Win was a long time coming, says relieved Crozier
Last June, his tenure as coach looked in serious jeopardy after defeat to Monaghan in the Ulster championship.
After this four point triumph, it must seem more like 10 years since those doom and gloom days.
“At long last,” were his first words when he approached the media shortly after the final whistle. “It was a long time in coming but you wouldn’t have thought it possible after the first 15 minutes. I thought we were in for an onslaught but we reassessed the thing at half-time.
“We found out that we had 15 or 16 chances but had hit six or seven wides in that first half compared to their one wide. They got a rather fortunate second goal there as well. We were coming at them in waves and Fergal Doherty’s goal kept us in touch.”
What were you thinking at seven points down Paddy? “At seven points down I was thinking if there had been a hole I would have been in it.
“We were in a big enough hole but we talked about it at half-time and knew if we could get back on level terms we were in with a chance.
“We gave away a lot of possession to their back line in that first half and knew if we could get the ball into Paddy Bradley and the forwards we wouldn’t be too far away.”
It wasn’t only the four-point winning margin that spoke volumes for Derry’s dominance. The Ulster side kicked 11 wides to Kerry’s five and hit the post three times.
Kerry may point to a debated foot block on Kieran Donaghy along with two goal chances which went a-begging but, by the end, there was just one team making hay here.
Midfield was undoubtedly the key and the sight of Fergal Doherty walking off the turf clutching the man of the match statuette said it all.
“We brought Enda Muldoon out around the middle and he was a revelation. Fergal Doherty gave an outstanding performance there as well.”
The perception may be that footballers grow on trees in Kerry but Derry earned a serious profit from the use of their subs bench with grizzled veterans like Sean Marty Lockhart and Kevin McCloy making a bow and a tangible difference.
“Sean Marty, Kevin and a few boys came in there and did very well but that’s one thing I feel we have now is strength in depth on the subs bench and that is a big plus,” Crozier agreed.
It bodes well for Derry and the Ulster championship where Monaghan and Donegal will also be fancying their chances at ending the dual dominance of Tyrone and Armagh.
“The word championship, as I said during the week, was never mentioned in our changing room from the time the draw was made before Christmas. “We will go home now and enjoy this for a few days and draw a line in the sand through the national league.
“There is no doubt about it but that we are in good shape going into the championship but we have a lot of club championship games in Derry in the next few weeks and we will see what shape we are in after them.”
