- Written by Ora Bannon
- BBC Sports NI
Derry manager Mickey Harte felt the cancellation of the league final was a “disgrace” and said it would have been an “anti-climax” if his team had won the Division One title in the final. Ta. Sunday's game against Roscommon was a 2-19 to 1-9 win.
Some have called for the league finals to be scrapped to give teams more time to prepare for the championship.
Derry will face Dublin in the Division 1 final at Croke Park on Easter Sunday.
“I think it would be a disgrace to take away the league finals,” Hart said.
After a strong first season under former Tyrone manager Hart, Derry sit top of Division One with 12 points after seven regular games.
They will face All-Ireland champions Dublin, who finished second with 10 points, in the final at Croke Park on Easter Sunday.
“For a team at the bottom of the league, I think the chance to play a league final in Croke Park is the highlight of the year,” Derry said.
“It’s a big day for a lot of them, so why take that away?
“If the league ends today and the team that is ahead wins the league, it would be an anticlimax. I don't want that.
“I don't know what's important. Just one more week of soccer and one more week of trying for a championship and that's it.”
Mackinless's broken nose
Hart confirmed Gareth Mackinress suffered a broken nose early in Sunday's game and said he hoped he would be able to play in the “not too distant future”, but said he would leave that decision to the medical team.
Asked if he had a chance of playing in next Sunday's league final, he said: “It seems very unlikely, but you never know. Strange things happen.”
Derry defeated Roscommon with 30 minutes remaining, relegating Yoyo County from the top flight for the fourth time in eight seasons and putting them on track for the next league final against Dublin. The two sides met in the Division 2 final last year, with the Dubs winning.
Hart has had an impressive record in the competition, leading Tyrone to Division One glory in 2003 and Louth to the Division Four final in 2021.
A place in the league final was never in doubt yesterday, but there was a sloppy enough first half against Roscommon and Hart admitted it would not be enough to repeat the opening 40 minutes next week.
“They (Roscommon) were going to come with guns blazing and fight for their lives and they proved that for 45 minutes, but we have to be prepared for that.
“It’s good to be able to perform at a higher level when we need to.
“Some days we can do that, some days we can't do it. We need to be more consistent and play at a higher level throughout the game.
“We have to learn as we go. Obviously next week, with the level of performance in the first 40, 45 minutes, we won't be in a very good position.”
Asked if it would be beneficial for Derry to play All-Ireland champions Dublin three weeks before facing Donegal in the Ulster Championship, Hart said: “It could be beneficial depending on the result.”
“If the results are not as expected, there may be less profit.
“We saw what they did today (to Tyrone) and they're mean and hungry. They don't have much sympathy for others.”
With the late arrival of Matthew Downie, Hart became the 37th player to appear in 11 McKenna Cup and league games as Derry manager.
They have also scored some big scores with the forwards taking some of the load off Shane McGuigan, and Hart should be happy with Derry's current situation as the Championship approaches.
“There is nothing perfect in this life except progress.
“We're introducing more players to this level of competition and you're introducing players to the highest level of league football, so that's a good thing.
“But the Championship is its own standalone thing, so we have to try our blood a few more times in the Championship if possible and see where it takes us.”