Ellistown players and management react to Junior Championship glory
Ellistown manager Gavin Holligan, man of the match Eoin O'Loughlin and key man Andrew McLoughlin all spoke to media after their side's win
“It means a lot to us and everyone at the club. We have been trying hard all year and we got there in the end. To go down last year and come straight back up is very important,” the words of man of the match Eoin O’Loughlin after his Ellistown side claimed this year’s Junior Football Championship title.
The man who hit 1-3 in the final added, “I thought we were comfortable with that (his goal), but it turned out to be more important than when they got one back. It was a one-score gap at half-time so we were happy enough as long as we were in it. We had the legs to get over the line and there will be plenty of celebrating tonight.”
The eventual winners trailed 0-6 to 0-4 at the break, but sentiments that they were in a good spot still were echoed by manager Gavin Holligan after the game.
He said, “It was exactly what we said in the dressing room at half-time that this is where we want to be. We knew this was what was coming and we have prepared for it for the last two weeks. We made two tweaks in the second half to open things up and we found the space then.”
The winning manager also spoke on the injuries suffered in the lead up, and during, this crucial encounter, with Ellistown having to make two first half substitutions due to injury.
“A lot of people didn’t know, but unfortunately we picked up two injuries in the Castle- mitchell game. We had a couple of lads that started carrying knocks that still really set the tone,” Holligan said.
“Darren (Kelly) picked up a knock in the Castlemitchell game. We needed to get more experience on the pitch and that was the reason for starting him. David Dunne then picked up a knock as well then in the first five minutes. Not an ideal start, but look at the lads that came on and we have been saying this since the start, it is not the starting 15 that win games, it is the finishing 15 too. We are delighted for them, one to 28. Each to a man, I am delighted. I am lost for words.”
However, one crucial addition to the Ellistown starting lineup was former county man Andrew McLoughlin, who had been injured for much of the campaign leading up to this game. McLoughlin was tasked with marking the competition's top-scorer Paul Kirwan and reduced the Kill forward to just 1-1 from play, with the goal arriving deep into added time.
Speaking after the game he said, “It is just unbelievable for such a small club. You can see what it means to the people here. These days don’t come around too often and it means everything.”
McLoughlin made a crucial block to deny Cian Lawlor a goal in the 49th minute of this final. Mentioning the moment he simply said, “That’s our job, to stop scores going in our end.”