County Champions 1994

County Champions 1994.

Back Row: Paul O'Loughlin, John Duffy, Martin McGlynn, Charles O'Donnell, Donal Buggy, Eamonn O'Donnell, Val Murray, Paul Kane, David Green.
Middle Row: Joe Doherty, Ciaran Tinney, Malachy Cullen, Damien Conlon, Brian Roper, Sylvester Maguire (Captain), Ciaran Keon, Donagh Keon, Dermott Keon.
Front Row: David Downey, Gary Brennan, Nial McCready, Anthony McGrath, Barry Ward, Thomas Cassidy.

Preview of the final in the Donegal Democrat. Click images for larger versions.

Michael Daly's interview with Aodh Ruadh manager Sean Boyle.

Aodh Ruadh pen pictures.

Young Aodh Ruadh side show character as they overcome valiant Naomh Columba comeback to lift tenth title for Ballyshannon

Senior county football final
Aodh Ruadh 2-10
Naomh Columba 1-10
11 September 1994
Match report and reacton from Donegal Democrat Thursday, 15 September, 1994
Michael Daly reports from MacCumhaill Park

The 1994 Donegal Senior Championship football final last Sunday at Ballybofey produced the best second half of football excitement in living memory with a valiant Naomh Columba, Glencolmcille, recovering an eight point half-time deficit via a goal and six unreplied-to points, to lead by a point with 15 minutes still to be played.

Despite this superb recovery by 'Glen', it was the Aodh Ruadh side — who had been equally masterful in the first half—who discovered that they not only have youth, but perhaps more critically, character within their side.

Thanks to that tremendous character they arrested a potentially disastrous scoring famine — 27 minutes without a score — to draw level through a Val Murray free. There were eleven minutes left when Aodh Ruadh gifted the lead to Naomh Columba yet again, Paul O'Donnell an influential half-time sub., pointing.

In seven minutes of excruciating tension, Aodh Ruadh rediscovered their first half flair. More importantly they found a level of commitment and character to match the gallant men from Glencolmcilie who had run themselves ragged to recover a soul destroying 1-7 to 0-2 half-time deficit.

Finally, the men from the Erne began began to re-win midfield, the forwards began again to show first for the bull and the passing crystal sharp in the first half, sloppy and blunt in the third quarter, became water clear again.

Those final seven minutes saw Aodh Ruadh inflict two killer blows, both of them from a player who seemed to revel in the pressure.

The first was a masterful '45'. Val Murray, who had already scored a first half penalty and a vital point to level the sides at 1-8 each, was presented with another difficult task, a '45' which he had to point to draw the sides level.

Murray's '45' sent out a signal to Naomh Columba. He didn't merely point the effort but struck the ball so true that it was still travelling upwards when fielded by Glen fans on the high bank behind the goals. It was the kick of a confident man. It was vital to rekindling Aodh Ruadh's confidence and h was done with a flambuoyance that would have lifted Lazarus.

SECOND PENALTY
Now Glen were looking down the barrel of a gun, Aodh Ruadh flicking the ball forwards with the purpose that made them devastating leaders in the first half. With five minutes on the clock Aodh Ruadh earned their second penalty. Damien Conlon, who had a wonderful hour, supplied the through ball to John Duffy, who in turn released sub. Barry Ward.

Ward, like Brian Roper in the first half, headed directly for goal and was sandwiched by two defenders who gave away a penalty. Murray again stepped up and after a delay for a booking on Noel Hegarty, the Ballyshannon barman slotted the ball, cool as you like, again to Doherty's right and the corner of the net.

It was a killer blow in any terms and although Glen had time to retrieve the three point lead they looked emotionally and physically drained from their earlier Herculean efforts. It was over, both sides traded irrelevant points. Murray, quiet in general play, had done the things other players dream about, scoring two penalties in a county final.

It was drama befitting a county final and without the marvellous efforts of the valiant Naomh Columba there would have been a mass exodus by the 4,000 spectators long before Barry Ward hoisted over the game's final score in the 62nd minute.

Aodh Ruadh manager, Sean Boyle, in his first full year cannot do much more than bring this 10th Championship crown to the Erne town. With a team many dismissed as saplings he found solid Oak and if held together their reign at the top could match the longevity of those selfsame wonderful trees.

Tactically, it was a fascinating game. Numbers on jerseys counted for nothing. Donal Buggy (number 9) was at full forward where he strung John Joe Doherty to the wide expanses of the side-lines to create room for the elegant and swift Roper, the powerful Conlon and the gifted Duffy.

Sylvester Maguire, despite a 'flu, played magnificently at midfield alongside a new force in Donegal midfield play, Charles O'Donnell. At the back, Aodh Ruadh stuck to form and handed the task of masterminding scoring sensation, Paddy Hegarty (he had scored 2-9 prior to Sunday's final) to 19-year-old Eamonn O'Donnell. In some eyes this was viewed as dicing with dynamite, but O'Donnell's man scored one point from play, defusing doubts over O'Donnell's youth or ability.

In the first half where Aodh Ruadh seemed the only team on the field, their defence was magnificent to a man but in the second, and particularly the final quarter, the skill and experience of Diarmaid Keon and the all round class of Gavin Bourke lifted the side. For this writer, Keon was the man-ofthe-match, Val Murray the star and Bourke the quiet genius who made it all possible.

Pitted against the young guns from Aodh Ruadh was the shrewdest manager at club level in the county and a team with three hearts in each chest. Having seen Naomh Columba much more often than any other team in this championship, I felt a come-back of some sort was inevitable but when I saw them shred an eight point lead within fifteen minutes against a team who earlier had made them appear like juniors, even I had to feel this would be their day.

EXPECTED INSPIRATION
Their tactics were predictable in the first half and failure at midfield plus the best marking they have experienced all season saw those tactics fail. Until the 28th minute when Pauric Gillespie fired over a free, the Gaeltacht lads had rustled up a meagre point — that after 13 minutes and from their scoring star and expected inspiration, Paddy Hegarty.

Glen's insistence on feeding the ball directly to Hegarty was failing. At midfield they were being out-jumped by Maguire and O'Donnell and the normal steady, accurate supply of ball from the half-backs was nonexistent. What was getting through was scrappy and easily cut-out by McGIynn, Bourke, the Keons and O'Donnell. Noel Hegarty, wearing 24, started at corner forward but moved quickly to the centre in an exchange with Damien Gillespie. Seamus Carr couldn't get going at all in the first half and even from frees the normally reliable Martin Gillespie was missing a few too many. With conditions underfoot a little slippy and a breeze that seemed to be at its strongest when coming across the field, Aodh Ruadh got the proverbial dream start. They raced into a five point lead after only ten minutes.

Indeed, in just 15 seconds Damien Conlon pointed while three minutes later Val Murray despatched his first penalty to Kevin Doherty's net after Maguire and Cullen had put the lightning quick wing forward, Roper, through only to be fouled.

The sharp sound of referee, Liam Brown's whistle, was much in evidence, 19 frees blown in 19 minutes, ten ot them to Naomh Columba. However, they remained scoreless as Aodh Ruadh went on a rampage, half-back Ciaran Keon scoring, but Paddy Hegarty at last opening his side's account. Although Paddy Hegarty's left foot, cross-goal drive on five minutes might have ended in the net, the Glen men were unable to mount a serious threat in the first half apart from that.

At this stage Damien Conlon was playing superbly, scoring with his left and then executing a beautiful chip lift before passing to Donal Buggy who gave John Duffy a simple scoring chance. Brian Roper then made an astonishing solo run where he seemed to drift effortlessly by markers but his final effort went narrowly wide.

Martin McGIynn fired over the game's best score (but not the most important!), a driven point from near the side-line and 45m out, a score I'm told savoured by purists on the terraced side of the ground.

This left seven points between the sides and such was Aodh Ruadh's total dominance that the game became something of a switch-off for neutrals. With Barry Ward replacing Malachy Cullen it seemed Aodh Ruadh were intent on winning the game by the break. Charles O'Donnell pointed and Ward, just on the field, finished a move in which Roper and Buggy were the creators.

GREAT SAVE
But for a great save from Kevin Doherty, Aodh Ruadh would have been totally out of sight on 24 minutes when another intricate passing movement sent midfielder, O'Donnell, through but Doherty made a wonderful save to deny the certain goal. Moments later Doherty again did well, clearing away a dangerous high ball.

By now Paddy Hegarty was out to midfield and from there he and brother, Noel, began to exert an influence as Aodh Ruadh tired visibly in the final minutes of the half. Pauric Gillespie added the first of six points he would score, this one just one of his five well struck frees.

Having replaced Martin Gillespie with a regular scoring forward, Paul O'Donnell, Naomh Columba, after a long (20 minutes) half-time break seemed to get to grips much better than Aodh Ruadh who held that 1-7 to 0-2 lead by the break.

Inside eight minutes Naomh Columba, now playing the ball intelligently out of defence, had halved that deficit. Inside 15 minutes they were ahead in one of the greatest transformations since Justin Brady got his hair cut.

Pauric Gillespie, only 19, displayed calmness beyond his years to stroke over some magnificent frees, the first in the second minute. Then Paddy Hegarty showed his experience, toe-tapping in the corner until he found the right option. Eugene Doherty, who pointed. Seamus Carr and Gillespie added further points, Carr's an inspirational point and from play Gillespie hit another score to narrow the gap to 1-7 to 0-7.

The smile that deserted Paddy Beag's face was now coming back again, Glen were making it a real final. Further up the side-line, Aodh Ruadh's mentors must have been concerned, they hadn't scored since the 22nd minute and the game was now well into the second half with Naomh Columba beginning to turn the screw.

Paddy Hegarty after another run that caused problems found his route blocked illegally and from the free Glen moved even closer.

THE GLEN GOAL
Then came Glen's goal, a piece of good fortune as a Paul O'Donnell centre was misjudged by Aodh Ruadh's Paul Kane, and Eugene Doherty dived to fist to an empty net.

The roar behind the Finn goals where the bulk of Naomh Columba's young support had The gathered, was making the hairs the stand on the necks as Naomh Columba moved into the lead for the first time on 45 minutes through that fortunate score. Every block and turn was applauded, John Duffy denied by one such brave block.

27 minutes after their last score, Aodh Ruadh finally found the range, that man Murray hitting a vital free to leave it 1-8 each with eleven minutes left.

Naomh Columba went ahead again a minute later when Paul O'Donnell got a gifted point from Aodh Ruadh. Murray from a '45' tied things up again as the tension mounted.

Then with five minutes left came the vital second penalty and Murray again remain ice cool to put three points between them.

Paul O'Loughlin replaced the limping Eamonn O'Donnell to take up marking duties on Paddy Hegarty. A minute from the end of normal time Noel Hegarty was hauled down 13m out and Pauric Gillespie pointed the free, but two minutes into added time, Brian Roper set up Barry Ward for the final score of the match.

Vital Statistics
Teams
Aodh Ruadh Paul Kane; Donagh Keon, Eamonn O'Donnell, Ciaran Keon (0-1); Martin McGIynn (0-1), Gavin Bourke, Diarmaid Keon; Sylvester Maguire, Charles O'Donnell (0-1); Brian Roper, Damien Conlon (0-2), Malachy Cullen; John Duffy (0-1), Val Murray (2-2, one free, one '45', two pens.). Substitutions: Barry Ward (0-2) for Cullen; Shane McGee for Buggy (47 mins.); Paul O'Loughlin for E. O'Donnell, inj. (56 mins.)
Four Masters Kevin Doherty; Eunan Mclntyre, John Joe Doherty, Patrick Cunningham; Noel McGinley, Dessie Cunningham, Conal Cunningham; Conal Gavigan, Damien Gillespie; Eugene Doherty (1-1), Martin Gillespie, Pauric Gillespie (0-6, five frees); Seamus Carr (0-1), Paddy Hegarty (0-1), Noel Hegarty. Substitutions: Paul O'Donnell (0-1) for M. Gillespie (half-time).
Referee: Liam Brown (Four Masters).

"Good quality football served up by both sides" - Martin Carney

By Michael McHugh

More than just an interested spectator at last Sunday's Senior Championship final was one of the finest Ballyshannon footballers ever to grace the field. Manager of the Mayo Under-21 team who were beaten recently in the All-Ireland final in Ennis against Cork, Martin Carney is one of the shrewdest readers of the modern game.

Indeed not only was Martin up to support his home team in the final as part of the great Bundoran/Ballyshannon St. Joseph s team of 1968 which was also being honoured by the County Board, he was there as a special guest, and it must be said that when I spoke to Martin in the aftermath of Aodh Ruadh's victory on Sunday, he had nothing but the highest of praise for the County Board and the Robert Emmet's Club who first initiated the concept of honouring teams of the past at Convention a couple of years ago.

But back to Sunday's big game and the first thoughts on the game itself was that of "a very, very enjoyable game."

"The football that was served up by both sides when they were in the ascendant period was of a very good quality."

Aodh Ruadh took the game to the Glen men in the early stages of the game and he felt that they could have been even more ahead at half-time, when Charlie O'Donnell had a marvellous goaling chance saved coming up to the whistle. At the same time, Glen had missed two or three frees in front of the goals inside of 40 yards, with another ball going across the goals so they could also count themselves unlucky not to have been closer at the interval.

Martin was very impressed in the spirited way in which the Glen men came back in that second half, which showed much of their character and that of manager, Michael Oliver Mclntyre, in psyching his team up for the final 30 minutes.

"It was a tremendous spectacle in the second half and for all footballing supporters, it was marvellous," he enthused.

But having lauded Naomh Columba on their great comeback he felt that it was the fact that Aodh Ruadh held their nerve that ultimately swayed it their way in the final, ten minutes the most vital period of the game.

In that respect they had to thank Sylvester Maguire for fetching a couple of great balls, John Duffy for also gaining some vital balls up front and, in particular VaI Murray for the vitaI '45' - and penalty kick that he converted.

"Both were pressure kicks at a vital time and he converted both.''

He opined when Glencolmcille got the goal, the game had slipped away from Aodh Ruadh but in hindsight the delay that followed in kicking to out the ball after the goal gave the Ballyshannon men time to re-group and compose themselves.

Had goalkeeper, Paul Kane, got up immediately and had the right half-back, Martin McGIynn, not been injured, a quick kick-out may have led to a further collapse of Aodh Ruadh.

"However, from that point Aodh Ruadh improved and maybe the goal was the kick in the pants that they needed to get themselves going again."

He added: "Certainly, the big lacking on the Ballyshannon team was that apart from Sylvester Maguire, they hadn't what you would call a real hard nosed experienced player to take them through a crisis like that, and all the more reason why it is to their credit that they did come out of the rut that they were in."

When it was suggested to him that the twenty minutes or so that elapsed at the interval may also have influenced the Naomh Columba resurgence, he said that he had been made aware of this from some Ballyshannon members after the game, but at the time he did not notice it.

Based on what he had seen at Sunday's final, I asked him what he felt the current standard of club football was in Donegal.

"I haven't seen any of the other Championship games, but the quality of the football that was served up on Sunday was of a very high quality. There was some lovely football, but from PJ McGowan's view in picking out county footballers there may not have been many new faces," he admitted.

He was of the opinion that Damien Conlon impressed, while Gavin Bourke in the back line also had potential, but for any new Aodh Ruadh player to come into the county set-up, the gap between club football and inter-county football is a huge one to be bridged. It would take any one of the new lads coming through two to three years to get used to the intensity of the involvement in particular, he believed.

As to the future, it augured well, particularly from a Ballyshannon perspective in that the average age of the team was about 22 and this itself reflects great credit in actually taking a county title at this juncture. If they kept focussed, further successes could be achieved. From the Naomh Columba perspective, in picking themselves up from Sunday, Martin felt that they had nothing to be ashamed of.

"It's hard to equate the way they played in the second half with their performance of the first half, when during the second period they were so full of energy, running and enthusiasm."

In relation to an explanation for this, he believed that Naomh Columba for the first time discovered that they were actually playing in a county final at half-time and they were going to have to go out and win the game, not depend on others talking about it.

From the outset, maybe they were not as fired up as a team normally associated with a final, and yet from a Ballyshannon perspective, despite the obvious pep talk at the interval, many may have felt that their job was done.

"Overall, it was an excellent final, which any county would be proud to display to their supporters," said Carney.

A tale of two dressing rooms

By Diarmaid Doherty

After coming so close to snatching victory, the Naomh Columba men were sporting in defeat, hanging on after the final whistle to warmly applaud Ballyshannon in their first Championship win since 1987.

As the Aodh Ruadh celebrations got underway. Glen retired to their dressing room which quickly became repleted with an air of immense disappointment.

Like every final there is only one winner. A trip to the changing area after the game saw ecstasy and despair side by side. One by one the Ballyshannon men filed into their dressing room, some hopping straight into the shower, some enjoying a hard earned cigarette, others simply sitting down and lapping the occasion in. All the hard work had been done, the championship was back in Ballyshannon and by God were these men going to have a party.

In stark contrast, the Glen dressing room door was firmly shut. Not in ignorance or sour grapes, but just sheer disappointment. Nobody was as disappointed as team captain, John Joe Doheriy, who was a tower of strength at the back as Glen mounted their second hall comeback.

"We got off to a very nervous start, and we probably should have been expecting that with such a young team but in fairness to the lads we knuckled down to it in the second half." remarked John Joe. "We threw caution to the wind and said we would go out and give it our best shot and we done enough to win but the penalty decision in the end went against us."

It was an amazing second half comeback by Glen and after trailing by eight points at the break they turned the game around and went a point up. John Joe himself felt that another point at that stage may have been enough to knock the stuffing out of Aodh Ruadh.

"Had we got a second point we really would have been in the driving seat, but having said that the way the game was going any time the ball did go into our half of the field it was obvious they were going to get a free."

John Joe, of course, has seen it all before having played in the victorious side of 1990, but defeat is never easy to take. "You probably learn more from losing a county final than from winning one and it was a good bit of experience for the young fellows. Having said that you go into a final to win and you get nothing for getting beal."

TEAM RALLIED
Whatever Michael Oliver Mclntyre said to his troops at half-time, it definitely worked as the team rallied to peg back the eight-point deficit. Although proud of his side's comeback, he felt that they had left themselves too much to do at half-time.

"We were only a point ahead and it was anybody's game because they had so many men capable of kicking points. Val (Murray) knocked off a '45' and in the end they were killer scores."

Val's '45' seemed to sail over the crossbar with yards to spare, and it was his 2-2, including two penalties which he cooly placed in the same corner, which were the vital scores.

"There was far more pressure on me for the second penalty especially when Hegarty came up behind and tried to put me off," stated the Aodh Ruadh corner forward. "But I went and replaced the ball and I took my time to make sure."

LUCKY AODH RUADH
Raising his voice over a bellow of "How great thou art" from inside the dressing room, Val agreed that Aodh Ruadh were lucky to scrape through in the end. "Glen came out at us in the second half and they had nothing to lose. They took their scores and got a lucky enough goal before we got a break for the penalty and kept going from there on."

As colleagues and supporters clapped the affable Ballyshannon man on the back, he joined the celebrations concluding, "Sure well have a couple of cokes tonight."

One man who was relieved that Val had his shooting boots on was a certain Paul Kane, the Aodh Ruadh goalkeeper, who droped a clanger when he totally misjudged a ball which resulted in a goal for Glen's Eugene Doherty.

"The ball came in high and bounced and then it skidded past me. I am thankful to Val Murray ... very thankful to Val Murray," Paul said.

The bonfires that were lit on Sunday evening to welcome home the county champions to Ballyshannon still smouldered on Monday. The bunting and flags have yet to be taken down around the town. Celebratory pints are still being enjoyed as the Dr. Maguire Cup gets filled one more time. The Ballyshannon men sure know how to celebrate, and who could begrudge them that.

Nice guys don't always finish last

By Diarmaid Doherty

When Sylvester Maguire was hoisted shoulder high clutching on to the Dr Maguire Cup on Sunday evening many felt it couldn't have happened to a nicer fellow.

The player who for so many years had been on the fringes of staking a regular place in the Donegal team gavea captain's performance for Aodh Ruadh in midfield and in fact played despite suffering from 'flu.

Speaking from his home on Tuesday evening, Sylvie still hadn't recovered from either the victory or the 'flu.

"There was no way I was going to miss the final," he laughed.

"You could have cut legs off at the knees and I still would have turned out."

Along with Charlie O'Donnell, Sylvie totally dominated the exchanges in the middle of the park, making himself available for his attacking defenders and providing no end of supply for his forwards.

"It was a strange kind of a game. The first half saw a lot of clean catching by our midfield which might have been because their two better players were up front.

"In the second half when the two Hegarty's came back around the middle, the game changed in that the mid field had been taken out and they were running the ball from the back."

The Aodh Ruadh man was very surprised at Glen's decision to play both Noel and Paddy Hegarty in the attack from the start.

"They weren't in the game ata all in the opening stages, and maybe this was because they weren't in getting the supply of the ball from midfield or defence. The fact that our forward line made use of whatever we gave them could have made our midfield look good."

Looking back Sylvie was not surprised that Glen pulled themselves back into a game which at the interval looked well beyond them.

"The Glen spirit was there for all to see and there was nothign that we could do to stop them," said Sylvie.

"When you are on top you have to maximise your chances and when you are in trouble you have to minimise your mistakes. When Glen came at us in the second half, we just didn't panic. We battled to play the football we knew we could play."

Of course Aodh Ruadh did manage to shake off the Glen comeback, mainly thanks to a penalty with the Naomh Columba men felt should never have been given. Sylvie couldn't see why.

"I don't think they could have any qualms. Okay, in both instances I was out around the middle of the field, but to me it seemed that both men were grounded in the square. Maybe when I have watched it on video I could comment better.

The Aodh Ruadh captain was quick to hit out, however, at the fact that both teams were made wait in their dressing rooms 20 minutes at half-time as the county board honoured the Saint Eunan's side of 1969.

"It doesn't help any team to be kep waiting for that length of time. Honour teams surely, but do it quickly and get it done in a shorter space of time."

Many felt that the long half-time delay made it a totaly new game when the sides came out for the second half. Sylvie agrees, but only to a certain degree.

"The reason why Glen were so dominant was because they were hungrier than us. They hadn't played anythingi n the first half and there was not a lot we could do to stop them."

In years gone by, the Aodh Ruadh heads would have gone down and the team collapsed if they had come up against a second half performance like Glen's.

"At the end of the day we got the bounce of the ball for ounce and we went on to win."

Aodh Ruadh now go on to meet Errigal Ciaran on Sunday October 3rd. Yet another tough draw for the Ballyshannon men following famous past tussles with the great Burren side of the late 80s.

As in all Ulster club games, form goes out the window when two sides who normally know very little about each other, meet. Sylvie commented that they only thing he knows about the tyrone men are that they have Pascal and Peter Canavan.

"Obviously, they are good side and Kilcar had a couple of tight games with them last year. The opposition would know less about us so we have a good chance."

Sylvie is one of only a couple of survivors from Aodh Ruadh's exploits in the Ulster Club Championship in 1986 and 1987 and he reckons the experiences he got from those games have done him no harm at all.

"Whatever happens agaisnt Errigal Ciaran, our team will gain from the game. We have a very young side, with an average age of about 22, but hopefully we can overcome them."

And the chances of Aodh Ruadh repeating their form of this year's championship run in 1995? "Ask me about Easter Monday," was Sylvie's reply.

Final quotes compiled by Diarmaid Doherty

"At half time we went in and we decided we were level if not behind. We were expecting Glen to come at us alright but the boys showed an awful lot of character here today especially against a very dogged and committed Glen side."
- Aodh Ruadh manager Sean Boyle

"I went to Croke Park to watch Leitrim last month and we came home with a defeat. But here today with Ballyshannon, I am proud to be in Donegal and proud to have picked up a club championship medal with Aodh Ruadh."
- Aodh Ruadh's Martin McGlynn bother of Leitrim's Colin McGlynn

"We knew we had the material to work with, it was only a matter of getting down to it at the start of the season and getting fit and getting a run going. Full credit to the whole panel of 22 players that we had... I am delighted for the lads that we won."
- Aodh Ruadh assistant manager Joe Doherty

"In the second half we threw caution to the wind. We decided to go out and give it our best shot and we did enough to win really, but I think the penalty decision at the end went against us."
- Naomh Columba captain John Joe Doherty

"It's nice when you win but disappointing when you lose. I have to congratulate however, a tremendously good Ballyshannon side. I have been home since 1969 and it's the best Ballyshannon team I have seen since I have been home."
- Naomh Columba chairman Paddy 'Beag' Gillespie.

"Football in Donegal needs teams like Ballyshannon to be winning county championships on a regular basis if football in the county is going to succeed. It's good for Donegal that the cup comes down our area now and again."
- Aodh Ruadh assistant manager Joe Doherty

"The ball came in high and bounced and then it skidded past me. I am thankful to Val Murray... very thankful to Val Murray."
- Aodh Ruadh goalkeeper Paul Kane on the Glen goal

"There was far more pressure on me for the second penalty especially when Hegarty came up behind and tried to put me off. But I went and replaced the ball and took my time to make sure."
- Aodh Ruadh's Val Murray scorer of 2-2

"The second penalty was a killer blow coming with just five minutes left and it's very hard to take when you are given two penalties against you in the one match but that's the way it goes. Full congratulations to Ballyshannon. they have worked hard over the past ten years under different men, Michael McLoone and PJ Buggy and they got their reward today. Fair play to them."
- Naomh Columba manager Michael Oliver Mclntyre

"Fair play to Val Murray. he sunk the penalty and that was the difference at the end of the day."
- Aodh Ruadh's Martin McGlynn

"It was a strange kind of final. The first half saw a lot clean catching by our midfield which might have been because their two better players were up front. In the second half when the two Hegarty's came back around the middle, the game changed in that the mid field had been taken out and they were running the ball from the back. When you are on top you have to maximise your chances and when you are in trouble you have to minimise your mistakes. When Glen came at us in the second half, we just didn't panic. We battled to play the football we knew we could play."
- Aodh Ruadh captain Sylvester Maguire

"It was a good penally, but not a great one," referring to the fact that Val Murray had failed to hit the stanchion of the Naomh Columba net, with his second penally kick. "Again," Didi said, "It was a good penalty, but not a great penalty."
- 'Didi' Drummond, Aodh Ruadh PRO speaking an exhaustive 18 hours after their victory.