Derry manager Rory Gallagher credited Conor Glass and Ethan Doherty for putting the distraction of this past week behind them to line-out for their county yesterday.

With the saga over last weekend's All-Ireland club SFC final still rumbling on, the Glen duo started in the Ulster champions’ comfortable 0-16 to 0-4 victory over Limerick in Owenbeg, where Gallagher hailed their “great mental strength” when speaking to BBC Sport NI afterwards.

“Nobody expected the outcome or what’s been spoken about since,” said the Oak Leaf boss.

“We have well defined breaks, well established breaks, for the boys and we hadn’t even have a discussion about it (whether they'd play or not( in the last few weeks.

“They have great mental strength. I know their mentality and they love playing football for Glen and for Derry. Conor was outstanding given he hasn’t even trained with us.

“We all expected Glen to be finished last week but the boys are available for Derry now and that’s it.”

He added: “I would sympathise with them (Glass and Doherty) that there is this distraction. Your natural reaction for two players you’ve an awful friendship and bond with is that, when they don’t win, you are emotionally upset for them.”

Tweet

Most Read Stories