Anthony O'Connor ready for latest giant-killing chance as Harrogate Town head to Leeds United in FA Cup

The Cork native's Harrogate Town side are neighbours with Leeds United but the Yorkshire derby element is the only similarity.

GIANT KILLER: Anthony O'Connor pulls back on Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane during the Emirates FA Cup third round match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.

FA Cup third round : Leeds United v Harrogate Town

Saturday 5.45pm, Live BBC I Player

Anthony O’Connor can still vividly recall the day his mentality changed.

May 2017 came his lightbulb moment, the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park.

Only his Aberdeen side stood in the way of Celtic completing their first treble for 17 years and they sped into the lead through his fellow Irishman Johnny Hayes.

Back came the champions to nick a last-gasp 2-1 victory, leaving O’Connor with a loser’s medal and regrets.

“I let the occasion get the better of myself,” recounted the Corkman.

“Celtic and Rangers are financially miles ahead of the other teams across Scotland so I didn’t handle the pressure of winning silverware in front of a huge crowd.

“I wasn’t equipped to approach it in the right way, promising myself that would never happen again.”

It didn’t. He was 24 then, 32 now. Big occasions are approached with logic rather than emotion.

That syndrome was eradicated for the rest of his time in Scotland against the Old Firm and again when he visited Tottenham Hotspur with Morecambe.

A rare goal of his had the League One strugglers ahead at the break, a lead they held until 16 minutes from the end. By that stage, Spurs had summoned the cavalry, with subs Harry Kane and Lucas Moura scoring to rescue a 3-1 win.

Three years on this week from that close call and another giant-killing opportunity presents itself at Elland Road.

His Harrogate Town side are neighbours with Leeds United but the Yorkshire derby element is the only similarity.

Whereas the hosts are top of the Championship and on course for a Premier League return, the visitors reside 67 places behind, four spots from the foot of the fourth tier.

They make the short 30-minute trip having snapped their wretched run of six defeats and one draw by winning at Barrow United.

Nobody is giving them a chance, and O’Connor’s 11-year-old son AJ will be among the crowd, torn between backing the club he supports and the opponents his Dad will spearhead.

Few tipped them to knock big-spending Wrexham out in the first round either but they succeeded, applying a blow to the club soaring towards their third successive promotion.

“Beating Wrexham wasn’t a big upset to us because we drew with them twice in League but Leeds in front of their huge fanbase would be,” admitted O’Connor, set for his 540th senior appearance across 17 years in the UK.

“I’m not silly. We know how tough a task it will be and there’ll be large spells when Leeds have possession so it’s about us making ourselves difficult to beat.

“We turned the corner by getting that win last weekend but for some of our players it will be the first time to face a team as strong as Leeds.

“A few of us, like myself, have experience of these big Cup ties and I’ve told the lads to just treat it like another game.”

His Hampden wounds taught O’Connor that much. There’ll be no inferiority complex tolerated, no premature requests for jersey swaps. Italian international Wilfried Gnonto is the Leeds player his son idolises but there’s no guarantee of his shirt coming back to their home.

“After the Tottenham game, a lot of our lads went straight up to Harry Kane and others looking for their jerseys,” he explained.

“I always felt a bit weird doing it and was so disappointed at the way we lost that I just stood back and shook hands with their players.

“In fact, it was the Tottenham captain on the day, Ben Davies, who approached me afterwards to swap, which I thought was nice of him.

“I’ve explained the situation to my son. We’re going there on Saturday for a Cup tie, not the occasion.

“People were talking before the Spurs game about keeping it to a respectable scoreline but our job is to make sure teams know they’re in for a game. That will be the case at Leeds United.”

O’Connor’s attitude is chiselled from his history of navigating the lower leagues, traipsing from the heel of England in Plymouth Argyle to the peak in Aberdeen to sustain his career.

Opportunities to emulate fellow Leesiders by returning to his hometown club have been shunned – for now anyway – and he’s no intention of slowing down.

“I never feared leaving my comfort zone,” said the former Nufarm product who has gone full circle by returning close to his first professional club, Blackburn Rovers.

“Contentment is a dangerous word. I’ve enjoyed my career but feel in my peak, with quite a few years left in me.

“John Caulfield did approach me a few years ago about joining Cork City but there’s so many factors to consider going back to Ireland, especially with my family settled here.”

A masterplan, however, does exist – hatched with the centre-back partner he was synonymous with emerging through the ranks.

“If could write my story, it would involve finishing my career at Cork City,” he explained.

“John Egan has even joked with me that I’d be his assistant manager when we win the League of Ireland title. That’s a nice thought.”