Gaoth Dobhair's Darragh Ferry 'knew that neither side was going to give up'

Darragh Ferry ended up with both the U-21A Championship trophy and the man of the match award under his arms as he left O’Donnell Park.

From centre-back, Ferry played a huge part in Gaoth Dobhair’s seventh U-21 success and admitted afterwards it was a game where neither his team nor opponents Termon were going to throw in the towel. In the end, following extra-time, Gaoth Dobhair came out on top on a scoreline of 3-7 to 2-8.

Both sides were awarded penalties in injury time at the end of normal time with Steven McFadden putting Gaoth Dobhair three up before Ryan McFadden levelled it at the other end to force extra-time in the wintery conditions.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Ferry said afterwards. “You had to be there to believe it. It was very dramatic in injury-time and extra-time. We thought we were there and Termon got a penalty in the dying seconds. We managed to get the deciding one in extra-time.

“It was gruelling enough there in extra-time and the legs were getting heavy for everyone out there. There was good fitness from both teams and you knew that neither side was going to give up.

“Everyone just fought so hard in that game.Luckily for us we got that goal in the end when Eoin de Búrca punched in a great ball in from Steven Doyle McFadden. All it was going to take for them to get back into it was one slip from one man and we filtered a few men back late on to try and make sure that happened.”

The final marks the conclusion of an epic run of finals down the years that were celebrated at opposite sides of Errigal and Glenveagh. Ferry and his Gaoth Dobhair side came through a marathon competition of seven matches, which took place over two months to win the trophy.

Gaoth Dobhair come from behind to pip Termon in action-packed U-21A final

In a contest that could have gone either way, it was Gaoth Dobhair who weathered the storm in extra-time against a Termon side they are more than familiar with