All-Ireland Junior Football Championship quarter-final: Red Hugh’s (Donegal) 3-11 Dunedin Connolloy’s (Edinburgh) 1-15
Cometh the crisis for the gritty men from the Finn Valley and cometh their young county star, Stephen McMenamin, who walked tall when it really mattered.
His team looked dead and buried in eighth minute of extra-time as plucky Dunedin led by 1-13 to 1-11 when he got possession deep inside his opponent's half.
There was a sliver of suspicion that he took a tad too may steps but referee James Molly gave him the benefit of the doubt.
But he showed real ice in the veins as he struck the ball low to the Dunedin net and that was the real turning point in this magnificent match.
His clever strike put a tiring Red Hugh’s side back in front and gave them a fresh momentum that they maintained to the bitter end.
“There were a few times we looked dead and we were not playing our normal game.
“But to be honest we have been in this position in a few matches in the campaign so far.
“Every game bar the county final, it is always a comeback and it is something we are good at.
“But I don’t know, we just could not get going at all.
“We got very lucky in the end and Shane got the goal at the end which was very important.”
But his own crucial strike was equally so, hit with pace and precision to blast its way to the back of the Dunedin net.
“Calvin Bradley laid the ball off to me and I knew I had to hit it hard and low.
“There were three or four men in front of me.
“It is just great to be in an All-Ireland semi-final, you just can’t put it in to words.
“They had us well sussed out in the middle of the field and we won nothing.
“We were not good, but we got going in the end and we knew when we came out in the second period of extra time that we were going to beat them as we had the wind at our backs.
“We said they were not going to get away from us and we knew we had it in the legs.''
And none more so than Stephen McMenamin.
Red Hugh's know they will have to raise their game to advance in the All-Ireland series, wasteful kicking one of the areas needing urgent attention.
“We kept kicking the ball away to them and we have to put things right,'' added McMenamin.
Red Hugh’s now meet Easkey on January 18 in the All-Ireland Junior Club Championship semi-final.
But they will need to improve if they are to reach the decider.
Red Hugh’s: Ciaran Kelly; Cathal Doherty, Eugene Browne, Ryan Kelly; Odhran Doherty (0-1), Gerard Melaugh, Thomas McMenamin; Peadar McGlinchey (0-3), Stephen McMenamin (1-0); Damien Browne (0-5, 2f), Pauric McMenamin, Shane McGlinchey; Calvin Bradley (0-2) James Carlin (1-0) Gary Kelly,
Subs: Johnny Carlin for Odhran Doherty (36), Shane Gallagher (1-0), for James Carlin (42), Sean Sweeney for Daman Browne, Damian Browne for Gerard Melaugh (62), Gary Kelly for Ryan Kelly (67), Gerard Melaugh for Gary Kelly (67), Michael Devine for Gerard Melaugh (81)
Dunedin Connolly’s: Adam McKeever; Fintan Kearney Daniel O’Brien, Bryan Russell; Daniel Loftus, Conor Horan, Ronan McGurk; Brian McAteer, Tony Dever; Eanna Newton, Paul Reen (0-1), Conor McCann; Aldo Matassa (0-2), Frank Molloy (0-3), Sean Malee (1-4, 3f)
Subs: Brendan Parsons (0-2) for Eanna Newton (27 inj), Aaron Moore for Ronan McGurk (black card 36) Alan Ward (0-3,1f) for Paul Reen (57), Paul Reen for Conor Horan (74) Vincent Moriarty for Tony Dever (black card 81)
Referee: James Molloy (Galway)
