Gavin over the ‘moon’ with win
HAVING been on top for much of the game, Naomh Mairtin should have had this title wrapped up without needing extra time, but that dramatic end probably added both to the sense of relief and joy felt by the players and supporters at the final whistle.
In the midst of those joyous scenes at the centre of the pitch was a delighted Monasterboice midfielder, Gavin Mooney, who revealed that it was calm heads that ensured they bounced back from the concession of a late equaliser to get their hands on the O’Donnell Cup.
His side looked to have the game wrapped up at the end of normal time but he felt a lack of composure was a factor in not seeing out the game.
‘We really had to dig it out in extra time as we made hard work of it at the end.
‘When we went two points clear we knew we just had to hold onto the ball for the last few minutes but I think we just didn’t push up enough.
‘We were just trying to hang on in the end but we couldn’t manage it and we were very disappointed to see the equaliser go over the bar,’ he explained.
As a result of that equaliser it was the Dreadnots who had the momentum going into extra time, but the Mairtins showed great character to bounce back and Mooney revealed that a few reassuring words in the dressing-room helped them get back on track.
‘When we got back into the dressing-room we spoke about how we were playing the better football but just weren’t transferring that on to the scoreboard. We said we just had to keep to our system, stay calm and hopefully it would come our way.
‘It was still tight at the end of the first period of extra time but we found that extra gear when we needed it.
‘We knew they had some very good players but we dug deep, managed to get on top around the middle again and were able to push forward from there.
‘We had to just keep pushing and pressing, and everyone had to do their job and fair play to the lads as we got the win out of it,’ he added.
Obviously the tragic passing of Benny Reilly following the semi-final win over St Marys was something that was in the minds of everyone and after everything the club had gone through, victory meant a lot to all concerned.
‘We didn’t want to put extra pressure on ourselves but of course it was in the back of our minds, but we had a job to do so we had to get our heads down and get on with it,’ explained Gavin who added that winning the trophy was they best way the club could pay tribute to Benny.