Derry can't fear anybody in last eight - Harte
Derry manager Mickey Harte says there is "no point in fearing anybody" in the All-Ireland quarter-finals after an "action-packed" penalty shootout victory over Mayo.
Harte's side edged Mayo 4-3 after a dramatic shootout to book their place in next week's All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals at Croke Park.
The sides were level six times across normal and extra-time as the nail-biting preliminary quarter-final in Castlebar finished 0-15 to 1-12.
Derry will face either Donegal, Kerry or Dublin in Monday's quarter-final draw.
They cannot face Armagh having already played them in the group stages of the All-Ireland series.
"It doesn't get any easier from here on it but the beauty of it is we are in the draw," Harte said.
"You are going to have to face quality sides. Whoever you pull out on Monday morning they are going to be a very good side with a very good season to date.
"You can't sneak your way into the last four, you have to win your way into it."
Harte said there was "serious tension throughout the game" as Chrissy McKaigue's point deep in stoppage time at the end of regulation time took the game to extra-time before Conor Loftus' late score forced penalties.
Conor Doherty dispatched the decisive penalty for Derry as Odhran Lynch saved efforts from Mayo's Paul Towey and Ryan O'Donoghue in the shoot-out.
After winning the Allianz League Division One title over Dublin in March, Derry surrendered their Ulster crown to Donegal before losing to both Armagh and Galway in the All-Ireland series.
Victory over Westmeath in Newry last weekend ended that run of three consecutive championship defeats and kept their hopes of Sam Maguire alive but it was on the whole an unconvincing performance.
The Oak Leafers were much better in Castlebar on Saturday and, despite needing a McKaigue point to force extra-time, will likely feel they should have advanced before the penalty shoot-out.
Harte said he was proud of his players, who "looked quite confident" in the shootout.
"We found ourselves in a decent position at the start of normal time and we were in a poor position towards the end of normal time.
"It looked like we were going out of the competition after a serious fight, but the resolve was there to snatch the draw.
"The extra-time mirrored the game. It had all the appearances of going all the way as a stalemate."
Despite his vast experience as a manager, the shooutout was Harte's first set of penalties in Championship football.
He said it was "a lottery" and hoped the possibility of replays could be reintroduced despite a heavily-stacked football calendar.
"Many would agree that it's not a fair way to decide a game as it becomes a bit of a lottery.
"After the game and extra-time, the replay nearly seems like the best way to do it. But with the tight dates in the calendar it's not possible at this moment of time."
'It's hard to put into words'
While Derry kept their season alive, Tyrone’s came to a shuddering halt in Healy Park on Saturday with a shock 0-14 to 0-12 loss to Roscommon.
It was a first ever win for Roscommon over Tyrone in Championship football and put the Rossies through to their first All-Ireland SFC quarter-final since 2017.
Tyrone were badly off the pace in the first half and trailed 0-9 to 0-3 at the break, which Red Hands player Cathal McShane admitted was when the damage was done.
“The gap was probably too big at half time, though we tried everything in the second half,” said McShane.
“It’s hard to put it into words.”
Tyrone slightly improved in the second half and got to within a point of Roscommon, trailing 0-13 to 0-12, with six minutes to go.
Darragh Canavan went for the equaliser but the shot was narrowly wide, and it felt like a big moment.
“Roscommon were clinical and built that gap but we still believed we could claw it back and come out on top and it looked like we were doing that,” insisted McShane.
“Darragh’s point that was given wide was the one that would have brought us level, but it wasn’t to be and we are very disappointed about that.”
