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‘All the pressure is really on Derry' claims London ace ahead of Christy Ring Cup final in Croke Park
LONDON ace Conor O'Carroll insists that all the pressure will be on Derry when the Christy Ring Cup is up for grabs this weekend.
Appearing in their fourth final since 2021, the Oak Leafers are seeking to win the competition for the first time.
But having beaten former holders the Exiles in their last seven meetings, Johnny McGarvey's men are odds-on favourites in tomorrow's Croke Park showpiece.
London, who were Christy Ring winners in 2012, are back in their first decider since losing to Kildare in 2018.
Following the disappointment of their NHL Division 3 final defeat to Mayo in March, Neil Rogers' men are determined to capitalise on the chance to achieve their primary objective for 2025.
St Gabriel's club man O'Carroll said: 'The goal was never to make it to Croke Park, the goal was to win in Croke Park.
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'But we're putting ourselves in that position now to take the win.
'The league final was disappointing. We obviously would have liked some silverware from the year. But our main focus was always on the Christy Ring.'
O'Carroll was a member of the Kilkenny panel that lost the 2017 All-Ireland Under-21 final in Thurles against a formidable Limerick outfit that included Cian Lynch, Aaron Gillane, Seán Finn and Kyle Hayes.
But tomorrow will mark a Croker debut for the former Trinity College student who relocated to the English capital in 2022.
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O'Carroll, who bagged 2-3 against Tyrone as London booked their place in the final, said: "It's everyone's dream really when you're playing hurling to play in Croke Park.
'It's important not to let the occasion get to us.
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"But of course there's no denying that it'll be a special occasion for a lot of lads whose first time it is playing there.'
With former Cork goalkeeper Anthony Nash joining the backroom team this year, O'Carroll feels the experience of the two-time All-Star will be invaluable in helping the London players cope with lining out on big stage.
Lisdowney native O'Carroll said: 'We haven't beaten Derry in a long time and Derry have been in three of the last four Christy Ring finals.
'But in a way, that helps us a little bit because all the pressure is really on Derry, the way we see it.
'We're kind of coming in as underdogs and we get to go underneath the pressure.'
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London are looking for redemption for their league final defeat
London were two points to the good in the second half of the most recent clash between the teams, only for Derry to make the most of their numerical advantage after O'Carroll was red-carded.
He added: 'It was soft but it was definitely the right call.
'But in a way, that helps us as well because we were down to 14 men for whatever it was, the last 25 minutes, and still had a very tight game.
'So we'll know as well coming into the match that we have something extra there.'
