There's loads to come from Bonagee - reserve captain Martin

Bonagee United reserves captain Jason Martin expects more to come from his club after their youthful side won the Ulster Shield.

Martin scored the only goal of the game on ten minutes in Ballyare, and they kept Moville Celtic to a couple of half-chances.

The Inishowen side did have a chance to level things when they were awarded a penalty, but Joshua Lafferty’s effort hit the top of the crossbar as it finished 1-0.

“We’re over the moon,” Martin said after being awarded the Shield.

“It was a tough game to be part of, but the lads stuck in, and we got an early goal and kept the pressure on. The football played might have been a bit light, but we just defended brilliantly, and a clean sheet in a cup final is all you want.

“We had a great start and came out of the blocks brilliantly. We kind of stopped playing a bit after the goal, and we made it hard for ourselves, but we dug deep, and the boys at the back were brilliant.”

The season isn’t over yet for the Dry Arch Park men, who play a final match against Ramelton Mariners, before a promotion/relegation match against Donegal Town as they look to book a spot in Division 1 of the Saturday league.

“We have one game left in the league, but it doesn’t matter for position, we’ve finished third, and we have a play-off, so we have another huge game to come in a few weeks.

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“We came up last year through the play-offs here, we beat Cappry to get up so hopefully we can do it again.

Bonagee only joined the Saturday league in 2023, thanks to the newly founded Division 3.

But with Mickey Funston’s senior side set to join the third tier, they are still hoping to field in both the Saturday and Sunday divisions of the Donegal Junior League, and with a youthful squad, Martin feels they will only get better.

“It has been a tough couple of years since the Ulster Senior League dropped. We didn’t get up in our first season, but we did last year. Hopefully, we can get straight into Division 1 for next year.

Bar Aidan (McLaughlin), who has been playing the last few weeks after being injured all year, I’ve been the oldest player in the squad, and I’m only 25.

“It’s a credit to the club because the platform that these young boys have now is unbelievable.

“Some of those boys playing are only 16 and 17, and they’re coming up against senior men, and they have been brilliant.

“Going into the third tier of the Irish football, we’ll hope to have three teams next year, so there’s loads to come from Bonagee.”