Cavanagh: Harte stubborn streak costing Derry

After a swashbuckling league campaign, Derry's season is in grave danger of ending before the quarter-final stage.

Lifting Division 1 silverware back in April, after a shootout win over Dublin, seemed to signal a side determined to improve upon successive All-Ireland final semi-final defeats with Mickey Harte now in the hotseat.

Defeat however to Donegal in Ulster halted that momentum, a game notable for the amount of times the Tir Chonaill men turned over their high-pressing opponents with goalkeeper Odhran Lynch caught out on a number of occasions.

A narrow defeat to Galway in the first round of the All-Ireland series was compounded by horror defensive show against Armagh, with the Orchard County plundering three goals and spurning further goal opportunities in an 11-point victory at Celtic Park.

It means Derry take on Westmeath in round three, a winner-takes-all clash that will see the victor take third place and a preliminary quarter-final spot.

Speaking on The Sunday Game, Sean Cavanagh raised serious questions over Derry’s failure to address their defensive approach.

The three-time All-Ireland winner, who won all his Celtic Crosses under Harte, believes the inflexible approach hasn’t helped the Oak Leaf County.

"From a Derry perspective, you’d be asking why they haven’t learned their lessons from the Donegal game," he said.

Cavanagh: 'Why have Derry not learned their lesson... stubbornness seems to costing them right now.'

FT: Derry 0-15 - 3-17 Armagh