‘I had to go for it’ — Fallon

In a Connacht final that saw both sides squander opportunities, ultimately it was Ruaidhrí Fallon’s bravery to back himself when going low instead of the better percentage shot for a point, which would have tied Sunday’s provincial final with just three minutes remaining.

In a game as close as this one was, there are a million micro moments that had the capacity to swing the contest in either direction. Ultimately, after Mark Daly made a nuisance of himself from Conor Hand’s dipping effort and Ciarán Sugrue picked out Fallon, the wing-back went low and hard with a bullet-like effort in the 57th minute.

So, what was going through Fallon’s head in those moments between putting boot to ball and seeing the net bulge?

“I don’t remember much. It was the close the eyes and put the head down sort of job, so thankfully it hit the back of the net,” he laughed.

“I didn’t have much time to weigh up the options. I would have probably have got a bit of stick if I handpassed it over the bar, so thankfully it went in, and it counted for us getting over the line,” he noted.

Fallon admitted that the hours of training were all about those final moments of a game — the ones that ultimately decide victory and defeat, ecstasy or agony, more silverware or standing to one side to watch the opposition climbing the steps of the Hyde.

“That is all anyone wants when it comes to this sort of stage of the competition. The games are going to be so tight, and there will be no easy minute.

“It was the exact same today. You see there at the end, Johnny Maloney had a shot to level things. It could have easily went to extra time and who knows what would have happened then. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that, but we are very, very happy.” 

In what was another dramatic final St. Brigid’s have played in the Hyde this year, it was easy to forget the role that Seán Trundle played in his side’s two-point triumph.

As Trundle followed Dessie Conneely out the field, Maigh Cuilinn’s aerial threat was immediately apparent as the McDonagh brothers proved a handful in the full-forward line.

Trundle admitted that his side would need to figure out how to deal with the aerial deliveries consistently over the hour, although he felt his side improved in this area as the game progressed.

“That is something for us to go back to the drawing board on and see what we can do with it. We probably wouldn’t have the biggest height advantage in the full-back line. But with zonal defences now, anyone could be in there.

“They really did (test the full-back line under high ball). Conor (Carroll) has a real presence on the goalline, and it is something we’ll have to look at. We dealt with it in the second half. They put in a few in after half time when they had the wind, but we dealt with it. We had a word at half time, but I thought we coped well with it in the second half.” 

The St. Brigid’s defender admitted that returning to the solace of the dressing room with the scores tied was a boost at the break, especially as his side were on the back foot at times before Conor Hand’s vital two-pointer on the counter with the final kick of the half.

“We had a very slow start. When we went in level at half time we looked at ourselves in the dressing room and agreed we were after playing terrible football but were still in this game. That gave us hope to drive on, push on and try and play a bit better in the second half,” Trundle claimed.

Eddie Nolan admitted that his side didn’t exactly burst through the finishing tape. However, the midfielder insisted that the county championship had them prepared for Sunday’s tense finish.

“We probably fell over the line to be honest. Ruaidhrí came up with the goal there to give us the confidence to kick on.

“I think the Roscommon championship is as hard as it comes to be fair. It is a great, great competition, but it is very difficult. You might say that we weren’t up against it, but the teams in the championship were very, very good. I think that gives us that edge when we do come out of Roscommon,” Nolan stated.

As he was surrounded by joyful scenes before the trophy presentation, Fallon believed this success was for more than just the players.

“It is massive, not just for the team but the club and the parish. We think back to two years ago, when we went on that run with a slightly younger team and the backing we got from the parish.

“We sometimes play our best football when we have a small bit of fear. I think there were stages of the second half where we were fearful of bowing out and losing that game. I think that got us over the line,” Fallon concluded.