Derry challenge just what Kerry need – Fitzmaurice

Éamonn Fitzmaurice believes that Derry are exactly the team that Kerry would have hoped to have drawn in the All-Ireland quarter-final and that the game represents a huge step-up in challenge for the Kingdom.

The match will be the first time Jack O’Connor and Mickey Harte have met at Croke Park since the 2005 All-Ireland final when Tyrone secured their second Sam Maguire at the expense of Kerry.

Kerry and Derry clashed in last year’s semi-final at Croke Park, with the Kingdom running out narrow winners in a tight game – 1-17 to 1-15.

O’Connor’s men went into that encounter as heavy favourites but Derry were 1-11 to 1-08 ahead at half-time and were two points up with just minutes to go, before David Clifford led the Kingdom to a late surge to get them over the line.

Reacting to the draw on the RTÉ GAA Podcast, Fitzmaurice admits that he expects another tight encounter.

“From the Kerry perspective and from the couple of messages and things I got this morning, people are very wary,” he said.

“This time last year before the All-Ireland semi-final I felt almost like I was beating a lone drum within Kerry and there was a lot of people that just felt it was a matter of form and that Kerry were going to handle Derry no bother.

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“As we saw on the day, it was one of the best games of the year, and Kerry, led by David Clifford in the last quarter, just had that bit of know how to get it over the line.

“To be fair to Derry, they’ve improved. They had improved until things went wrong earlier in the championship. Even against Mayo the last night at the end of the game, they showed great courage and game management, particularly on their own kick out.”

Fitzmaurice feels that this is the type of game that Kerry need at this stage of the competition and that the step-up in the level of quality of opposition will test their All-Ireland credentials.

“I think it’s perfect for [Kerry],” he said. “I think either Derry or Galway, were the games that they would have really wanted.

“From the point of view of Jack, I can imagine straight away the players and the management, they’re on a war footing.

“Straight away what they’re looking at is performing at the weekend and knowing that they have to perform at the top of their game. I think that’s a great place to be for the group.

“It’s going to be obviously a massive task to beat Derry, but ultimately this group, they want to win an All-Ireland and to win an All-Ireland, you have to beat the likes of a Derry and win the big games from now on.

“It’s a great draw. I think it’s a great draw for the general public as well. It’s going to be huge.”

Listen to the RTÉ GAA Podcast on the RTÉ Radio Player, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

Watch the All-Ireland Football Championship quarter-finals, Donegal v Louth (1.15pm) and Kerry v Derry (3.15pm), on Sunday from 12.45pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1