An Cheathru Rua claim junior title with dramatic late winner

The Gaeltacht outfit struck deep in injury time to take the crown

An Cheathrú Rua players celebrate after the AIB GAA Football All-Ireland Junior Club Championship final match between An Cheathrú Rua of Galway and Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin of Donegal at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

AIB All-Ireland club JFC final: An Cheathru Rua (Galway) 0-9 Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin (Donegal) 0-8

Fionan O Conghaile struck six minutes into stoppage time as An Cheathru Rua claimed a dramatic All-Ireland club JFC title success.

Beaten down and fatigued by a series of relegations in Galway in recent seasons, the Gaeltacht outfit have bounced back with a thrilling junior campaign.

And they have corner-forward O Conghaile to thank for this national success as his 66th minute point separated the sides.

An Cheathru Rua looked like they might be made to pay for a whopping 16 wides throughout the game.

One of those came from sub Cian O Domhnaill in the 65th minute and it looked for all the world like extra-time was coming.

But O Conghaile took on the responsibility and stroked over his fourth from play from a tricky angle on the left - a score worthy of settling the contest.

Naomh Padraig have been inspired throughout their run by the memory of their former colleague Evan Craig who passed away last September.

The Donegal champions lost no face in defeat and county star Caolan McColgan hit two excellent second-half points to push it right to the wire.

Donegal U-20 Kevin Lynch was on form too and blasted four points from his full-forward position.

Naomh Padraig's Padraig O Loideain and Andrew McCarron of Carraroe

But they came up just short in their quest to become the first team from Donegal to take the title.

An Cheathru Rua were a senior side as recently as 2022 before back-to-back relegations sent them tumbling down to the junior ranks.

They hit a purple patch throughout 2024 though under new boss Maghnus Breathnach and brought that momentum to Croke Park.

They dominated the first-half possession stats but 11 wides in the half hour meant they were somehow a point down at the break, 0-4 to 0-5.

Much of their play was promising until they reached the scoring zone when it often broke down with errant kicks and poor shot selection.

It meant that An Cheathru Rua were just 0-3 to 0-2 ahead after the first quarter when it should have been more.

Naomh Padraig duly took advantage, reeling off three points in a row to open up their own two-point lead.

Naomh Padraig hit the interval with a 0-5 to 0-4 lead and the spark the game needed suddenly arrived in the seconds after the restart when An Cheathru Rua immediately worked a goal chance.

Maitiu O Domhnaill set Myles MacDonnchadha clear from the throw-in but his low shot cannoned off the foot of the post.

Feargal O Se, frustrated with a couple of earlier misses from frees, still finished off the move with a point.

Naomh Padraig then came to the boil with two great points, the first from Lynch and the second from county man McColgan, to reopen the two-point gap at 0-7 to 0-5.

But two more Carraroe scores, the second of which was a converted O Se free after MacDonnchadha was fouled, tied it up at 0-7 apiece.

Paudie MacCormac broke a 14-minute scoring drought with an An Cheathru Rua point.

Caolan McColgan then slotted a dazzling score after a great catch and turn in front of the Hill 16 End, punching the air in delight afterwards.

The sides remained tied at 0-8 apiece deep into stoppage time until O Conghaile finally seized the responsibility with that pearler from the left of goals.

An Cheathru Rua scorers: Fionan O Conghaile 0-4, Feargal O Se 0-2 (0-1f), Padraig MacDonnacha 0-1, Myles MacDonnchadha 0-1, Paudie MacCormac 0-1 (0-1f).

Naomh Padraig Uisce Chaoin scorers: Kevin Lynch 0-4 (0-3f), Caolan McColgan 0-2, Cormac McColgan 0-1, Kevin Doherty 0-1.

AN CHEATHRU RUA: Seamas O Flatharta; Daragh O Ceoinin, Iarfhlaith O Conchubhair, Sean O Tiarnaigh; Colin O Domhnaill, Myles MacDonnchadha, Ethan de Paor; Stiofan O Briain, Padraig MacDonnacha; Padraic O Loideain, Maitiu O Domhnaill, Fionan O Conghaile; Micheal O Briain, Eanna MacCormac, Feargal O Se.

Subs: Oisin O Lochnain for MacCormac 36, Paudie MacCormac for O Tiarnaigh 46, Cian O Domhnaill for S O Briain 55, Micheal O Tuathail for O Conchubhair 60, Sean Og O Loideain for Padraig MacDonnchadha 63.

NAOMH PADRAIG UISCE CHAOIN: Oran McCauley; Darragh McIntyre, Caolan Harkin, Cormac Kelly; Ronan Hoy, Jonathan Toye, Jason McCallion; Eunan Mullan, Cormac McColgan; Oisin McIntyre, Kevin Doherty, Joseph McCauley; Rory Hirrell, Kevin Lynch, Caolan McColgan.

Subs: Drew McKinney for Doherty 35, Michael McCarron for Hoy 44, Andrew McCarron for McCallion 55, Dermot Keaveney for Toye 60.

Referee: Jonathan Hayes (Limerick).