Mulgrew hails St Eunan’s collective effort in Senior B success

Mulgrew was named Man of the Match after an impressive display as the Letterkenny side produced a disciplined performance in a low-scoring affair to see off their Donegal Town opponents and finish the campaign with silverware.

“It is a good start to the day,” Mulgrew said after the game, hoping it would be the start of a double on the day for the Black and Amber.

“We were just talking earlier about how hard it was and how good Four Masters were at going in and tackling, and we just had to defend for the last ten minutes.

“They had a lot of possession, and we just tried to put pressure on their kicks, which we all did as a collective, and that’s what you want. It shows how much the boys wanted to win it as well.”

St Eunan’s led by 0-6 to 0-3 at half-time and, while the second half was a tight contest, they continued to work hard and kept Four Masters at arm’s length.

“In the second half, I don’t think there was that much scoring between the two teams, and that shows how defensively aware both teams were.

“We had a three-point lead at half-time, but we just tried to keep going and working hard. Then, when the subs came on, we had fresh legs, which made a big impact.”

The success also offered a valuable opportunity for a number of St Eunan’s players who did not feature with the senior footballers this year, with Mulgrew one of many players who started that have Senior A medals in their pockets between the 2021 and 2024 triumphs.

“It shows with the likes of Eamonn Doc, Parky (Conor Parke) and Pauric Boyle, we want to be playing with the senior footballers and unfortunately it just didn’t happen for us this year.

“But at the end of the day, we want to be playing football first and foremost, and that’s the chance we got this season. Getting on the field and playing as a team, it brought back memories playing with Doc and Parky and Lee (McMonagle). Noel Keaveney (coach) was one of my coaches growing up, and it’s nice as well in that aspect.”

Mulgrew believes the experience of winning a senior championship title could provide a springboard for the younger members of the squad as they look to establish themselves in the club’s senior setup.

“We addressed that in the dressing room also, that it’s up to them to take on the mantle and push themselves to try and get into the senior setup.

“These are the days you’ll be seen doing it, and fair play to them.

“Jack Robinson came on and made a big difference, Evan Daly kicked some big scores, Evan Hickey's ball-carrying ability, and Odhran Ryan came on and did well.

“There’s a lot of potential with the club, and they were all involved in the minors.

“They were unfortunate to lose to Four Masters, so there was a bit of a bite there for them, and it was great to play with them and help them win something at senior level so early in their careers. Hopefully it’ll breed the hunger and success.”

Mulgrew also dedicated the victory to the Coleman and Toal families.

John Coleman was a huge part of the St Eunan’s club and was well involved with both the reserve and third team this year before he passed in June.

And John Toal was also a valued member of the club who sadly passed in September, with his son Darragh starting at full back on Sunday’s final.

“I also just wanted to mention that this is for John Coleman and the Coleman family and also one of the boys on our team, Darragh Toal. He lost his father, Paul, during this campaign, so we put our hearts out to the Toal family also because, at the end of the day, St Eunan’s is a family and we look after our own.”