CAPTAIN, goal-scorer, brother, chauffeur.
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’s Shane McGullion had a few roles to play before, during, and after Sunday’s Fermanagh SFC Final and he performed them all admirably.
It was his unusual goal, dribbled from the halfway line and then rolled into an open net that sealed a deserved 2-8 to 0-9 victory over an Erne Gaels side who had battled all the way to the end and almost snatched a sensational win themselves.
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After the speech, interviews, and accepting all the plaudits from Harps supporters, Shane then had one more task – to drive his older brother Stephen home after he’d been forced to watch the final from the side-lines on crutches.
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The personalised number plate was right for both of the brothers, but they’d had very different days, and also contrasting experiences in the build-up.
The absence of the 28-year-old midfielder had been unexpected and difficult to deal with, explained Shane:
“In the semi-final [against Kinawley] he landed awkwardly and went off but we thought it was just a sprain because he could walk on it. But the Sunday morning he woke up, had to go to A & E, and we found out he’d broken the ankle. That was a major blow to us, so it was.
“For me personally I wanted to win it for him, because I know how hard a week it’s been for him. Just glad for him. Hopefully he’ll make a speedy recovery and get back on the pitch soon.”
For himself, it was an historic occasion, the first time he’d collected the cup despite winning a number of medals as Derrygonnelly dominated Fermanagh football over the past decade:
“I’m over the moon, it’s one of the most special ones, being able to captain the team.
“This is my first season as captain, taking over from Ryan [Jones]. When Sean [Flanagan] asked me at the start of the year, I couldn’t believe it – I near had to ask him if he’d rung the right person! I’m only 25 so it’s a great privilege.”
He was also taken aback when the opportunity to ensure victory at the end came to him, he recalled with a laugh. With Belleek pushing up in a desperate search for a winning goal deep into added time, their goalkeeper got bottled up around the halfway line and dispossessed.
Shane McGullion and several gleeful Derrygonnelly team-mates charged clear into the empty half and the skipper sent the ball to the unguarded net.
“We got lucky with the break, it just fell perfectly, and I couldn’t believe my eyes as I was running through. Luckily we came out on the right side of the result.
“Whenever the ball broke I thought ‘Will I pick it up here?’ but I just kept going. I didn’t even see anyone coming up beside me. I thought I was going to get taken down but luckily we got it in the net, so glad.”
Opponents Erne Gaels lacked that touch of fortune moments earlier, with their star attacker Ultan Kelm denied a stunning goal that would have put them ahead for the first time in the final when his fierce shot ricocheted up and away off the bar:
“Ultan’s unbelievable, he can create a chance out of nothing. Luckily it hit the crossbar, it didn’t go under or over. A bit of luck. We’ll take it,” concluded McGullion.
