Enda McGinley has admitted he is still in shock over the “nightmare” first half that wrecked Errigal Ciarán dreams of a maiden All-Ireland club title.
The Tyrone champions headed for their Croke Park dressing-room trailing by 13 points, having found themselves 14 adrift at one stage after Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne toe-poked home Cuala’s third goal.
Incredibly, Errigal fought back to within three points after 58 minutes – but they eventually lost by four as Cuala claimed the Andy Merrigan Cup for the first time while joining St Finbarr’s of Cork as the only club to win senior club All-Irelands in both codes.
McGinley took pride in the fightback but it didn’t dull the pain of defeat for the Errigal boss.
“I’m probably still in shock just at what happened in the first half,” he said. “It will take a wee bit of time to digest, but we were miles off it in the first half and came in with obviously the game gone. It was gone even three-quarters of the way through the first half.
“So, an exceptionally difficult place to be. The boys are just devastated obviously. It was such a huge day for them and for the club, and to come and perform like we did in the first half, it’s the nightmare you sort of fear and it came to pass.
“But look, the world will keep turning and Monday will still come, and we’ll gather ourselves and move on.”
Adding injury to insult, McGinley had lost his talisman and captain, Darragh Canavan, to concussion after 22 minutes while younger brother Ruairí was left in a similar predicament late on.
“Both of the boys aren’t great, unfortunately,” the three-time All-Ireland winner reported. “They’re both going to head to hospital now for further checks and whatnot.
“Darragh obviously came off, he was groggy and he was not right … he just took a knee unfortunately to the head, it happened close enough to me. So, when I went out to him, I knew it was probably serious enough and you just can’t take risks with that.
“Then Ruairí unfortunately, I didn’t realise at the time but he was the first player I went to after the match and he was well out of it.
“On reflection, the last five-ten minutes, I’m not sure where his hit came but unfortunately he’s well dazed as well.
“So, the two boys will go and please God they’ll come round, I’m sure they will. That’s part of it; it didn’t impact on anything. I think the boys that were on the pitch did their level best to make a shape of it in the second half, but the two boys unfortunately picked up knocks.”
McGinley took “massive” solace from that second half.
“Those type of first halves can happen. They’ll happen any team, it’s just part of sport sometimes, and it happens much bigger teams than us and professional teams,” he reflected.
“And then you’re in a difficult place and it’s up to you to respond. You’ve two ways out, and the boys went at it, and just went at it and went at it.
“That second half will not make the first half any easier to stomach! But the alternative almost doesn’t bear thinking about, but the second half … when I do (speak to the lads), I’ll absolutely tell them to walk away with their heads held high.”