Eoin Fehily hails Éire Óg's character after epic comeback to reach Senior A final

Éire Óg manager Eoin Fehily praised the character and resilience of his players after they produced a dramatic late comeback to defeat Cill na Martra and secure their place in the McCarthy Insurance SAFC final, after extra-time.

Trailing by eight points midway through the second half and still five adrift entering the closing stages, the Ovens club looked destined for heartbreak in Coachford. Instead, goals from substitutes Matt Brady and Johnny Galvin rescued the game before Éire Óg powered on in extra-time to claim a 2-16 to 1-16 victory.

For Fehily, the manner of the win underlined just how much his side has developed during this year's championship campaign.

"Full credit and full praise goes to those players," Fehily said afterwards.

"Players win football matches and they're the most important part of the whole job. They really showed character there today.

"There were a lot of comparisons going into today with the semi-final against Cill na Martra last year, but I said we couldn't compare to that. Our comparison is ourselves.

"I think we've grown leaps and bounds from the first round against Bishopstown. I think there's a different team out there now because when there was an eight-point swing at one stage, the lads clawed it back."

While delighted to have reached the county decider, Fehily was quick to say that the victory will only carry matter if Éire Óg can finish the job.

"The most important thing is they finished the job today, but a semi-final is only another win," he said.

"This only means something if we go out on November 1 and finish the job. That's the most important thing."

A major factor in the turnaround was the impact of Éire Óg's bench, with Brady and Galvin both finding the net after being introduced, while Ronan O'Toole also made a significant contribution.

Fehily said there was little panic on the sideline despite the sizeable deficit.

"We felt we never really got going all game," he said. "Even when they went seven or eight points up, we were quite calm because we knew what we had on the line. We probably had six players there that could easily have started.

"When we called on them, they came in and did exactly what they were supposed to do.

"I think the difference started with Ronan O'Toole. He really showed his class. Johnny Galvin came on, got the goal and three points, and Matt Brady got the goal as well. It was an excellent performance from everyone involved."

Fehily believes the contribution of the subs is becoming vital in championship football.

"Long gone are the days where you have 15 players competing against another 15," he said. "We have to have finishers, and they came on today and were absolutely excellent. They were proper performances from all of them."

Having completed their escape act at the death, Éire Óg took control in extra-time and finished the stronger side, something Fehily felt reflected the group's growing mental strength.

"It probably could have been a bit easier on all our hearts with a few of the wides," he joked.

"But it shows the mental character they have. 

They didn't allow heads to drop. They kept going at it and kept going down the throats to finish the match."

In the zone

Éire Óg will now face Kanturk in the final, but Fehily insists his focus remains squarely on his own camp.

"Four weeks ago after the Kilshannig game, I said we wouldn't focus on anyone else only ourselves because no poor team reaches a semi-final," he said.

"The four teams left were all excellent teams. Whoever comes through, it's going to be massively tough, but we'll deal with that when we know who it's going to be.

"It's a great day for the club and people can enjoy it," he said, "But we've got to finish the job.”