Derry senior hurling manager Johnny McGarvey delighted as Oak Leafers defeat Wicklow in Celtic Park to reach 2025 Christy Ring Cup final
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00:00Johnny, great performance and another Christie Ring Cup final I look forward to.
00:05Aye, 100%, 100% absolutely delighted for the boys.
00:10Just before I say anything more, I just want to pass my thoughts and prayers to the McDonnell family at that accident in Lavie yesterday.
00:17And obviously to the Brown family in Bellahie in their fight for justice for Sean.
00:21And of course today marks the anniversary of James O'Keyan, former manager of this team.
00:28You know, just them things fairly important here today.
00:30You know, it puts Holland into a wee bit of perspective, you know.
00:33But on the Holland side of it, my goodness gracious, I had that.
00:37We received the best for last. It was our best performance from the warm up.
00:41We knew we were at it there and Jesus, we hurt so well.
00:44I mean, you look at that scoreboard and people will say, oh, Derry Cruz.
00:48But that was a Wicklow team coming in here with a bit of pedigree after a great championship run.
00:53Aye, look, they were the form team, they were the unbeaten team.
00:56And we've seen them, you know, we know what they're about.
00:59We were in Ocarim twice last year.
01:00Like, they're a really, really good side.
01:02And we had to play well.
01:04And my God, like, we played well.
01:06You know, I wouldn't look at that scoreboard and say, Wicklow played particularly poorly.
01:09Like, our turnover rate in the first half had to be through the roof.
01:13Like, our tackling, our harrying, you know, our hooks and our blocks.
01:16The wee small margins that make a wild difference in games that you really have to won.
01:21Like, we talked about it all week.
01:23There's no other way today.
01:24We had to win the match.
01:25My God, I just, I thought we were absolutely magnificent.
01:28And Jason's led in the first half too.
01:29I mean, you were playing against that win, but you wouldn't have known.
01:32Aye, and I suppose in the other two or three games, the group, we've been up against the
01:36breeze in the first half and we've been four or five down.
01:38And it's just leaving ourselves too much to do.
01:40Like, we had a real focus.
01:41You know, once we found out we were against the breeze, we talked about it.
01:44Then the boys set the tone.
01:45Like, you know, Sean Taylor was excellent today.
01:48Our sixth defenders thought James Field was excellent.
01:51Mark, Sean, Tad, Turner.
01:52I could go through them all.
01:54And then our forwards, their work rate off the ball, their turnover rate.
01:57The two guys in the middle of the field.
01:59I just thought we were so dominant.
02:01We were so, we were just on it.
02:03I can remember, I'm looking back to the league where there was boys missing.
02:07You were struggling with injuries.
02:09And you always knew in the back of your head, get these boys back.
02:11And it looks now, Johnny, as if you were picking at just the right time.
02:14Well, I hope so.
02:16And, like, you know, it's alright, Sean.
02:18I had, we had, like, as a group, like, we always knew what was in us.
02:22We know the quality that we have.
02:23We know, you know, from number one man to the last person in our backroom team.
02:27Like, we know what we have and we know what we're about.
02:30And, you know, it takes absolutely everybody.
02:33You know, like, we trained in Thursday night with 32 men.
02:35Training on the pitch for the first time this year.
02:37You know, Ryan McGill picked up a shoulder injury last week.
02:40Probably the only one.
02:42Connor Coyle coming back from a hamstring injury.
02:44Paddy Kelly.
02:45But they were out there training.
02:46And the buzz around here we treated here on Thursday and the buzz about here was unreal.
02:50And, look, I'm so happy for them.
02:52Like, there's been plenty of days, there's plenty of effort that you put in and you don't get any rewards for it.
02:57But, I mean, them boys will get the rewards now today.
02:59And, look, when we wake up tomorrow morning there's only one thing in the world that matters to us.
03:03Are you all going to say that?
03:05I mean, because as great a day as this is, you've now got a bigger day ahead and still that elusive Christie Ring cup on the horizon.
03:11Aye, look, whenever we get this over, let's strip it right back down.
03:17It's one game.
03:18I think somebody told me over there it's London.
03:20It's totally irrelevant who it is.
03:21You know, we have to go and perform.
03:23You know, last year, you know, Kildare were a better team than us.
03:27We don't have any issue with that.
03:28We maybe left the one before that behind us a wee bit, you know.
03:31But, look, the focus of Derry Hurland now and the scenes here today, that's absolutely unreal.
03:37It's great for Derry Hurland.
03:39We have to go and perform now.
03:42We have two weeks to get ourselves mentally prepared, physically prepared.
03:45And we'll be ready to go and Crook Park in two weeks' time.