'Skibb love their footballers and they love this team'

O’DONOVAN Rossa manager James O’Donovan was beaming with pride in the aftermath of his side’s famous two-point win over Mayo’s Claremorris in the All-Ireland Junior Football Final at Parnell Park on Sunday.

Making it even more special, victory was secured by a brilliant 2-5 scored by his daughter Éabha, including a late goal to swing it the way of the Skibb side.

"It’s very special. It’s lovely to see her playing well and getting a few scores at the end, but it is a team. I’m only with them since the start of the year but I have such a connection with them. 

They are such a wonderful bunch of girls. I couldn’t put one of them above the other. 

"Obviously, she is my daughter, but equally all the rest of them are fantastic.

"We’ve had a great run. We’ve played 12 championship games and we’ve won 12 championship games and won an All-Ireland final. You don’t do that without quality players. You need more than one or two quality players and I think we have quality players all over the pitch. 

"We might not have shown it today, as such, but they are there, and if the quality fades – we spoke about this beforehand – there is nothing stopping you working hard. There is nothing stopping you fighting and keep going until the end and they did it. They did that, even when things weren’t going their way and that is why we are All-Ireland champions."

Claremorris looked to be smothering O’Donovan Rossa in the second half until Éabha O’Donovan’s late goal halted their comeback in its tracks. 

"We didn’t really get going for most of the game but I think that’s as a result of Claremorris. I thought they were outstanding to be honest with you. They played a great game. We were under pressure all the way through. I suppose we just managed to get the key scores with the goals, and our defence, as it has done all year, just didn’t concede the goals and that’s what won it for us.

KEY

"They were on top all over the field. We were getting blocked down inside. We couldn’t get our shots away. They were turning us over and they were attacking with numbers. We were under serious pressure, but that breakaway attack we got and Eabha finishing the goal, that was the key.

"They hunted in numbers, but to fair to our girls, they kept at it and kept at it and they kept trying, and they found a way to win, and that’s been our team all year, just finding a way to win when the backs are to the wall and the chips are down. They seem to somehow come through, and they did that."

O’Donovan was keen to stress just how much this win will mean to the town of Skibbereen.

"It’s massive. It’s huge for the whole community in Skibbereen. 

It’s been well documented and spoken about but the community has been totally behind this team and it’s been amazing down there and incredible. 

"We’ll be bringing home the cup tonight and I know that the town will be full. Football is a huge game in West Cork. It’s our game like. They love it. 

"They love their footballers and they love this team.”