Goal lifted the pressure off Aughavas says Eanna McNamara

Pearse Kenny’s goal just after halftime in Sunday’s Fresh Today Junior A FC Final was vital for Aughavas as it lifted the pressure off the shoulders of a young team and allowed them to settle and control a tough battle with Drumreilly believes Leitrim star Eanna McNamara.

Speaking after the 2-14 to 0-12 victory in Pairc Sheain Ui Eslin, Eanna’s first thoughts were of what it meant to win with his club: “It's brilliant to get over the line, especially with the boys I grew up playing with. Most of those lads I’ve been playing with since I was 13, 14 and just to do it with them it's even more special. 

“You're training all year with them, you're going on nights out with them, you're close with them and it's far more special to do it with them. There won't be any college this week but we'll celebrate this one. It'll be a long week but it's worth it, this doesn't come around too often.”

Looking at the game, Eanna pinpointed the team talk at halftime and Pearse Kenny’s goal as vital factors: “The goal definitely lifted the pressure off us - I think we were more settled in control then. We weren't forcing anything, we were holding on to the ball and we were fouling them away from goal which meant they were never in a threat of scoring another goal.

“In the first half, we were kind of keeping them in the game, giving away frees and stuff but we said at halftime that we have the legs on them so we just had to stay out of the fight, stay out of shemozzles and just finish off the game. Use our pace and youth to just run them into the ground basically and that's what we did.”

REPORT: GOALS VITAL AS AUGHAVAS SEE OFF BATTLING DRUMREILLY

Eanna  highlighted the role the older lads on the Aughavas team played: “Having Paul there at centre back and Davey to come on, just to keep heads cool, especially when the game's getting out of hand and stuff. Just to have them to, I know we've young lads and there's loads of pace in the team.

“You need the older boys just to keep the heads and just to get us across the line because Paul towards the end was organising us all and keeping us cool and that's what got us over the line.”

For Eanna, winning the Junior title caps off an amazing year that saw him star for the Leitrim Schools and U20 teams and lock down a place in Steven Poacher’s Senior squad so the idea of a break is appealing but the  Connacht Junior Club  comes first!

“It has been some year of football - I could probably do with a break after it all but it's been worth it all. In fairness to Gabriel, when I came back with the injury, he gave me the time. Niall, Darren, myself, my brother Cathal, he made sure every one of us was right for this time of year because this ultimately was the end goal to win this and get to Connacht.”