Harry Loughran’s amazing goal-scoring run shows sign of drying up, and his late strike at Semple Stadium dragged The Moy into the All-Ireland Club IFC final.
Eight times the predatory Tir na nOg attacker has hit the net in this remarkable championship campaign, but none was so precious as the sensational stoppage-time score that stunned An Ghaeltacht.
“It was an opportunist-enough one. Nothing was falling the whole game, but you knew as a forward that you always get a chance, and that chance came in the 64th, 65th minute,” said Loughran, who had been frustrated for most of the game, but scored 1-1 in added time to make it a day of celebration for the Tyrone champions.
“It didn’t fall the rest of the game, but I’m delighted it did right at the end. If you get a chance you try to take it, and thankfully it came off.
“We were standing there, deep into injury-time, and I was standing beside Sean (Cavanagh). We were just chatting, saying, we’re going to get one chance, and thankfully when the ball dropped, we took that chance.”
And Moy couldn’t have wished for that chance to fall to anyone else other than the 23-year-old goal king.
During the Tyrone championship he goaled in three of the four games, once against Cookstown, followed by doubles as The Moy dealt with the challenges of Gortin and Derrylaughan.
Two more goals against Newbridge in the Ulster series helped the Red Hand representatives win the provincial championship, and having buried number eight in the most dramatic of circumstances, he’s not finished yet.
Now Moy stand just 60 minutes away from an All-Ireland title, and their supporters will flock to Croke Park this Saturday for the final leg of what has been a wondrous journey.
“It’s unbelievable. This is something you dream of as a lad, to play for your club in an All-Ireland final in Croke Park.
“You get one opportunity at it, and now it’s about focusing. It’s another game of football, and we can’t let the occasion get to us.”
Loughran felt for the crestfallen An Ghaeltacht players, who could scarcely believe they had lost a match in which they took a 0-6 to 0-3 lead into stoppage time.
“It’s demoralising for the Ghaeltacht, they’re a great team, they played with great spirit, there were a lot of big hits, a lot of intensity.
“Maybe it wasn’t the best game from a neutral point of view, very low scoring.
“But that’s what it’s all about. Semi-finals are about winning and we’re delighted to get over the line.”
Even when the Munster champions were reduced to 14 men ten minutes into the second half, the Tyrone men were unable to take advantage against a depleted side that made ball retention a fine art.
“We were a man up and you probably would have thought that the Ghaeltacht were a man up. They were keeping the ball very well, and they went into a one point lead, two point lead and then a three point lead, and they were keeping the ball.
“We were chasing shadows, we were working, but we just couldn’t get it. They ran the ball well against the breeze. They were kicking the ball in first half with the breeze, and it maybe didn’t suit them as well.
“They have strong runners, they’re very pacey, they’re skilful, and it was working well for them.
“I suppose we didn’t close them down quick enough, and maybe didn’t take advantage of the wind.
“Our forward play at times was quite poor, although we defended well, we hit hard, and it gives us something to work on for next weekend if we’re to take this a step further.”
