Derrylin manager Aiden Gilroy could not hide his delight after watching his side secure the 2020 Junior Championship title with victory over Coa at Brewster Park last Friday night.
The O’Connells had needed a late flurry of points to snatch a draw and set up a replay in the first game but they made no mistake at the second time of asking.
“I’m absolutely delighted, it is great,” said Gilroy.
“We have gone through a lot of hardship, everyone the whole way around the country, nevermind in the county, and to see them out tonight with a smile on their face is just great.”
It has been a great season to date for Derrylin as their excellent league form saw them promoted to Division One for the 2022 season and Gilroy says that there was no celebrating after that achievement a the players were focused on getting the job done against Coa.
 “It has been a good week for the club, the lads have worked really hard all year. 
“We thought there was no point in getting promoted last week and then going out in a damp squib here tonight and the sacrifices they made in not going out and celebrating a massive result for them last week paid off.
“We’ll give it a good go tonight though,” smiled Gilroy.
Goals at key times in the game were decisive for Derrylin with midfielder James Dolan’s one at the end of the first half giving the O’Connells a two point advantage at the break.
“Big James has all the talent in the world and he showed he belonged fighting with the likes of Eoin Donnelly in the first game when he stood toe to toe and he stood toe to toe again tonight. Eoin was always going to be a difficult assignment to try and mark but James has done well. 
“The goal was just a great move, Luke (Flanagan) dispossessed them on the 14 and we moved the ball up the field, it was brilliant and it came at a great time for us. We never really looked back after that,” said Gilroy.
And when captain Danny Leonard thumped home a second goal early in the second half it gave the O’Connells a comfortable cushion.
“The second goal then was the main one, it gave us that cushion and then we were able to bring on some subs to freshen the thing up.”
Both sides finished the game with 14 men as Leonard and Eoin Donnelly saw red after an off the ball clash.
“The sending offs were disappointing for Coa and ourselves but it is a county final and stuff like that is going to happen but we’ll have to have a look at it [for an appeal].”
And there is plenty more for Derrylin to focus on yet this season with a Division Two final on the horizon before they then enter the Intermediate Championship next month and a clash with Devenish in the quarter finals.
“It is a big game but that’s why you are trying to win these championships, to try and get up to the next level so we have to get the heads down and work hard.
“It’s going to take a hell of an effort to go against Devenish but it is a challenge that we will not be one bit scared of,” added Gilroy who will have a number of younger players to add to his squad who were unavailable for the Junior final as it was last year’s competition and they were underage at that time to play adult football.
 “We have a load of young lads who helped us during the league and they can come in. It is going to be a difficult game against Devenish but we’ll work really hard and give it a hell of a lash.”