Picture Margaret McLaughlin ©
By Chris McCann
Cailean O'Boyle says he enjoying his football again after returning to the Derry squad after missing out last year.
The big Lavey forward wasn't included in Brian McIver's panel in 2013 but says that omission has proved a blessing in disguise as it has reinvigorated his appetite for the game.
"It's great to be back, that year out did me the world of good and gave me the motivation to come back this year. I'm going out there and enjoying playing football now, before I was panicking and making mistakes. Now I'm enjoying it and you'd big crowd there today, it's great," said O'Boyle.
Having sat out the intercounty campaign last year O'Boyle was recalled to the squad by McIver during the winter and he's delighted to be back.
"We were in touch last year here and there but nothing really was made about it. At the start of this year he called me back and told me to 'work hard, you're no better or no worse than anybody else' and that's stuck in my head since. I'm just glad I'm here, glad I'm back."
And Derry fans will be delighted that O'Boyle is back. In the absence of the injured Emmett McGuckin, the Erin's Own man was the focal point of the Derry attack against Dublin in the first half of today's game.
"I was doing Emmett's role and holding in today I did well on the ball that was coming in. After that it's just case of looking for the runners coming round. I was glad, I'm going well and hopefully the next day out I'll get another chance."
Unfortunately O'Boyle couldn't see out the game following a head injury early in the second half.
"I'd a bit of concussion a wee bit of a blackout and I couldn't go against the doctor's instructions. I was happy enough with the performance but I was disappointed I couldn't stay on and see out the game but somebody else came on and did the job so I can't complain."
And O'Boyle believes that the victory over the All-Ireland Champions has shown that Derry are fit to compete at the highest level.
"That is a big statement on our part. We knew coming back at the start of the year what this team is capable of. We have the footballing ability week in week out, all that was lacking was the self-belief But Brian has installed that from day one and I'm glad that we showed that here today. The first 10 minutes of the second half Dublin were going to get their purple patch but the boys dug in. Patsy Bradley won 50/50 balls all over the field and the character and guts that is in the team is unreal at the minute. Hopefully we can continue that for the rest of the year."
Defeating the Dubs means Derry's place in top flight football is secure for 2015 and now O'Boyle is now targeting a league semi-final spot.
"It's a fine line if we'd lost today we'd have been looking at the bottom of the table now we are looking at a league semi-final but we'll keep our feet on the ground and work away," he concluded.
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