Derry face Dublin for place in All Ireland Minor Football final

Derry minor footballers will be seeking a third All Ireland final appearance in seven years when they face Dublin in the BOX-IT Armagh Athletic Grounds on Sunday evening (5.30pm).

Manager Damian McErlain was in charge in 2017 when his team, which included the likes of Conor McCluskey and Padraig McGrogan, produced a superb display to overcome the Dubs by 0-17 to 0-14 and he's expecting this weekend's re-run to be every bit as close as that titanic struggle in Croke Park six years ago.

"There is no such thing as favourites at this stage. No one knows until you go out there," explained the Derry manager.

"That's the whole thing about it. You can go out one week and do very well and then go out the next and it’s all very tight.

"Our boys have been training very well. With the two week break, we had been used to going week on week over the last few months so it really felt like a decent stretch for us, but you need that to get over knocks and stuff ahead of the next round too. Look, it's been good in that sense, we got a bit of work done."

The Leinster champions have been in formidable form this season en route to the last four tie. After defeating Louth, Meath and Westmeath in their provincial qualifying group, the Dubs made short work of Offaly in the semi-final before over coming Kildare by 0-19 to 2-08 in the Leinster decider.

That victory set up an All Ireland quarter final against Cork in which Damien Fennelly's side looked beaten before staging a remarkable second half comeback to outscore Cork by 1-06 to no score in the final 26 minutes of the contest and eventually claim a 1-18 to 2-21 win.

"Dublin are a very physically strong side," added McErlain, "They have a huge midfield and are very athletic with real pace throughout the team.

"They bring a real intensity to their game. They have a savage work rate all over the pitch and seem to be a team who like the big spaces. I think even their manager said the bigger pitches suit them.

"That would add up with their game but again, they are like any Dublin side you are going to come up against in championship football, they are well coached and well drilled with good players all over the pitch."

Derry's own progress has been just as impressive, their latest statement a superb 1-13 to 0-04 victory over Galway, a result that completed a Ulster 'double' over Connacht with Monaghan defeating Mayo in another quarter-final tie.

"Galway probably weren't as strong as we had anticipated but we played well," admitted the Derry boss, "We did most of the things we wanted to do in the game. There is no doubt we were in control from start to finish in the game.

"When you are defensively sound you are putting yourself in a decent position though we have left scores behind us all through the championship, so we will be looking to kick on and try to improve that.

"Conditions were difficult which probably nobody appreciated on the television. It rained throughout the whole match and quite literally put a dampener on some of the attacking play but that's an areas we want to improve on.

"The boys have shown that defensive side throughout the year and they do work well as a team. They get on well as a team as well which helps but football is all about what you do on the day and Sunday will be no different, it's about doing it on the day."

The Derry boss admitted it can be a help to a management team to have been down the road before but stressed the onus is on the players once they cross the white line.

"It does no harm having been there. There's no doubt you understand things a bit more in terms of learning what you can about teams you haven't played against etc, watching video work, things like that.

"You realise it can be hard to gauge the standard in each province. It can be much better than you expect or it may not be as strong, as we found out with Monaghan getting the better of Mayo as well as us defeating Galway. Ulster seems to be at a good level in that light but you wouldn't particularly know that from watching videos.

"Until you put the two teams out together on the pitch you never really know exactly where the level is at."