Healy: ‘We’d have played all night if we had to’
It was about a chance to not just right the wrong of the previous two Mayo junior finals for Cill Chomáin, but the drawn game seven days earlier.
The Glenamoy-based club had nearly paid the price for a poor start that day, but rallied back, with Justin Healy kicking 2-2 alone. He bettered that tally by a point in the replay but paid tribute to all his team as Cill Chomain exorcised their recent demons.
“I don’t have any words after that. What a battle. Jesus, credit to Bonniconlon, they really pushed us all the way,” said Healy afterwards. “We knew last week we didn't show up at all. We scored 2-6 in 20 minutes, and we played for 20 minutes. We said today, we’ll come and we'll play all night if we have to. We weren't leaving here without it, and we dug deep.”
Healy added: “Look at the squad really this year. I had a phone call with Nigel Reape last Christmas and he said ‘Justin, we need more of our squad,’ and it came down to that today. Boys coming on there, playing in positions that they never played, just going for one cause. It's been absolutely incredible. It’s some feeling, some feeling.”
While Cill Chomáin got their good start, they tailed off in the second quarter. Indiscipline allowed Bonniconlon to go ahead at the break and while extra-time was needed to see their challenge off in the end, every Cill Chomain player left everything on the field.
“We targeted the first 15 minutes today. Last week we were out the door in 20 minutes, so we were happy we had three points on the board after 10 minutes, and then we let them back into it. We played well in the first-half but we knew that it was giving the ball away and two or three sloppy fouls. I think they only got two from play in the first-half. So we knew if we just tidied it up on our discipline and tried to hold onto the ball a bit more that we'd get back into this game.
“We probably could have kicked it down and won it in normal time but credit to Bonniconlon, they pushed us all the way. Then extra-time is extra-time, you just go to the well and keep going until you have nothing left.”
Justin Healy was rightly given the man-of-the-match award, but there were also big scores from his brother Jack, Joe Mason, Joe Corduff and Mayo U20 star Liam Maloney, who kicked a spectacular point in extra-time, who Justin believes has a big future with club and county.
“He's a different level, Liam. Look, he's a bright future ahead of him, he works hard, he's disciplined and I have no doubt he's going to be a success in the green and red in the future.”
Another Gaeltacht side, An Cheathrú Rua, will await Cill Chomáin in the Connacht semi-final in two weeks’ time. The Connemara outfit defeated Killererin after extra-time to win the Galway junior championship but there will be a few celebrations to enjoy first for Healy and co before they turn their attention to the province.
“Well, we won't be sober for a few days anyway, or maybe a week! We had a quick look at it but we weren't too focused on it, I think we know who came out of Galway but I think it's two weeks or something, so we'll enjoy this week and we'll get back at it and then we'll see you again.”
