Derry hurlers seeking improvement as Down visit Owenbeg

Both counties began their league campaigns with victory last weekend, Down scoring an eye catching 2-19 to 0-22 victory over Kildare while Derry etched out a hard fought two point win in Healy Park. The Oak Leafers secured that result without Cormac O'Doherty, Paddy Kelly, Ruairi O Mianain and Deaghlan Foley but McGarvey knows a similar display this weekend won’t be good enough.

"I'd have to agree the boys dug in well last week but we know we have to improve," stated the Derry boss, "We are realistic to know it will be real backs to the wall stuff against Down on Sunday with the players we are missing. But look, at the end of the day if someone is missing then it is an opportunity for someone else, that's the way I have always looked at it.

"Down have had a great start and, look, they're a battle hardened Joe McDonagh team who have played at that sort of level for a number of years now. They are a really good side, excellent up front. They have great pace, great movement and they will be favourites but that's fair enough.

"We have to go and we'll have to be a lot better than we were last week. I thought Tyrone playing with a sweeper, they dictated the terms of the match and we made too many errors.

"We passed up a couple of goal chances in the first half that would have made life a lot easier but we just weren't very good with the ball. It was something that was hard to put a finger on because, yes, conditions were horrible, it wasn't a great night for hurling but our basics weren't up to scratch. We were delighted to win the match but performance wise it is not where I think we should be at."

McGarvey is not expecting any of his missing players to be fit to start this weekend, although one or two may be named on the bench for a game in which the Derry boss wants his side to go back to basics.

"Defensively last week we were a bit, well three or four of the 0-14 Tyrone scored were silly frees we gave away while in possession. It's not that we fouled people, we hand-passed it away or dropped it - silly things like that," he added.

"Look, defensively we were not too bad otherwise. Paddy (Kelly) is a big loss to that but when we find a bit of rhythm - remember we have four or five new boys in and three or four who would be regular starters missing, but last week we didn't find the balance we were looking for.

"Saturday it is about trying to play the game against Down on our own terms, playing our own game and trying to make it hard for Down."

The Lavey native has been open about his primary league objective being consolidation but says there are no particular targets set with each game representing an unique challenge in itself.

"Down play at that consistent level. They don't really fluctuate their performance up and down," he explained, "You know what you're getting from them; that's real hard hitting, good tough hurling and a team that has really good forwards in it. We are very aware of the threat they have and from our point of view we have to be better (than last week).

"We haven't set any target for safety, we play the games as they come. If you go down that other route and you don't get there, do you call it a disappointment?

"We don't want that. We know we're under a bit of pressure right now missing the boys we are but we will be well prepared. We'll have done a lot of work this week and we will try to get something out of it. Come what may, we want to stay in this division, we want to be back in it next year."