Derry City’s ladies – their squad backboned by a dozen Donegal women – are on the cusp of returning to the Northern Ireland Women’s Premiership, after a 12-month absence.
The Candystripes were relegated last season and immediately set about reclaiming their spot among the elite.
On Wednesday evening, the Daniel Nolan-managed side travels to Annagh United’s grounds in Portadown to take on Portadown United. They have another away tie next week, to Killen Rangers.
Three points against Portadown will mean the title – and promotion – is Derry’s to savour.
“it would mean everything to win the League now and get back up where we belong again,” says Niamh Connolly, one of the Donegal dozen in the Derry ranks.
The Buncrana woman is in her eighth season at the club. With eleven League goals to her name this season, Connolly has been one of the main reasons for Derry’s surely-immediate restoration to the top flight.
“It’s not been my best season, but they’re going in. We win on Wednesday, that’s us back in the Premier League – where we should be, I think,” Connolly says.
“Two seasons ago, it was tough, winning the double. We made hard work of that. But to come straight down again was very hard. We came back stronger this year again.
Remaining Games
August 16 – Portadown (a)
August 24 – Killen Rangers (a)
“The only thing we wanted this year was to go straight up. We don’t deserve to be down here. This year has been all about building for next year, getting the team playing the way we want and getting everyone on the same page. We want to get up and stay up.”
Two young boys mischievously wandering around the outskirts of Templemore Sports Complex are enquiring about the destination of the wooden pallets stacked invitingly off the playing pitches.
The youngsters, their age barely in double figures, are ‘collecting for the bonfire’ and oblivious to the fire that’s raging inside the 20 women being put through their paces.
Derry have certainly blazed their way through this season. They’ve lost just once, a 4-3 defeat to Lisburn in May, and the goals have been raining in from all angles.
“They’re all capable of scoring goals,” says manager Nolan, who has spent time at both Finn Harps and Cockhill Celtic as a coach.
“If we get into the Premiership we’ll need to step it up again. It would be a different animal altogether.
“When you have a good squad you have to be confident. Players that are coming in, you want them to get to that level too. Getting back up has been the aim. Any team from Derry City Football Club has to be playing at the highest level. That’s a given for this city. It’s where they expect to be and it’s where they have to be.”
The commute for Caoimhe Walsh is a two-hour round trip from Kerrykeel, but the Mulroy College student doesn’t mind.
Niamh Connolly and Caoimhe Walsh
The former Fanad United and Lagan Harps player signed with Derry last summer.
She travels to the Maiden city up to four times a week on occasion to train, play or go to the gym.
“It’s a lot of commitment, it takes me an hour to get here to training,” Walsh says.
“It’s a lot of travel for a two-hour training session. Coming in to win the League now, it shows that it’s been worth it.
“It’s been a great season. Just one more win and we have it. The standard in here is very high. Playing National League is unreal. Even in the training, going from once a week to four times a week it’s a massive jump.”
Connolly has seen some changes in her Derry career and the Inishowen woman – one of nine players on the City squad from the peninsula – has had plenty of success too. She was Division 1 Player of the Year in her first season, she’s won a double, seen the good times and the bad.
Derry City Ladies FC – the Donegal Connection
Niamh Connolly, from Buncrana, striker, 8th season
Ella McLaughlin, Buncrana right-midfield, 1st season
Shania McGonigle, Clonmany, striker, 1st season
Nicole Gordon, Ballyliffin, centre-back, 1st season
Lauren Cregan, Clonmany, striker, 1st season
Fiona Doherty, Clonmany, goalkeeper, 1st season
Rachel McLaughlin, Carndonagh, centre-midfield, 2nd season
Gemma McGuinness, Greencastle, right-midfield, 1st season
Caoimhe Walsh, Kerrykeel, left-back/midfielder, 2nd season
Aisling McDevitt, Kerrykeel, centre-back 2nd season
Jenna Doherty, Muff, left-back, 2nd season
Eimear Callaghan, Fanad, right-back, 4th season
“When I came in here, it was kind of more like just rock up to training a couple of times, but now we’re committed to everything, gym sessions and all – everyone wants it,” Connolly says.
“Anyone who comes here now should know what to expect – give 110 per cent and get the rewards.
“It’s been some difference. I was playing for Cockhill and one of my friends, Ciara, who used to play here, asked us to come and join Derry – and I haven’t left since!
“I’ve been through it all here. I’ve seen us struggle for players and have hard times, but seeing young ones now progress and break into the senior team, it’s great reward and makes it all worthwhile.”
Englishman Nolan was recruited by Rory Kehoe last winter following Derry’s relegation from the top flight. When Kehoe stepped away at the mid-way point, Nolan was the natural successor.
“I jumped at the chance,” he says.
“It’s been hard work and a lot of time away from family and understanding from work, but I’ve enjoyed it. The girls have given everything in terms of what has been asked of them.
“This is a lot different. I want professionalism at any team I’m at. I wanted to bring that and a bit more to Derry.
“Playing in any national league you have to have players coming in who are willing to make sacrifices in terms of getting here.”
Walsh was a player of obvious talent who was taken in last summer.
Last February, she scored twice as Mulroy College beat St Peter’s CS from Passage West in Cork 2-1 to win the FAI Schools Senior B title, while she featured for Lagan in a 1-0 loss to Castlebar in 2016.
Walsh has been capped by Ireland at Under-16 and Under-16 level and could be back among familiar foes next year. Former Lagan team-mates Ciana Brogan, Niamh Mailey and Zoe McGlynn are among the Donegal natives at Sion Swifts in the Premiership.
Walsh, who has weighed in with a couple of goals from her new-found midfield role, says: “It’d be an unreal step to the Premier League, from the standard to the stadiums, but that’s where we want to be. Everything this year has been about getting back up again.
“I was winning left, right and centre up in Donegal. It’d be unreal to win this now.”
Nolan was thrown in at the deep end following Kehoe’s departure, but has taken Derry to within touching distance of the Promised Land again.
| Championship Table | P | W | D | L | Pts |
| Derry City Ladies | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 27 |
| Lisburn Ladies | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| Portadown Int Ladies | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 24 |
| Killen Rangers Ladies | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 18 |
| Carnmoney Ladies | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 6 |
| Lagan Athletic | 10 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 6 |
| Armagh City Ladies | 9 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Help sometimes is not too plentiful and often the manager at this level is left holding more than the can, but Nolan is particularly indebted to the help of Derry player Caoímhe Logue, who has taken on an assistant’s role.
Nolan says: “When I took the job I needed a player who was interested in taking a coaching role. Caoimhe has been fantastic. I couldn’t have done this without her help. She’s been great in terms of the organising side of things and she’s been involved in coaching too. She’s well respected in the group and she was the first person I looked to for an assistant.
“The club has been great too. Anything that we’ve needed, the club have helped us out. That makes my job a lot easier. Kenny (Shiels) has spoken before about the club being a community and we’ve been getting great numbers here.”
For the Foyle Cup, they also included Mulroy’s Claire Friel and Emma Doherty while Erin Coll of St Johnston has been among their number, too, though her participation has been restricted due to her work commitments away from the north-west.
The Derry City Ladies squad pictured during the Foyle Cup
While Connolly is in her eighth Derry campaign, the likes of Buncrana’s Ella McLaughlin, Clonmany’s Shania McGonigle, Lauren Cregan and Fiona Doherty, Greencastle woman Gemma McGuinness – who has netted 14 goals – and Ballyliffin’s Nicole Gordon are all at the end of the first seasons in the Candystripes.
Like Connolly, they could be there for the long haul.
Connolly says: “We didn’t know what to expect last season in the Premiership, but we know now and we’ve strengthened the squad.
“This is definitely the strongest squad I’ve played at in Derry. We have subs now who come in and can make a massive difference. You don’t need 11. You need a squad and you have to keep building on that.”
And so they have. They can almost touch it now.
“We’re not quite there yet, but almost…So close,” as Nolan puts it.
A win on Wednesday and the bonfires could blaze again.
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