RATHVILLY SKIPPER David Nolan watched the SFC semi-final from the stand, but on Sunday he joined the bid in the final quarter and was delighted to receive the trophy as a player.

'As I said to you before it's easier to play the game than watch it,' adding that he too felt Danny Molloy's goal turned the contest in their favour.

'It was a great game and old Leighlin have nothing to be ashamed of; they did their village proud putting up a brilliant performance; it was just that we had that bit of luck, and our backs were incredible.'

Proud to captain such a fine group of players, David said they worked immensely hard to win. 'It was through sheer determination and hunger we got through,' delighted to be called into the action. 'It's great to be on a winning side.'

Danny Molloy was hesitant to take any credit for turning the game with his 28th minute goal. 'It's hard to know really. We were only coming into the game and it was lucky. Alan and Brian went off me and I said go for it and it ended in the bottom corner. Clarkie couldn't get down to thanks be to God.'

Rathvilly, he recalled had no doubts in their minds that they came to win. 'Not that we were over-confident but we had it in our heads.'

He distributed the credits to all corners of the field and noted the contribution of the substitutes. 'It was a real team effort and there were 35 on the panel,' marvelling at the numbers a border village can muster.

Like David Nolan, the Old Leighlin captain Declan Kelly was glad to join the game, but felt the occasions got to some of their players. 'Lads starting shooting from places they'd never have shot before, and full credit to the Rathvilly backs - I don't know what went wrong.'

The defender was surprised that Old Leighin did not finish as strong as in previous games which saw they come to Sunday undefeated. ' We kept digging away and I thought a goal would have got us back into it, but I think we might have gone for goals too early.'

Declan thought his team got deflated

it, after Danny Molloy's goal and felt that the game was never really going for them. 'We were shooting from strange positions, but then perhaps we got the rub of the green in other matches which we didn't get today. We just couldn't close the gap.'

The Rathvilly tactics ' were as clear as day. They pulled everyone back and kicked the ball as fast as they could to JJ (Smith) and he was out in front nine out of ten times despite the facts that Ger Hickey is one of the best backs in the county,' suggesting that perhaps they might have dropped a player in front of the Rathvilly No. 14. 'Other teams tried to run straight through is but they were kicking through and working off JJ,' concluding that they went to Eire Óg last year for a relegation game and this year to Eire Óg to warm up for the final.

He felt it was a good year in that how many other teams would have been glad to get that far. 'We only lost one game in the championship but unfortunately it had to be today.'