'It is good to finally be bringing  another cup back to Kilcar - captain Rafferty 

Ben Rafferty scored a goal and two points as Kilcar overcame a good Red Hughs side 1-7 to 0-9 in Saturday’s Donegal U21 C championship final in Fr Tierney, Park, Ballyshannon.

The skipper tapped home a huge three-pointer, which proved to be the game’s defining score in the middle of the second half after Red Hugh’s goalkeeper Tom McMenamin got down well to his left to save the initial spot kick.

But unfortunately for the keeper, he could only parry the shot and the ball bounced back into the path of the Kilcar man who slotted it to an empty net.

The goal tied up the game at 1-4 to 0-7 and Kilcar took the lead shortly after thanks to a super point from Jack Hegarty and courtesy of two more Hegarty specials they kicked on to win.  

“It is a brilliant feeling to finally get our hands on the cup,” said Rafferty afterwards.

“As a group of players we did not have much success through underage apart from some of us winning an U12 Division Two final. But that was a long time ago. It's  good to finally be  bringing back a cup to Kilcar.” 

On a day a storm force at times cross field wind blew across Fr Tierney Park, conditions were challenging and Red Hughs adapted best to the conditions in the first half. The men from the Cross led 0-7 to 0-3 at half-time. 

“We had to work really hard for it because Red Hughs really put it up to us and it was a battle until the final whistle. 

“They brought great intensity to the game and they were very strong in the tackle and they adapted better to the conditions especially in the first half.

“We felt being from Kilcar we knew how to manage the wind but they managed it better in the first half and kicked some brilliant scores. 

“The wind though it was mostly crossfield it probably favoured the team playing towards the road end. 

“Whatever advantage was in it they used it well and raced into an early lead but we hung in and kept tipping away and we scored a couple of late points to leave just four between us at half-time. 

“We started the second half well and Ciaran O’Donnell scored a point after the keeper saved well from Ciaran.

“The point brought it back to three and then we got the penalty and I was a little lucky to tap in the rebound after the keeper saved from my first shot. 

“But we have trained hard for over the last nine weeks in wind, rain, hail, snow and all kinds of weather in Towney and we maybe made our own bit of luck.

“Michael Gallagher, Jack Hegarty and Liam McLaughlin  came into the game big time in the second half and Jack kicked the last three points after the goal which proved the difference in the end. 

“But a lot of lads stood up at different times and we did well in defence to restrict Red Hughs to just two points in the second half.

“The win is a big lift for this group of players and the club. I learned during the week that it is ten years since the club last won at U21 so it has been a long wait.”