of the championship this year and Devlin will have plans to curb his influence.
Where the Rossas might have the edge is at midfield where the Derry county duo of Eoin McEvoy and Dan Higgins could have the upper hand on Peter Cassidy and Oisin McErlean but Cassidy is in top form at present.
Bellaghy may be minus attack leader Paul Cassidy who has missed the last game through injury and he would be a major loss.
It looks to be a close one with perhaps the younger Rossas team having the edge.

Slaughtneil v Lavey at Owenbeg, 4pm Sunday

This is a very interesting game between two very good teams but Slaughtneil are seen as slight favourites given the ease in which they have reached the knockout stages.
Lavey have had to put in a lot of effort to get there and have had the benefit of an extra game.
They easily beat Drumsurn, lost by five to Magherafelt, and hammered Kilrea.
Slaughtneil still have a core of players like the McKaigue brothers, Paul McNeill, Christopher Bradley, Shane McGuigan, Brendan Rogers and Patsy Bradley who have won county and Ulster championship medals in the last decade.
Lavey have had one of the players of this championship in Niall Toner, a regular Derry forward, and he is a player that Slaughtneil will want to close down but they are capable of doing just that.
Lavey’s main problem will be keeping the multi talented Brendan Rogers away from the ball and that is a task on its own.
The only team to have beaten Slaughtneil recently in the chase for the John McLaughlin cup has been Glen.
It has been five years since this famous trophy has visited Carntogher but their hunger for another should take them through to the last four.

Steelstown v Newbridge, 6pm at Owenbeg Sunday

Steelstown will face, by far, their biggest test yet after overcoming Faughanvale and The Loup who since have been on the wrong end of heavy defeats.
Newbridge suffered an unexpected defeat to Dungiven but they quickly bounced back to their best with easy wins over Ballinascreen and The Loup. An early lesson is invaluable!
For Steelstown to make the last eight of the senior championship is quite an accomplishment but this is a huge step up.
The Newbridge team is built around Derry senior, under 20 and former All Ireland winning minors.
They have a very sharp forward line, led by John Young and Oisin Doherty, and it is hard to see the Brian Og’s defence containing them for the full hour.
Steelstown certainly can match them for pace and if Cahir McMonagle gets a chance it will go under or over the bar.
Reigning county champions are never easily beaten and last year the O’Leary’s beat an unbeatable Glen team who had won the previous three.