Damian Butler disappointed Carrigallen goal stood but sees potential for St Mary’s

Anyone who thinks the Corrib Oil Junior Championship mattered little to St Mary’s after winning the Senior & Minor double got their answer last Sunday by the  disappointment on the faces of the Mary’s players & management.

Manager Damian Butler summed it up by saying “We’ve a good bunch of lads, we felt we were capable of winning. It has been a great year, we were unbeaten until today. The lads showed a bit of resolve, we were four points down midway through the second half and to come back and go two points up, it showed great character.”

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!

Reluctant to talk about it, Damian did express  disappointment on the decision to allow Carrigallen's match winning goal: “We would be a bit disappointed with the way it finished out. We felt there was a whistle there and the goal seemed to be allowed which doesn’t really make sense. 

“We would be disappointed with that but having said that, there would be aspects of our own game we’d be disappointed with. We didn’t retain enough of our own kickouts. Carrigallen bossed us at times there and in the middle third, they had that bit of physicality that comes with age.”

Looking at the big picture, Damian sees a lot of positives for St Mary’s: “It is a very young team, we have four or five teenagers starting there and another came on. A young team and definitely a lot of positives and a lot to be excited about going forward.”

Zak Moradi's 'Life Begins in Leitrim' book signing in Mulvey's House of Gifts

Pictures: Willie Donnellan

But there are also challenges: “There is a lot of energy there and numbers and  our challenge as a club now is to make sure everyone of those lads comes back and plays football for St Mary’s next year and the year after that. We have numbers and we need to hold onto every single one of them.”