‘THE KINGS OF IRELAND’
Skipper Carville hails historic feat
THE enormity of the resolve showed in Sunday’s All-ireland final win over St. Brigid’s may only be dawning on Glen today.
They started without playmaker Jack Doherty, injured in the Kilmacud Crokes victory, while rising star Danny Mcdermott was on the bench after a long term injury. Malachy O’rourke’s men lost their top player of this campaign, Eunan Mulholland to injury after 25 minutes and captain Conor Carville also went off injured, on 44 minutes.
Then they lost Cathal Mulholland to a black card on 48 minutes so were down a man for 10 crucial minutes.
On 56 minutes they trailed by four points and across the second half, they missed a whopping 12 chances, managing just one point from their first 11 shots after the break.
Those are losing stats and circumstances, but Michael Warnock’s point and Conor Glass’ goal blew the game wide open with
Conleth Mcguckian (right) hugely prominent in turning the match around in setting up the goal and scoring a late point.
And Cathal Mulholland, back after the black card, made a huge block on a Ben O’carroll shot.
“It’s instilled into us, belief that you keep fighting until the final whistle and we have said all along, these games are going to be tight and you just keep going,” said Glen skipper Carville.
“We have serious belief in this group and a real togetherness, and that character comes through in the end.
“So we are just over the moon to be All-ireland champions. To be top of the mountain is something else.
“Look, we wouldn’t be All-ireland champions without having three big battles.
“You expect that sort of thing and we expected a huge game here.
“If we are very critical we’d probably be disappointed with our performance but we kept digging in, kept believing and kept going until the final whistle and I’m just so happy and proud of the boys.”
Carville outlined what it means to become the fourth Derry club to win an All-ireland after Bellaghy, Lavey and Ballinderry.
He continued: “My hope is that it inspires the future generations of the younger boys Glen. You see them all the time.
“They are mad for football and they live for it. They are kicking about when we are at training and stuff, so you hope that it inspires them in some way.
“On the flipside of that as well, you also hope that men can die happy now.
“I think of my granda there, he’s 87 and hasn’t many more years left. Hopefully he does, but I know now he can die happy that Glen are kings of Ireland.”