Nicholl’s men finish AIL campaign on the road

This will be a crucial game for both clubs with the prospect of finishing second in the League and promotion to AIL Division 1B if either team can produce the required result.

It will be a straight forward outcome for UCC get a four try bonus point victory and they get promoted.

For City of Derry its get a four try bonus point victory and UUC don’t get a bonus point plus Barnhall defeat Ballymena at Eaton Park.

Is the impossible possible this season, it was in Season 2010-2011 when going into the last day of the season City of Derry were lying in third position in AIL Division 3 with Seapoint or Instonians destined to win the league and both get promoted.

Derry defeated Naas 58-6 at Judges Road and with Seapoint and Instonians being defeated by Banbridge and Barnhall respectively, the Judges Road men won the league on point’s difference to initiate a night of celebration.

UCC along with Galwegians were relegated from AIL Division 1B the season before last. The Galway men are already promoted this season as runaway league leaders and UCC’s destiny is now in their own hands.

They will be confident of defeating Derry at their beloved Mardyke on Saturday afternoon as they came to Derry on the first day of last season and shocked the Judges Road men with a 45-15 victory, they will be hoping for a repeat of that performance to get them promoted this time around.

City of Derry and UCC had played one another in the AIL nine times before last season with honours even, each having won on four occasions and drawn once.

City of Derry’s most successful season around that period was 1999-2000 with Gerald McCarter and Mark McFeely as coaches.

The Judges Road side won the Ulster League and Cup Double, both titles being won for the first time ever by the club. Derry also had an outstanding AIL campaign finishing fourth when they beat among others, clubs likes Old Belvedere, Greystones, UCC, Galwegians, UCD and Blackrock who had Leo Cullen and Shane Byrne. UCC had Peter Stringer, Mick O’Driscoll and Jerry Flannery while Galwegians had Eric Elwood and Bective had one Trevor Brennan.

City of Derry have had an indifferent season this time with injuries, unavailability of players and without a settled side causing notable unexpected setbacks against Banbridge and Highfield and a draw at Bective.

Despite everything to be still in with an outside chance of promotion on the last day of the season is a testimony to the quality of players in the club.

Head Coach Mark Nicholl and his assistant Ashley Blair will have their charges well primed for this final throw of the dice in what could be deja vous all over again.