O’Donnell praise for the ‘heart’
FERGAL O’Donnell, manager of the Tourlestrane team that refuses to lose, said he’s in awe of a group of players that delivered the club’s seventh successive county title last Sunday.
They were under the cosh and almost on the brink of a first championship defeat since 2015 – but they survived to defeat St Mary’s after extratime at Markievicz Park.
“I’ve never met a group like this, not just the players, but in terms of the club – the executive committee to the supporters.
“But I have to say that the players are unbelievable,” said O’Donnell, who, during his time as both an intercounty player and manager, encountered sterling squads.
He thought that Tourlestrane’s jig was up when St Mary’s held a twopoint lead in second-half stoppage time – then Cathal Henry and Oisin Kennedy landed the points that turned the corner.
These scores came after a James
Leonard goal chance was blocked in the St Mary’s goalmouth. He continued: “After James Leonard’s chance for the goal, I probably thought it was gone for us but we got the two scores and that brought us to extra-time.
“We made a lot of mistakes, we turned over the ball – so did St Mary’s – but we kept going.
“These lads have a hunger and they showed that [in the semi-final] against Shamrock Gaels when that game could have been over after we lost a man.
“I know they didn’t want to be here looking up at St Mary’s getting the cup, that’s the reality of it.
“They are a credit to themselves and the club, it is an honour to work with them. I’m lucky to be the manager of such a group.”
O’Donnell, who is continuing the work started by Eamonn O’Hara, Gerry McGowan and Kevin Johnson, praised defenders Barry Walsh and
Adrian McIntyre – both played prominent roles last Sunday despite being poorly in the days prior to the game.
Substitute Stephen Henry, another veteran of the squad, also came on to good effect.
“Blondie [Stephen Henry] came on and he was savage – in fairness to him he probably trains harder than