GAA: Closing stages like something out of a movie for Donnelly

By Odhrán Crumley in Armagh

Derry U20 boss Mickey Donnelly led St Ronan’s Lurgan to the holy grail in becoming the first ever side from the school to claim the title.

Three minutes of added time didn’t help the Tyrone man’s nerves as Magherafelt pushed for an equaliser eating at his sides lead, making for some of the longest moments in Donnelly’s life.

“I just thought that the last twenty minutes of the game began to drag, it was like something out of a movie and the clock seemed to be ticking slowly past.”

Donnelly praised the fighting resilience of the Magherafelt men who didn’t relinquish their crown without a fight. “I thought we played really well in the last twenty minutes.  We seemed to get the bulk of possession while playing into the breeze.

"You weren’t wishing away the clock as it were, but listen the clock drags when you are ahead. Magherafelt got back level with that breeze and they went again and again.”

The Aghaloo man has been involved with top teams all over the country but nothing was like his experiences today. “I have been involved with a lot of teams throughout the years and that was as special a day as I have ever had.

"The way the community got behind this side of the last few weeks has been brilliant. The amount of support and sponsorship we have got, people putting their hands in their pockets.”

In Magherafelt he watched some of the cream of the crop in Derry and he hopes he will see success with some of them in the future.

“There is some brilliant players there, gutted for the likes of Simon McErlain and young (Odhrán) Lynch but we really wanted that today and those lads have MacRory cup medals in their back pockets and they’ll reflect in five or six years’ time and say at least we won one. We are just very proud to join that elite company today.”