Derry could have done without making history in the All-Ireland hurling quarter-finals. The prospect of meeting Galway for the first time in the history of the championship is something they would have preferred to hold for later on.

If team manager Kevin McNaughton didn't quite groan when the draw was made, he admits he was not exactly thrilled either.

"Being honest, of the three teams, I suppose we were hoping to meet Wexford, who we feel we could well compete against. Galway have so much depth and class and as well as that, they always come into the championship ravenous for games.

"But having said that, we will go to Croke Park with the same mind-set as last year against Offaly, a game that we felt we could win and might have."

Although the substance and attitude that distinguished the Ulster champions' play that afternoon last summer won widespread plaudits, McNaughton only watched a tape of that match for the first time recently.

"What struck me was we actually didn't play all that well. Now, obviously, Offaly said the same thing but from our perspective quite a few of our players never really got going. And yet we still had the winning of the game going into the last 10 minutes."

McNaugthon experienced mixed emotions that evening, pleased the Ulster champions had almost unseated one of the great teams of the past decade but half annoyed that a window had open and shut before them.

"It was satisfying the Ulster champions didn't just go down and get a hammering that was an embarrassment to the province and to the game. But, against that, we really believed we could take Offaly and the chance was there.

"Nobody really expected anything at all of us that day so we had the surprise element. It will be a bit different this time around, people will be waiting to see if last year was a one-off."

Galway manager Noel Lane has let it be known the Connacht side will not be approaching the fixture lightly and given it is his first championship encounter and also that he has started a number of newcomers, Galway are likely to be fresh. McNaughton can anticipate the difficulties that will be presented to Derry on Sunday.

"I have heard people complaining that Geoffrey McGonigle has been screaming for the ball inside but that we can't get it into him. That will be a key aspect in this match. We know we will be under pressure to deliver ball to our forwards. We will just have to cope with that. Also, Galway are a team that like to run with the ball and it will be a matter of man-marking and trying to neutralise that as much as possible."

This quarter-final gives Galway their first competitive outing since the league semi-final mauling they took way back in April. They will be anxious to make a statement and many observers fear that will necessitate an unsympathetic dismantling of Derry. After a season that has looked distinctly flat in comparison to the revamped football championship, hurling does not need another walkover.

"I heard Noel Lane saying the only good match in the championship had been the Limerick-Cork clash and I would agree with that. An uncompetitive match the next day would serve nobody any good. But we don't intend to allow that to happen.

"The league did not go well for us this year because we were going with an inexperienced forward line and it was really only in the Ulster final we felt we had re-grouped our strongest side."

"In a way, this is exactly where we want to be but at the same time there is the pressure of knowing we will have to be at our best to have a realistic chance. There is no fear. We know how good Galway are and it is up to us to respond to that."