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DERRY'S REMARKABLE FALL CAN'T GO ON

- By KARL O'KANE

THIS time 12 months ago Derry were riding the crest of wave.

Mickey Harte's side had won in Kerry, comfortably disposed of Tyrone, thumped Monaghan and put three goals past Galway on the way to victory in Salthill.

Four wins, top of the table and safe in Division 1.

Derry were able to rest some big name players for the Celtic Park 1-16 to 1-11 loss against Dublin, with an eye on a potential League final with Dessie Farrell's side.

As if to ram home the message that they were masters of their own destiny and would decide if they wanted to win or not, they triumphed in Castlebar against Mayo and then hammered Roscommon.

The epic final with Dublin on March 31 ended with a Derry penalty shoot-out victory, a rare big-game win at Croker and a first Division 1 title since 2008.

Since that afternoon, Derry have only secured one victory in regulation time across 11 matches, a shaky All-Ireland qualifier win over Westmeath.

They defeated Mayo on penalties in the preliminary All-Ireland quarter-final and this year they drew with Galway at Celtic Park in Division 1 action.

A team that couldn't stop winning suddenly can't buy a win.

The loss of Rory Gallagher and the subsequent fallout is the unspoken underlying factor here, with Harte and Derry realising after a year that the fit wasn't right.

Paddy Tally was appointed very late in the day. Another factor in Derry's struggles, but it doesn't fully explain how far they appear to have fallen.