We need silverwar to satisfy us, says Lockhart

Derry defender Sean Marty Lockhart believes that a good run through the All-Ireland qualifiers will not satisfy the players, management or supporters this season as the Oak Leafers strive for a first All-Ireland success since 1993.

Lockhart points to previously successful qualifier campaigns as the catalyst to go one better this season and win the race for the Sam Maguire Cup.

"In 2001 and 2004 we went far in the back-door, we got to a semi-final against Galway and Kerry respectively but we didn't win anything," Lockhart admitted.

"At the end of the day you are going to be measured on how many trophies you have won at the end of the year. If Laois beat us this weekend everybody will forget about the Armagh and Mayo games.

"You have to want to get to Croke Park and semi-finals and finals of the All-Ireland. Our goal this week is Laois and we aren't going to be looking any further than that. I think if teams are getting too ambitious you will be caught on the hop."

Lockhart played a big role for the Irish International Rules team last season and has continued his good form into this year.

Derry have confounded the critics by beating both Armagh and Mayo en route to tomorrow's clash with Laois in the third round of All-Ireland qualifiers.

Lockhart stresses the level of criticism from certain individuals crossed the line in terms of what is appropriate for an amateur player.

"Some of the insults are very, very personal and they are undeserved because at the end of the day you are an amateur," he said.

"But at the end of the day if you can use that to motivate yourself, which we have done, and change your year, hopefully you can improve the next day and you can go out and perform well - we managed that against Armagh.

"We were complete underdogs against Armagh and we went out and proved we are a decent team. We have won nothing yet, there are bigger hurdles ahead. We played Mayo who are top six in Ireland and we beat them convincingly," he added.

Much of the criticism aimed at Derry centred around a tendency to over celebrate victories in the past. The Banagher defender was keen to rubbish this and he stressed that will not be a problem with the class of 2007.

"There has been no celebrating after the matches this year. At the end of the day, we have won nothing. We are not even in a quarter-final of the All-Ireland and I think players realise that.

"We have a lot more experienced players and they want to win something and they are getting to a stage now where they haven't too many years left in inter-county football and they are saying they are going to be remembered for what? They haven't won anything? They want to win an Ulster title or something else before they retire."