McLean names league squad

Tom McLean has named a thirty two man squad ahead of the NHL campaign which gets under way against Ulster rivals Antrim at Celtic Park on Sunday (2pm).

 

Injured duo Paddy Henry and Conor Quinn are still recovering but McLean is hoping they will join the panel during the league.

 

Kevin Lynch’s player Paddy Kelly is back again on board, joining his clubmate and last year’s Derry minor goalkeeper Conor Owens on the squad.

 

Three players (Gareth O’Kane, Meehaul McGrath and Mark McGuigan) from county champions Slaughtneil have taken up the offer to join the panel giving McLean more options and O’Kane has experience from playing inter county hurling earlier in his career.

 

Four players from Eoghan Rua are on board, freetaker Ciaran Gaile, experienced defender Anton Rafferty as well as midfielders Ruaidhri Leonard and Thomas Magee. 

 

The Coleraine quartet will only have fully linked up with the squad this week after their exploits in Croke Park, so it’s not clear their level of involvement for this weekend’s clash with Antrim.

 

Despite losing a lot of players from last season there is still a nucleus of experience. Darrell McDermott is among one of the best goalkeepers in the business, Sean McCullagh is once again the captain and Ruairi Convery is in the ‘form of his life’ according to manager Tom McLean.

 

Former Ballycastle player and Swatragh man Mickey Conway is back on board and his leadership will be crucial in blending the young blood into the squad. Alan Grant, Brendán Quigley and Oisin McCloskey have plenty of experience – McCloskey is joined on the panel by brothers Tiarnán and Darragh.

 

When we spoke to McLean a few weeks ago, he highlighted that fifteen of last year’s squad were unavailable this season, for a variety of reasons. The Dunloy man has since drawn a line in the sand and is only looking forward.

 

The Oakleafers play Roscommon in the Christy Ring opener but McLean is adopting the ‘one game at a time’ policy. First up is his native Antrim on Sunday.

Derry Senior Hurling Panel 2016

•  Breandán Quigley (Na Magha)
•  Alan Grant (Na Magha)
•  Deaglán Foley (Na Magha)
•  Brendan Douban (Na Magha)
•  Oisin McCloskey (Banagher)
•  Darragh McCloskey (Banagher)
•  Jonathan O’Dwyer (Banagher)
•  Darrell McDermott (Banagher)
•  Sean McCullagh (Banagher) ( captain)
•  Tiarnán McCloskey (Banagher)
•  Shane Farren ( Banagher)
•  Niall Farren (Banagher)
•  Gabriel Farren (Banagher)
•  Paddy Kelly (Kevin Lynch’s)
•  Conor Owens (Kevin Lynch’s)
•  Anton Rafferty (Eoghan Rua)
•  Ruaidhri Leonard (Eoghan Rua)
•  Thomas Magee (Eoghan Rua)
•  Ciarán Gaile (Eoghan Rua)
•  Paul Cleary (Ballinascreen)
•  Johnny McCullagh (Ballinascreen)
•  Conor McSorley (Ballinascreen)
•  Marty Mulgrew (Ballinascreen)
•  Brendan Laverty (Lavey)
•  Dermot O’Neill (Lavey)
•  Ruairi Convery (Swatragh)
•  Mickey Conway(Swatragh)
•  Eugene McGuckin (Swatragh)
•  Sean F Quinn (Swatragh)
•  Mark McGuigan (Slaughtneil)
•  Meehaul McGrath (Slaughtneil)
•  Gareth O’Kane (Slaughtneil)