Two snippets of action from Derry’s first Ulster title win since 1998 epitomised the essence of ‘Rory-ball.’
Shane McGuigan - Derry’s strike forward and the man they constantly look to get on the ball - has a lot on his plate already as the main shooter in the team.
McGuigan knows as well as anyone though that Rory Gallagher is constantly demanding more from everyone - no exceptions.
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Four minutes into extra time of last Sunday’s triumph over Donegal at Clones, McGuigan was on defensive duties, digging in and doing his bit on the uglier side of the game.
Hugh McFadden launched a point effort but it dropped short around the Derry goalmouth.
There was McGuigan, Derry’s key attacker, to pick up the ball and work it out.
Derry went on to eke out a two point lead in extra-time, but in the dying seconds Michael Murphy had a 13 metre free.
He fired it goal bound with the Ulster title on the line.
It was just about stopped in the square. Ryan McHugh’s rebound was also blocked in a heart-stopping moment.
Picking up the pieces and driving out to lift the siege was McGuigan.
Hoards of Derry players followed him upfield as referee Sean Hurson blew the final whistle.
“It was definitely hairy,” admits McGuigan.
“We definitely would have been heartbroken (if Donegal got a late goal). We knew we had put everything into that performance.
“We left everything out on the pitch. I think it would have been harsh.
“When I came out with the ball I just saw a flood of jerseys coming. I saw CD (Conor Doherty) breaking.
“All the boys breaking and I just knew them boys could have ran another 20 minutes, but we got the cup at the end of the day.”
Anyone who was at last year’s behind closed doors, Donegal/Derry Ulster quarter-final at Ballybofey will have heard Gallagher constantly on to his players to work, track, get back to set up their defence and then break forward.
‘Roryball’ is a mindset and requires serious concentration and energy levels.
Gareth McKinless - as sweeper that day - got a fair amount of instruction, but plenty of it was aimed at McGuigan, the team’s star forward.
Gallagher doesn’t tolerate passengers in any phase of the game.
McGuigan says: “Rory harps on about, we attack with 15 players but we also defend with 15 players.
“In any other professional sport - soccer, everybody is defending. Basketball, everybody is defending.”
He smiles: “So it’s something that a lazy corner forward like myself, or full forward, just has to buy into.
“He has definitely turned my mindset in that regard.”
The purists might not like it, and you rarely see David Clifford back there, but Shane McGuigan has an Ulster medal, and Derry have a first Anglo-Celt Cup since 1998.
“Look, last year (Donegal defeat by a point), I have spoken openly about it,” continued McGuigan.
“I was in a low place after it. We had put everything into it last year and you wonder if you will have the same motivation to go again.
“It did take a while for us to kick into gear but Rory had us primed for Championship.
“It’s one thing that no matter what day you are going out, you have to give your all - or under Rory Gallagher and Ciaran Meenah you will be sitting on the sidelines.
“I think that belief and determination stood to us in the end.”
McGuigan has learned to be patient and wait for his opportunity.
Last Sunday he had six shots and came away with six points, five of them frees.
Time and time again he was inches away from pulling the trigger but held off, knowing the shot wasn’t on.
“We had prepared for it,” said McGuigan.
“Against Cavan they (Donegal) were definitely a bit more open than they were (against Derry). They were playing with two and three sweepers.
“We knew it could be 50 or 60 minutes before the game started to open up.
“Patience was the main word. Thankfully the boys just stuck to the same gameplan, stuck to the same patterns of play and it saw us through in the end.”
McGuigan’s Slaughtneil club mate Brendan Rogers was a tower of strength and a relentless runner, firing three points from play and playing in Conor Glass for his last gasp score.
“Brendan is a unique character now,” said McGuigan. “There is nothing fazes him.
“You could go out and tell him tomorrow he is marking David Clifford and he would just approach it the same way.
“To be fair to him, you’d find it hard to come across a more professional athlete. The man doesn’t drink.
“He lives and breathes the gym and you can see it stood to him there.
“Three points from full back against big Murphy.
“Michael maybe kicked a couple but still I thought Brendan definitely came out on top in that battle and we are just lucky to have him.”
Derry won their opening four Division 2 games, but a draw with Roscommon and shipping four goals in a home defeat by Galway meant the Oak Leaf men missed out on promotion.
Many thought they had found their level against the top two teams in the League and weren’t ready to take the next step into Division 1.
Two months later though they are Ulster champions, having beaten three Division 1 sides along the way.
McGuigan explains what happened: “Galway gave us a trouncing and people were seriously doubting us.
“But we regrouped after the League. We went into a really intense period (of training), and I think that stood to us in the last 10 or 15 minutes of the game, and even in extra-time.
“I think our legs stood to us. Peter Hughes is a genius. The work he has put in with us. He has been one of the main men.
“He’s the best S and C (Strength and Conditioning coach) I’ve ever come across and I don’t say that lightly.
“The work he has put in really stood to us.
“It was the current All-Ireland champions and then two Division 1 teams. I don’t think it comes much harder than that.
“If we, as a team, can’t take belief out of beating them, I don’t think we ever will.
“We have come across teams that are still further down the road than us. Donegal have contested 10 of the last 12 Ulster finals.
“Monaghan have been there, won their two Ulsters. The same with Tyrone - add an All-Ireland on top of that.
“We have one got. To put in the performances that we did, not only the performances, but then winning.
“We put in a performance last year against Donegal, but we didn’t win.
“It was time to start delivering victories and thankfully this year we are getting it right with victories.”
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