Derry would ignite season with Dubs win

BBC News

14-06-2025

Former Derry captain Chrissy McKaigue believes his county will go into Saturday's crunch Group Four game against Dublin with "full belief" despite their winless 2025. Derry, Dublin and Galway (who take on Armagh with the All-Ireland champions having already booked their quarter-final spot) all enter this weekend with a chance of progressing to the last 12 of the All-Ireland series. The Oak Leafers have struggled throughout the 2025 season and have only been able to muster two draws from their 11 league and championship games to date."It's time to win again, there's no question, and it'll be some time to win in terms of igniting their season," McKaigue told BBC Sport NI. "But it's a group that's used to winning, it's a group that's used to winning with their clubs and they've won their fair share with Derry too"So I don't think they'll be overly fazed by the streak they've gone through, although it's clearly not desirable. They'll go in this weekend having full belief they're capable of beating Dublin."McKaigue, who was part of the Derry side that beat the Dubs in last year's Division One final at Croke Park, believes good memories from the fixture can be of benefit to Paddy Tally's side. He added: "I think when you go in with that belief that you're able to beat this Dublin side, it goes and stands a long way because there are many teams who go out against Dublin and they feel that they're beaten before they go out and that's not the case with this Derry group."The game will take place at Pairc Esler in Newry and the former Ulster winning captain believes the venue will suit Derry better as Dublin move away from the comforts of Croke Park and into an Ulster provincial arena. "That helps Derry, it has to you would think, but Dublin have shown and you would see that they don't like being categorised as a team that can't play outside Croke Park."Derry need a performance this weekend and more than that they need to find a way to win ugly if required because the only currency that really matters in championship football is victory and Dublin will be aware of that, Derry will be aware of that."You don't get through to the next round after a good performance and not having won the game. Winning is all that really matters in Championship football and that's why it's set up for such a good game because the stakes are so high and it's a proper knockout game."