By Michael McMullan

PADDY Tally and Jack O’Connor could’ve been walking out of the same door at Celtic Park on Sunday.

The Derry boss coached the Kingdom when they felled the Oaks in the last two championships.

Tally could only look on as Cormac Murphy sped through to win a late free Shane McGuigan notched for a Derry league victory in Tralee last January.

Now it’s all so different. Derry’s meandering search for a new manager closed with a yes from Tally.

This week will have been about picking through the wreckage of their defeat to Tyrone.

“Division One this year has the top eight teams in Ireland, all in the one league and it is very, very competitive,” Tally said at the prospect of Kerry coming to town on Sunday.

The musings around Paudi McGrogan, Conor McCluskey and Niall Loughlin are pointing to March as a return to full training.

Ballinderry duo Gareth McKinless and Niall O’Donnell are on the injured list, the latter having travelled to London for an operation on a hamstring injury that forced him out of Sunday’s All-Ireland final. McKinless played with a heavily strapped leg that could leave any county action in jeopardy.

Had Derry been able to secure a greater supply of ball in the middle third and polished up on their shooting, they could’ve asked more questions of the Red Hands.

O’Connor named half of the championship formula that edged a dire dogfight with Derry in HQ last summer. David Clifford’s name wasn’t listed in the 26. It’s hard to imagine him making the trip north even. We’ll see.

Derry have a headstart on the dos and don’ts of the new rule enhancements in a proper game. It could be a help. Points at home always need harvested.