Dan O’Donovan joined us at the turn of the year and has made an instant impression between the posts for Paul Barnes’ new-look Casuals side in 2024. Dominic Bliss sat down with the 20-year-old keeper after our 1-1 draw with Southall on Saturday…
Dan, we picked up an important point with a 1-1 draw against second-placed Southall on Saturday, and we looked good value for it. What was your take on that performance?
I think a big difference was that we went with the wind in the first half, so we made sure we were on top at the start, and I think the new boys coming in added just that bit more energy as well.
We really took it to them. I think Southall came here thinking we’d lost our last four or five on the bounce so it would be an easy one for them, but we really showed the togetherness that we’re starting to build now. It’s a fraction of what we need to do to get ourselves out of the situation we’re in, but I’m really looking forward to the games to come.
Has it been a case of squad-building these last few weeks?
Yeah, I think Barnsey’s done a really good job of getting the players together as much as he can really, with the short amount of time we’ve had. As the chairman said in the programme, it’s been like a pre-season halfway through the season, which is obviously not ideal, but I think we’re finally starting to look like we’re getting it right.
That was the first time this squad has all played together and I think we did really well – it’s on the incline now.
What’s your background and how did you come to join us mid-season?
I’ve been in non-league for a few years now. I’ve been at Step 6, then Step 5 last year and this year my aim was to play Step 4. I started the season at Merstham but didn’t get into the squad unfortunately, then I got a call from Carshalton Athletic because their keeper got injured and they needed someone to fill in. I went there, played six or seven games and I think I did really well.
Circumstances meant I didn’t end up staying there, but the experience was crucial for me, especially the mental side of things, knowing I can play at that level, I can play higher.
I got a call from a man that both Barnsey and I know, saying that he needed a keeper here, and explaining the situation at Corinthian-Casuals. This is more-or-less on my doorstep, it’s at Step 4 and obviously, with the history of this club, I couldn’t say no to the opportunity. I’ve known about this club for a long time, from youth level when I was with the Kinetic Foundation, who used to play their Under-18s here in the FA Youth Cup.
Dan, we picked up an important point with a 1-1 draw against second-placed Southall on Saturday, and we looked good value for it. What was your take on that performance?
I think a big difference was that we went with the wind in the first half, so we made sure we were on top at the start, and I think the new boys coming in added just that bit more energy as well.
We really took it to them. I think Southall came here thinking we’d lost our last four or five on the bounce so it would be an easy one for them, but we really showed the togetherness that we’re starting to build now. It’s a fraction of what we need to do to get ourselves out of the situation we’re in, but I’m really looking forward to the games to come.
Has it been a case of squad-building these last few weeks?
Yeah, I think Barnsey’s done a really good job of getting the players together as much as he can really, with the short amount of time we’ve had. As the chairman said in the programme, it’s been like a pre-season halfway through the season, which is obviously not ideal, but I think we’re finally starting to look like we’re getting it right.
That was the first time this squad has all played together and I think we did really well – it’s on the incline now.
What’s your background and how did you come to join us mid-season?
I’ve been in non-league for a few years now. I’ve been at Step 6, then Step 5 last year and this year my aim was to play Step 4. I started the season at Merstham but didn’t get into the squad unfortunately, then I got a call from Carshalton Athletic because their keeper got injured and they needed someone to fill in. I went there, played six or seven games and I think I did really well.
Circumstances meant I didn’t end up staying there, but the experience was crucial for me, especially the mental side of things, knowing I can play at that level, I can play higher.
I got a call from a man that both Barnsey and I know, saying that he needed a keeper here, and explaining the situation at Corinthian-Casuals. This is more-or-less on my doorstep, it’s at Step 4 and obviously, with the history of this club, I couldn’t say no to the opportunity. I’ve known about this club for a long time, from youth level when I was with the Kinetic Foundation, who used to play their Under-18s here in the FA Youth Cup.
Oh, you were a Kinetic player?
Yeah, I used to be at Kinetic. When I was a first and second-year scholar, I was with Kinetic, and I was on the bench for the Youth Cup team here, before I went to play for the Croydon team. So I know a lot about this club – obviously everyone knows about Casuals because it’s such a big and important club. I’m so excited to be playing here and grateful that I’ve got this opportunity to play for Casuals.
You’ve made some big saves lately and contributed to the draw on Saturday. How important could that performance be in the development of this team?
Not losing that game was crucial. I think a lot of people would have thought going into that game, against a team in second, that we’d be in for a long afternoon. But we really showed how much we want this… and I think we’ll get out of this… but it’s going to be a long, uphill climb to get there.
The fans really got behind us on Saturday, especially after we got the goal. It went up a notch – I was shouting and I could barely hear myself, and I was up the other end of the pitch – that’s how loud the fans were. That’s what football is all about and the fans are everything to this club. We’re really grateful to them.