St Mary’s stepping stone

KILLYCLOGHER attacker Nathan Donnelly hopes that the club can use their dramatic Senior League title triumph last weekend as a stepping stone to bigger and better things in the near future.

St Mary’s overcame defending league champions Dromore on a penalty shoot out after a marathon Division One decider at Healy Park which ended 2-13 to 0-19 following extra-time.

Two early Conall McCann goals seemed to have paved the way for a regulation victory by the Ballinamullan boys, only for Dromore to stage a sterling fightback to force extra-time.

The momentum was all with Dromore as they surged four points ahead by the mini-break in the additional period, but in a contest which ebbed and flowed throughout, Killyclogher then sprung back off the canvas, sub Simon O’Neill banging over the equalising point with the last kick of the match.

Having lost out in the Championship quarter-final to Trillick on spot-kicks, St Mary’s were not going to be denied on this occasion and they eventually secured the Brendan Dolan Memorial Trophy for the third time in the club’s history.

Nathan Donnelly was part of the Killyclogher panel which last annexed the League crown in 2014 and he hopes that history now repeats itself in terms of the side going to lift the O’Neill Cup.

“There are a lot of young lads- wee John Rafferty, Oran Grimes, Oisin McCann. It’s great for them to win a Senior medal.

“In my first year in Senior football we won the League in 2014 and that was a stepping stone then to winning the Championship a few years later (2016). We have the players here to do it. We will get down to work in pre-season next year and definitely push on for the Championship.”

FULL STORY IN YESTERDAY’S ULSTER HERALD