By Michael McMullan

SLEACHT Néill manager Mark Doran has added to his management team this season with Niall Morgan on board.

Doran has also added former skipper Emmet’s skipper Francis McEldowney to the management team from last season.

Morgan joined after the county season and his experience will be a help to the camp and goalkeeper Jack Cassidy.

Cassidy, who was part of the Derry panel under Mickey Harte, made his debut last season.

“Niall’s been there the last three or four weeks,” Doran said. “It’s just a different voice, a different set of eyes.

“I approached him at the start of the year, it was agreed he was going to come in but he’d wait until Tyrone was finished.

“He’s been a breath of fresh air, the boys love him and have serious respect for him.”

The Emmet’s open their campaign against All-Ireland champions Glen when the group stages get under way this weekend.

Sleacht Néill were pipped narrowly by Glen in 2023, Doran’s first year in charge after steering Ballybay to glory in Monaghan.

They are in a group with Glen, league champions Kilrea, neighbours Swatragh, Bellaghy and Dungiven.

“If you think last year when we played (Glen) in the semi-final it was high pressure and to be fair it’s still a big game,” Doran said.

“It’s a big game because it’s Sleacht Néill and Glen, with the local rivalry. At the end of the day, all that’s on offer is two points.

“If you after a good start then the two points are nice but if you can beat, you’re probably putting yourself under a wee bit of pressure going into the second game.

“The group stage maybe has taken a bit of it away but with it being Glen and Sleacht Néill, it probably still takes on a life of its own.

“In that way it’s exciting, but it’s probably exciting for every club in Derry because you now have the All-Ireland champions, the two-in-a-row Ulster champions and the three-in-a-row Derry champions in there. It’s a serious challenge, not just for Sleacht Néill but for every club in Derry.”

Doran will be without six the team that lost to Glen in last year’s semi-final. Keelan Feeney and Padraig Cassidy have gone travelling to Australia. Conor McAllister is out with a long-term knee injury. Meehaul McGrath spent his summer hurling in the US. Ruairí Ó Mianáin and Paul McNeill are also on the injury list.

On the flip side, Derry All-Ireland minor winners Cahal McKaigue, Fionn McEldowney and Déaghlan McNamee have stepped up from underage.

Doran told his county players Shane McGuigan, Brendan Rogers and Chrissy McKaigue to take a complete break after their All-Ireland quarter-final and they’ve returned to the fold this week.

“The minute they were finished with Derry, I told them, I didn’t want to see them for three or four weeks…I never gave them a time or date. It was up to them,” he said.

“They all arrived back on Tuesday night. I was delighted to see them because not only are they coming in but the younger boys are delighted to see them because they do pull the standard up and that’s a big, big plus.”

Beaten finalists Magherafelt open their campaign away to Steelstown on Friday night.

Derry CCC have arranged the championship into two groups of six this season with the top four in each section advancing to the quarter-finals.

There are 12 teams in the Derry SFC this season with the four intermediate semi-finalists promoted to senior for 2025.

There will be no relegation duo to another restructure taking the John McLaughlin Cup race back to 16 teams.

This weekend’s Derry SFC fixtures

Friday
Group B – Steelstown v Magherafelt (7.30pm)
Group A- Bellaghy v Kilrea (Owenbeg 8.15pm)

Saturday
Group B – Ballinascreen v Loup (3.30pm)
Group A – Swatragh v Dungiven (Owenbeg 5.30pm)
Group A – Glen v Slaughtneil (Owenbeg 7.15pm)

Sunday
Group B – Newbridge v Lavey (5pm)
First team named plays at home unless stated. Check the Derry GAA website for any late fixture changes.