THE post-match scenes at Kingspan Breffni were reminiscent of trophy-winning celebrations, rather than the quarter-final win Naomh Conaill had just achieved.
However, the outrageous manner of their victory over Cavan champs Gowna, a last-gasp goal rifled in by wing-back Kevin McGettigan in extra added time, was worthy of the outpouring of joy and the on-pouring of supporters.
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The Glenties club’s stalwart Leo McLoone delightedly accepted the acclaim from young and old, including encouraging some teenage clubmates with this comment: “A lock of years that’ll be you boys…”
Yet the experienced former Donegal player is setting his sights on an actual final victory, even though he’s well aware how tough it will be even to reach the Ulster decider:
“It’s Glen we play next and that performance is not going to be enough to challenge Glen.
“It’s a big two weeks. They’re a great team, they’ve been there before, it’s a big challenge for us. It’s one we’ll relish. We’ll knuckle down, try to get a bit of fitness and our tactics right, and see how it goes.”
When mention is made of Naomh Conaill’s narrow Ulster Final defeat against Kilcoo four years ago, McLoone is quick to issue a reminder of their other appearance on the provincial final stage too, against the then kingpins, Crossmaglen Rangers:
“We were in two Ulster Finals, ’10 and ’19, heartbreak losing them to some powerful, dominant club teams in Ulster.
“We’ve been there and we haven’t done it. It’s a kind of chip on the shoulder, an itch you want to scratch, and we really would like to get there – but it’s not going to be easy. Hopefully we can give Glen a game next time and play a bit better.”
Such comments weren’t just a wise old head heaping pressure on the opposition – Naomh Conaill were fortunate to get past Gowna, as McLoone freely acknowledged.
Two points down deep into added time, a cleverly worked free led to the ball in from Anthony Thompson only being half-cleared and wing-back Kevin McGettigan fairly lashed it to the net for a 2-8 to 1-10 triumph.
“Ah, yeah – you talk about fine margins, I think there was only 20, 30 seconds left there.
“We didn’t play well but I suppose we hung in, we still had hope, and, Jeez, Kevin just got his leg to the last ball there and it hit the back of the net.
“Listen, you have to take your luck when you get it. There were other times, maybe last year, when we didn’t get that wee stroke of luck. It’ll help us on for the next day, hopefully.”
His allusion to last season referenced their exit on penalties after extra time against Antrim champs Cargin, who went on to push Glen hard in the semi-final – and troubled them again before losing Sunday’s re-match in the quarter-finals.
That will offer some measure of hope that Naomh Conaill can also compete well with the Maghera men, although McLoone is insistent that serious improvement will be required, at least on their second half showing.
McLoone himself scored a much simpler goal, albeit one from further out late in the first half, lofting the ball over the stranded goalkeeper to the empty net to help them into a 1-5 to 0-4 lead, but Gowna got back into the game.
“We didn’t come out in the second half at all. I don’t know what happened us, we were very dead on our feet. We just didn’t get going at all, gave a lot of ball away going forward and were a bit loose at the back…So, a lot to work on for the next day!”
Gowna looked like making rare progress for a Cavan team, McLoone acknowledged: “Ah, it looked like it was gone, especially when they got two points in it. It meant we had to get a goal then. Just delighted.”
That delight wasn’t just for himself and his team-mates, but for all those supporters who surrounded them afterwards:
“See the crowd that came here to the pitch – thankfully we got the win for all the travelling support, something for them for the next two weeks as well as us. Hopefully we can up our game,” concluded McLoone.
