Enter Jim McGuinness, who returned to the Ulster Championship with Donegal in time to toss a spanner into his old rival’s plan.
Derry’s early exit from Ulster was far from catastrophic in the grander scheme. Instead, some felt that the extended training bloc would harden them for a serious tilt at Sam, but the loss to Galway certainly wasn’t in the script.
Going down in Salthill deepened doubts around Derry’s credentials, and already without the injured Eoin McEvoy, Conor Doherty and Padraig McGrogan, Gareth McKinless’ red card added to Harte’s selection headaches.
Thankfully for Harte, McEvoy and Doherty have regained their fitness in time to face Armagh, but even with their half-back line considerably strengthened, the scrutiny on this Derry team remains intense as they enter another crucial test.
Again, defeat on Sunday would not sound the death knell on Derry’s season, but it would require a run of five straight wins to deliver Sam. Harte, more than most, will appreciate the difficulty of such a task.
Last year, none of the preliminary quarter-final winners reached the last four. If top spot is still a possibility, Derry must pour everything they have into grabbing it.
