Mark Anthony McGinley’s penalty save the big turning point for St Michael’s

There was no shortage of heroes for St Michael’s as they dumped Kilcar out of the championship with one of the best comebacks in a long time in Davy Brennan Memorial Park, Glenties on Sunday.

Daniel McLaughlin rolled back the years with six points and kept his side hanging by a thread but when Kilcar were awarded a penalty 10 minutes into the second half, leading by 0-12 to 0-5, the Fat Lady was clearing her throat.

Conor Doherty had been brought down going through and referee Enda McFeely spread his hands. Up stepped Patrick  McBrearty and his shot was low and just inside the St Michael’s left hand post. But there was to be another twist as Mark Anthony McGinley went full length and got a hand to it to touch it around the post.

It proved to be the big turning point in the game because suddenly St Michael’s came alive and Kilcar, up to then almost totally dominant, lost their way and would only manage one more point, while St Michael’s chipped away at the lead and a two goal barrage sent them to the front. Patrick McBrearty levelled with time almost up but Michael McGinley had the final say in added time to send the men from the Bridge into the semi-final.

“Unbelievable is the only word I can use. Listen, we were very disappointed at half-time; we didn’t show up for the first half. I don’t think Kilcar did anything too special to break us down. Eight or nine scores came from  our mistakes,” was the reaction of hero ‘keeper, Mark Anthony McGinley, after the final whistle.

“I think we were probably too pent up and trying to do too well. We have a youngish enough team with a lot of boys who hadn’t played at this level before. At half-time we got in and we regrouped and we just said, look, we were in this position before. We were in this position last year against St Eunan’s and we threw the towel in.

“2017 was the same against Kilcar up in MacCumhaill Park. We just said, look, we’ll go back to what we have been doing all year, what has served us to get here. We just kept chipping away at the scores and try and get it down. And in the last 15-20 minutes of the second half I thought we were brilliant.”

They would have been a lot more than seven points adrift but for the accuracy of substitute Daniel McLaughlin who clipped over their first six points.

“Ah, delighted for Daniel. He has done so well for us this year. He had a tough two years there with injury and stuff, his ankle. There were times when we wondered if he would come back but thankfully, for us, he did. He’s intercounty standard.”

The third quarter-final almost replicated the clash of St Eunan’s and Naomh Conaill in MacCumhaill Park the night before with the first half dominated by St Eunan’s while Naomh Conaill came back in the second period.

However, it was  the penalty save that really sparked St Michael’s into action and McGinley was centre stage in that drama.

“I think it was one of them, you were saying, if this goes in it’s over. I just went full length; decided which way he was going to go and thankfully I went the right way and got a hand on it.

“I suppose we kicked on from there. It was kinda point for point up until that. It was just one of them things; it’s what I’m there to do,” said McGinley, who felt Colin McFadden’s goal was the next big turning point.

“The goal really brought us back into it and then we had a couple of wides and you were wondering what way was it going to go. And then we got the second goal (from Carlos O’Reilly). He has been brilliant for us this year, as has Colin (McFadden) and a lot of boys.

“Michael McGinley came back for us and he was flying and then he got injured in Ardara but he kicked the winner today. To be fair to Michael he has been brilliant all year; he has probably been our best player. 

“It is something that maybe we haven’t done in the past; where we had that bit of bite in us and we dug in when the chips were down. It has been the way in the Dungloe game and in the Gaoth Dobhair game.

“Even in the first couple of games Killybegs and up in Ardara we had a bad start. I don’t think we have ever really panicked so far and that’s what served us today,” said McGinley, who said it was nice hearing that you are in the last four.

“Long time since we heard that. St Eunan’s were the opponents the last time we got to the semi-final,” said McGinley, who will be happy to have avoided them this time around.