Mits Blue s g ot out of jail
value for their lead, McDonnell felt the Blues could also have been closer at half-time.
‘It was a big wind to be honest and Robbie Carr had a goal chance that he’d normally bury and they went down the other end and put it in the back of the net. That was a six-point turnaround, so instead of going in at halftime level we were six points down.’
But he insisted the Blues never lost hope and hailed the performances of the substitutes who helped turn things around in the closing stages.
‘We knew we had the panel there to make a difference. Ian Connor hasn’t really got a run of it, but he was brilliant when he came on and he drove us forward along with his brother Alan, Jamie [Kelly], Hugh McGinn and Robert Carr kicked a vital score and could have got a goal.
‘But with two minutes to go, three points down, did I think we would win it? No, there’s no point saying I did, I thought we were dead and buried. But the belief the lads showed. Conor Branigan was brilliant the last 10 minutes. He won the ball before the goal and set it up for Ross and then after John Kermode made a bad handpass he dispossessed the corner back and kicked the winning point. He was brilliant.
McDonell now has three senior medals, but he admitted that winning back-to-back titles is special.
‘The team in ‘00/’01 were the last Blues’ side to do it and then you had Pat’s and Mattock in the noughties. We didn’t talk about it, we just treated it as another match, but a good team wins one but a great team wins two. There’s plenty more in the tank and we need to bring that forward against the Carlow champions now.
The Louth star also paid a warm tribute to Naomh Mairtin.
‘Commiserations to the Jocks lads, I know all about what it’s like to lose finals. They’ll be back, they’re a great team and club.
‘They have a few top young players like Callo, Sam, Conor Whelan and Conor Healy and hopefully we can get some of them guys into the Louth set-up. New management in and we’re raring to go next year. They’re a great young team with a few ‘oul lads like JP, who’s been a great loyal servant. They’ll be there or thereabouts over the next few years. We’ll hopefully see them tomorrow for a drink or two and have a nice day with them.’