Deja vu for All-Ireland minor football decider – two Ulster teams again playing at another venue in the province

The Oak Leafers won the first game comfortably before they met again in the Ulster final. Armagh did close the gap, but the result was ultimately the same.

Now the Orchard County, playing in their first minor final since 2009, will be hoping the third time��s the charm.

Derry manager Damian McErlain is not surprised their Ulster neighbours have made it this far and admits the familiarity of the two teams creates challenges.

“If you have two championship matches under the belt, then you do get a bit more familiar with each other, but it is no surprise Armagh are back,” McErlain said.

“There’s no doubt it will be a different game than the last day, just because of the way these things are. It will never be the same style of game again, but we’re just looking forward to it. I think Galway and Mayo were in a similar situation a couple of years ago, and that is something we have to deal with. We have to find the pieces from the last game that take us on and develop us, but vice versa, they will be trying to do the same.

“On the law of averages, they will be thinking they can get one over on us, but that’s up to us to try and work around that, and make sure that doesn’t happen.”

As Derry are the reigning All-Ireland champions, McErlain is no stranger to preparing for the biggest game these young men might play in. ​

With 10 players from last season still eligible there is a bit of deja vu too.

Last season’s final was also an all-Ulster affair as Derry played Monaghan, and it was also hosted in a northern stadium at the Athletic Grounds; tomorrow’s match (2.0) will take place in Omagh’s Healy Park.

“There is definitely a bit of deja vu, because we are playing a team that we played in the group stage, played in the Ulster final, and then because we are back in a final that happens to be in an Ulster venue, so it is uncanny that is how it has worked out again for the second year in a row.

“I suppose that just shows the work that has gone on in Ulster, that’s three different counties involved between Monaghan, Armagh and ourselves, so it just shows Ulster football is healthy.”

Although having two teams from the north face off in one of Ulster’s best-known pitches is brilliant for the province, McErlain can’t help but feel like his boys are being robbed of the opportunity to play in Croke Park, where the minor finals used to take place.

“Everybody wants to get to Croke Park, whether you’re a manager, a coach or a player. It’s just a pity they couldn’t have even had it on before the senior All-Ireland semi-finals, it doesn’t necessarily have to be on All-Ireland final day.

“Although, I did feel last year before the Dublin and Kerry final that there was a serious miss that there was no minor final on.

“It all just seems a bit ridiculous at the minute, I haven’t heard anyone come and say this is why they are doing it this way – there have been U-17 minors playing in finals for 40 years. Mark Lynch played and won an All-Ireland minor final in Croke Park when he was just 16.

“It’s all part of their development too, because the problem is that a good majority of them aren’t going to get the chance to play in Croke Park again or anything like it.”