Yet before Peter Ford walked he saw the need for Ja Fallon, Derek Savage and Padraic Joyce to steady the seniors while his replacement Liam Salmon has said there's no need for a clear out.

We'll leave that study to students and instead concentrate on the latest Galway underage team threatening to become stars. They've beaten both of last year's finalists . . . they were good against Roscommon and in their win over Kerry in the semi-final they emerged from one of the highest quality minor matches played in many years. In Paul Conroy they have a superb ball-winner at midfield and in Michael Martyn they have a lethal full-forward. On top of that they are underdogs, a status that will suit them just fine.

Should they emerge today, it won't be by much given Derry's prowess. They've only lost one game this year . . .Tyrone beating them in the Ulster final thanks to a point that never was . . . and they responded to that set-back brilliantly. They already won the Ulster League earlier this year, and against Laois they looked lethal in front of goal in the Croke Park encounter and again in the replay. Aidan Heron, Declan Mullan, Lee Moore and Gavin McGeehan are all good finishers but there are question marks over their defence which allowed Laois back into the drawn semifinal and have shown a soft centre too often. It's in that sector where Galway have the winning of this game. Salmon will hope it's a team that might cause the need for a clear out not too far down the line.

Verdict Galway DERRY A Warnock; M McKinney, C McWilliams, D Bell; C McGaigue, JF Bradley, B Henry; J Kielt, C O'Boyle; S Cleary, A Heron, D Mullan; N Forrester, G McGeehan, L Moore GALWAY O Higgins; E Glynn, C Forde, K Kelly; C Doherty, D O'Reilly, T Fahy; P Conroy, A Grif"n; JJ Greaney, T Walsh, J O'Brien; J Ryan, M Martyn, D Reddington ALL IRELAND MFC FINAL DERRY v GALWAY Croke Park, 1.30 Referee D Fahy (Longford) Live, RTE Two, 12.30