We dug it out against the odds says Carrigallen manager Niall Mulleady

Carrigallen’s resilience and ability to compose themselves in the final stages was crucial in their Corrib Oil Junior A Final victory over St Mary’s Kiltoghert last Sunday according to manager Niall Mulleady.

“We looked like we were playing good stuff, particularly in the first half,” Niall told the Observer, “We got a couple of scores after halftime but Carrick got their purple patch and five or six minutes to go, it looked against the odds but we dug deep and dug it out and I’m very, very happy.”

Carrigallen celebrate dramatic Corrib Oil Junior A Final victory - GALLERY

Carrigallen players and supporters celebrated wildly as they came from two points down to defeat St Mary's Kiltoghert in Sunday's Corrib Oil Junior A Championship Final in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada and Observer photographer Willie Donnellan was there to capture some great pictures of the celebrations .... see who you can spot!

Carrigallen dominated long stretches of the game but poor finishing, particularly of goal chances almost cost them, a point Niall agreed with: “Fully agree with you there, we had four missed goal chances and particularly in the first half, we snapped at points there when we should have been taking them.

“We carried the ball a bit too far, particularly with the wind, we should have been shooting earlier. This is a very inexperienced team, a lot of youth mixed with a bit of experience and they haven’t been in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada in a final in a long time and nerves do tend to take over.

“But I’m delighted with how we composed ourselves later in the game and dug it out. Carrick are having a clean sweep at the moment, they are a fantastic club and doing well and they had the momentum but we dug it out.”

Fans out in droves for Corrib Oil Junior A Championship Final - GALLERY

Observer photographer Willie Donnellan was a busy man in the last adult Leitrim GAA County Final of the year .... see who he snapped at the Corrib Oil Junior A FC Final between Carrigallen and St Mary's Kiltoghert in Avant Money Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada on Sunday!

Niall agreed Eoin Ward was a worthy man of the match winner but stressed the overall team contribution also: “Eoin stood up, he has been carrying an injury from the very first round of the championship, we’ve been minding him with kid’s gloves and cotton wool. 

“Eoin wasn’t on his own, he had help but he got Man of the Match for a reason, he was outstanding. As captain, he fulfilled his duty very well. But no more than in the Glenfarne game when we won by a point in injury time, the older lads, the more experienced lads who know what to do at the right time, stood up.”