Ndo gifts cup medal to lucky Rovers fan

SHANE SCULLY is the envy of soccer fans across the country after getting his hands on an FAI Cup medal.

Sligo Rovers superstar Joseph Ndo showed his generous side by gifting the 30-year-old his winners’ medal in Ballymote yesterday as the Bit O’Red returned to the Yeats County with the trophy.

The former Cameroon international disappointingly missed out on Sunday’s dramatic penalty shoot-out defeat of Shelbourne at the Aviva Stadium because of injury, having been named man of the match in the 2010 final defeat of Shamrock Rovers at the same venue.

But he joined in the celebrations as the victorious squad made their way home, led by manager Paul Cook and captain Richie Ryan.

Scully is a huge Sligo Rovers fan and said he was “absolutely delighted” to get his hands on the medal.

Rovers returned to Sligo shortly after 3pm yesterday, and visited Boyle, Gurteen, Tubbercurry, Ballymote, Castlebaldwin, Riverstown, Collooney and Ballisodare, before returning to a specially-erected stage at the Showgrounds to a crowd of more than 3,000 fans last night.

Local hero Raffaele Cretaro got a rapturous welcome at his home town of Tubbercurry, after scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out.

But it was goalkeeper Ciaran Kelly who was the centre of attention everywhere the team went, as he emerged the hero for the second successive year.

Kelly saved two of the three spot-kicks he faced on Sunday, and having saved all four in last year’s decider, the Mayo native has now kept out seven of the last eight penalties he has faced in competitive games, including one in the final league game of the season against UCD.

Meanwhile, captain Ryan returned to Sligo with the cup amid speculation that he is attracting the interest of Scottish side Dundee United.