From the Candystripes to the Championship

October 2021. 

Six years and six months after their under-19s last appeared in the final, Derry City won the Enda McGuill Cup. A group of teenagers realised the dreams of footballers throughout the country, by lifting one of the most prestigious pieces of underage silverware.

September 5-7th 2014.

Derry band The Undertones played the No. 6 Festival in Wales the same weekend as Derry City under-19s kicked off their first game of the season against Longford Town; with the Candystripes going on reach the final of the Enda McGuill Cup a few months later.

City, however, would lose to UCD in the final by a scoreline of three goals to two.

Consequently, that would be their last appearance at that stage of the competition until October 2021. 

From the 2021 crop of Derry talent, Caoimhin Porter, Evan McLaughlin, Orrin McLaughlin, Gerard Storey and Tiernan McKinney have seen pre-season action for Ruaidhri Higgins’ charges.

Meanwhile, another couple – including goalkeeper Ruadhan McKenna – are playing in the NIPL and, according to media reports, there’s interest in the UK for striker Michael Harris.

In terms of where these players will be in seven years’ time, few can be able to predict, but if it’s anything like that first under-19 side which lined out against Longford Town in September 2014 – under the guidance of John Quigg – there’s a few players who will be worth keeping an eye on.

Lining out between the sticks that day was Michael Lynch. Lynch recently featured in the Dr McKenna Cup Final for Donegal, in his latest final appearance.



Lynch’s switch to the GAA follows a similar trend to former City keeper Shaun Patton with whom he is currently battling for the number one jersey as Donegal seek their first All-Ireland victory since their 2012 success.

That success was under Jim McGuinness, who, incidentally, was one of the coaches with the successful Derry City under-19s in 2021, managed by Gerald Boyle.

Battling Lynch for the goalkeeping position in 2014 was Dylan Doherty who is currently on the books of Institute FC.

His former coach Eamon Seydak is now the Academy Head at the club while 2021 McGuill Cup winner Caolan McLaughlin is on loan from Derry City.

Among the defenders from 2014 were right back Conor McDermott, currently playing with Cliftonville and centre-half Patrick McClean - brother of Republic of Ireland international and ex-Derry City winger James.

The younger McClean is now a regular fixture in the Glentoran team which are currently top of the Northern Ireland Premier League.



The midfield for the young Candystripes against Longford in 2014 included Aidan McCauley, who, like the aforementioned Doherty and McLaughlin is playing with Institute.

Elsewhere, a different Doherty was also on duty in 2014, and is still involved at a semi-professional level at the moment.

Ryan Doherty is currently on the books of Limavady United, having joined in 2018.

Gareth McFadden and Stephen Mills, both subs in the Longford encounter, are also with the Premier Intermediate side.

However, much like Harris this season, it is in the attacking quarters where players have left to ply their trade abroad.

With Georgie Kelly having signed for Rotherham United last week, it now means that three of the eleven who started for the under-19s in September 2014 are now playing in the professional ranks of the English game. 

Rory Holden, at Walsall, was the first to leave, joining Bristol City in August 2017 after 13 games and one goal for Derry City.

From Ashton Gate he joined Barrow on loan for a period in 2018, Rochdale for a handful of games in 2019 before spending the next campaign on a temporary move to Walsall.

He signed permanently with the Saddlers after a successful 2019/20 season and started the following campaign strongly before a knee injury just before Christmas saw his campaign halted.

But despite a brief return in April 2021 the injury reappeared, and his misery was compounded only last week, as he was ruled out for the rest of the 2021/22 season due to the necessity for another operation.

Next to depart from Derry City was Ronan Curtis. The Republic of Ireland international recently became Portsmouth’s most prolific scorer of the twenty first century, overtaking the legendary Yakubu in the process.

The left winger joined the Fratton Park outfit in May 2018 after almost a century of league games (91) and 18 league goals for the Brandywell outfit.

He won the EFL Trophy the next season, the FAI Men’s under-21 International of the Year in 2019 and is on course to record over 200 appearances for the club as they chase promotion back to the Championship.

A point clear at the top of League One are Rotherham United, the new home of Georgie Kelly.

The Donegal man, who left the League of Ireland as the top scorer in the Premier Division of 2021 and reigning PFAI Player of the Year, moved from Derry City to UCD at the end of the 2015 season and he scored on his first home start for the Belfield outfit, where he played alongside recent Celtic recruit Liam Scales.

Together they began UCD’s First Division title-winning season, before Kelly, who scored prolifically whilst at Belfield, departed for Dundalk in July 2018 and spent 2020 on loan at St Patrick’s Athletic.

But it was his goal-laden campaign at Bohemians in 2021 that caught the attention of a number of clubs, most notably Paul Warne’s Yorkshire outfit for whom he will hope to add the League One title to both the First Division and Premier Division medals he won previously.

To have a talented crop of underage players translate into such a large number of players still involved in the game at a high level over seven and a half years later is a remarkable achievement.

Of the 361 players involved in that first weekend of the under-19 season in 2014, six are operating in the top four tiers of the English football pyramid and three of these came from Derry City.

Three professional players from the initial squad of eighteen is almost 17%. Incidentally, that is a figure which far exceeds the expectations of even the most optimistic of players and coaches.

Teenage dreams so hard to beat? Certainly, the future has positive undertones based on those who had their first teenage kicks at the Brandywell in 2014.

 

    About Tom O'Connor

    Dundalk based reporter following the league since Monaghan United’s goalless draw against Athlone Town in 1996. Special interest in education and underage football. Shortlisted for the 2018 FAI Communications Award for series on Life beyond … View Full Profile