DERRY have no fear of playing in Croke Park says former county captain Gerard O’Kane as the Oak Leafers prepare for another outing in Headquarters.
Derry’s last two visits to Jones’ Road haven’t been pleasant experiences, with both Galway and Dublin proving too strong on the day.
Two goals from Damian Comer helped Padraic Joyce’s Tribesmen topple Derry in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final while Dublin put four majors past them in this season’s Division Two league final.
However, O’Kane, an ambassador of the Electric Ireland Minor Football Championship, feels that those recent failures were down to the level of opposition, rather than the venue.
“I don’t think there’s a fear of Croke Park, it’s just the fact they were playing two of the top three teams in Ireland. If you look at the game before the Galway game last year, they put 5-13 past Clare (in the All-Ireland quarter-final).
“Before that, they had come through the ranks and won Division Three and Division Four titles in Croke Park, mostly the same team, so I don’t think the Croke Park thing holds any fear, they were just playing two really strong teams.”
Having topped their group following a draw with Monaghan and wins against Donegal and Clare, Derry will enjoy the freedom of a week’s break before their last-eight clash, which will be of huge benefit to Ciaran Meenagh’s side suggests O’Kane.
“I think it’s quite public that Derry work with a smaller squad than a lot of other teams, so the same boys are all getting football more often,” added the Glenullin clubman.
“So, the week’s break will benefit a squad like Derry more so than anybody else. They are working with such a small squad of 26 or 27 players all in.”
In terms of the race for the Sam Maguire, O’Kane can’t pick any stand-out favourite that’s currently ahead of the pack but does believe that the four group-toppers and quarter-finalists, are best placed for a tilt at the title.
“There are 12 teams left in the competition, realistically, there’s six of them saying that if the draw works in their favour, then they can make an assault on it,” suggested O’Kane, who led Derry to a minor All-Ireland title back in 2002.
“Really, from here on in, you only have to get it right for one month. There are only five weekends left so from here on in, you’re not having to get it right over the course of a full Championship because it’s so condensed.
“There’s probably, realistically, about six teams who can win it and that’s including the likes of Armagh, who didn’t win an Ulster title, but Armagh, for these last five weeks, they could win an All-Ireland just the same way that Derry could.
“Obviously there’s two other teams already in the quarter-finals as well (Kerry and Dublin), so those four are better placed. But there will be teams in the preliminary quarter-final who will be looking to get over that and get a bit of momentum.
“If the winner came from any of those eight teams really, then I don’t think anyone would be surprised.”
