A FOUR-year-old who is awaiting life-saving heart surgery was last night said to be "jumping for joy" after a goal he scored at Solitude last weekend was name `Goal of the Month'.
Dáithí Mac Gabhann, from west Belfast who was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, was invited to the Cliftonville Football Club ground last Saturday, where the team took on and defeated Warrenpoint in the Danske Bank Premiership.
The club, which has close links with his family, has supported their campaign for new soft opt-out organ donation legislation to be introduced for Northern Ireland.
During half-time, as details of Dáithí's story and the family's campaign around organ donation was read to the fans, the four-year-old was invited to take a penalty against Cliftonville goalkeeper, Luke McNicholas.
With the crowd behind him, Dáithí managed to score and took his top off as he celebrated on the pitch.
Cliftonville Football Club has now announced that shot had been named `Goal of the Month'.
The club said the goal had "faced stiff competition from Levi Ives' free-kick against Harland & Wolff Welders as well as Joe Gormley's acrobatic finish in the win over Dungannon Swifts... (however) Dáithí’s unstoppable half-time effort - which sent goalkeeper Luke McNicholas the wrong way - emerged on top".
Dáithí's father, Máirtín told The Irish News his son was left "jumping for joy" with the news.
"We have built a relationship up with Cliftonville the last couple of years," he said.
"Our campaign is about normalising organ donation in society and one of the biggest things, and one of our biggest passions, is sport. We recognise the amount of fans who come through sports venues.
"Every Organ Donation Week, they support us and encourage their fans to join the organ donation register and share their wishes with their loved ones".
Mr Mac Gabhann said his son was brought on to the pitch by his grandfather, Martin at half time and when he scored "Dáithí got the loudest cheer of the day.
"The fans erupted," he said.
"When he scored the penalty, he took his top off and was swinging it about"..
The west Belfast father said his son's goal being named `Goal of the Month' was "amazing because Dáithí's number one passion is sports.
"For him to score a goal and get goal of the month, we can call him a real footballer," he said.
