Galway 2-8 Derry 1-6: Oak Leafers must adopt 'Plan B' to realise All-Ireland dream

Derry must broaden their tactical blueprint and incorporate a "Plan B" if the Oak Leafers are to realise their dream of winning an All-Ireland, says former Cavan forward Cian Mackey.

Having won the Ulster Championship for the first time in 24 years, Derry strolled past Clare to set up an All-Ireland semi-final against Galway.

However, with Derry sticking to a tried-and-tested defensive gameplan, Galway's scoring power shone through as the Connacht champions won 2-8 to 1-6 to set up a decider with Kerry.

Speaking on BBC Radio Foyle's Sportsound after the game, Mackey said Derry must "have more ways to win a game" in any future bid to lift the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time since 1993.

"They have the defence and the fitness, but they need to learn so much from this year," said Mackey, who called time on his 15-year inter-county career in January 2020.

"It's been a fantastic year but they need to learn that you have to have more ways to win a game. They couldn't get the goals today and they only kicked six points with maybe three or four from play. That's not going to win you any All-Irelands."

Derry toppled Sam Maguire holders Tyrone, Monaghan and Donegal to ascend to the provincial summit before putting Clare to the sword in a one-sided All-Ireland quarter-final.

And while Rory Gallagher's side made a promising start against Galway to lead 0-3 to 0-0 after 20 minutes, the Tribesmen drew level before half-time and fashioned scores from turnovers in the second half with Damien Comer twice finding the net after Derry squandered possession.

Galway mirrored Derry's defensive approach in a turgid first half, but while Padraic Joyce's men opened up after the break, Derry were unable to break down the maroon rearguard when they had the ball bar Lachlan Murray's consolation goal in injury time.

"The game management [from Galway], they let them wear out their energy over and back the field and then when they had to force the issue, they got ahead," added Mackey.

"Derry had no answers, either coming off the bench or on the field. That's a problem.

"You still have to look at the positives. Where they were last year, losing to Donegal in the first round to where they are now.

"They're Ulster champions, they've beaten the All-Ireland champions Tyrone as well as Monaghan and Donegal, three of the top teams in Ulster in the last 10 years, so they've come on leaps and bounds, but they will be frustrated.

"There's definitely more in this team but they have to look at a Plan B. They have a Plan A and when that works they're a frightening outfit to play against, but it wasn't working and there was no Plan B."

For former Donegal forward Brendan Devenney, "the Ulster tactic of playing blanket counter attack" cannot be relied upon in the spacious environs of Croke Park.

"You're not going to score enough," said the St Eunan's clubman.

"You have to commit more to your attacking element and in the first half, while Galway sat in, once they got a bit of the run on Derry you saw their attacking intent. They had more forward presence to go and beat them and clock up enough scores.

"Clare the last day maybe gave Derry a false sense of where they are because Derry annihilated them with their power and strength and the wide open spaces seemed to suit them.

"I thought 'maybe Rory [Gallagher]'s learned, maybe there is a second side to him' but we saw today he reverted back to something that might work in Clones. I just don't think that tactic is going to take you far enough here.

"There's a massive question mark of tactics with Ulster teams coming here but the caveat is what Tyrone did last year. They opened up, they trusted their defenders to go man on man, they kick-passed the ball and they let their forwards play."

Derry's Ulster triumph but subsequent All-Ireland semi-final exit has drawn comparisons to Jim McGuinness' famously defensive Donegal side, who also had Gallagher as a coach.

And while Donegal's system - the foundation of which was a blanket defence and safety-first retention of possession - yielded an All-Ireland in 2012, Devenney feels that top teams are "streetwise" to such tactics these days.

"The difference was that the tactic Donegal were playing, nobody else was counter-acting it," he explained.

"Football's moved on now. Donegal in 2011, everyone let them boss the tactics of the game but teams aren't allowing that to happen anymore so it will be more difficult for Derry to take that next step because the other teams are streetwise to what's happening.

"So as much as this is a building point for Derry, that team could win Ulster again next year, but if they get to the [All-Ireland] semi-final again they have to have that ability to unlock another couple of players as a way of posting more scores."