Goal hero Moore hails Donegal’s late, late composure

By Michael McMullan

CIARÁN Moore was one part of the St Eunan’s duo to shoot Donegal to their 12th Ulster title but he found it hard to put his crucial extra-time goal into context.

Replaced by Eoin McHugh in the second half or normal time, Moore returned for Jason McGee in extra time and kicked his side’s second goal.

“It’s unreal,” Moore said of getting on the end of a Michael Langan pass before shooting to the top corner to give Donegal a two-point lead.

“I was lucky, it just kind of fell to me in the right spot. I am Just delighted to get over the line. It was a massive, massive battle. It’s unbelievable.”

In the next play, Ethan Rafferty drilled over a two-point free to level matters before Niall O’Donnell kicked his second point of the game to win the title.

Donegal still needed to keep composure. When Moore won a late free, O’Donnell worked the ball short to substitute Eoin McHugh.

With Armagh putting the tightest of squeezes, Finnbarr Roarty and Stephen McMenamin kept their heads – and the ball – in the championship’s white heat to ensure the Anglo Celt Cup was heading back to Donegal.

“When we play Armagh, they’re such a good team and they never ever lie down,” Moore said of holding their nerve in those dying embers.

“It’s always going to be a touch and go game. I suppose there’s times we went ahead and then they went ahead. I suppose you just have to keep plugging away and keep believing that you will get over the line. Thankfully, we were on the right side today.”

While is goal was crucial in a crucial moment change, Moore felt the difference was in how they learned from the closing stages of normal time when two turnovers gave Armagh a lifeline before Oisin Conaty’s equaliser brought the game to extra-time.

“It is hard to separate,” Moore said of an array of momentum swings. “We did well there in the last couple of minutes (of extra-time) to hold on to the ball and keep the ball when we did go a point up.

“That was massive for us. At the end of normal time, we gave the ball away maybe a wee bit cheaply. They went up and scored and brought us extra time. We’re happy that we were able to save the game in the end.”

Check out this week’s review pod as we look at both of Saturday’s Ulster finals from Clones.