‘I had to make it count' – Niall O'Donnell the unlikely hero as Donegal edged Armagh in Ulster SFC epic final
DONEGAL hero Niall O'Donnell seized the day when Saturday's Ulster final went to extra-time.
The St. Eunan's hitman was resigned to staying on the bench when they surged into a seven-point lead in a
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Donegal claimed a second-straight Ulster SFC title after a win over Armagh
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Niall O'Donnell scored the winning points in the game as penalties loomed large
But an Orchard revival saw Kieran McGeeney's men win a gripping final 20 minutes 0-8 to 0-1
Oisín Conaty's sixth point from play squared the game at the death to force overtime - and O'Donnell was braced for action when he replaced Jamie Brennan.
His first score levelled things at the interval to set up a frantic finish, as Ciaran Moore's goal was wiped out by Etan Rafferty's two-point free.
Penalties loomed large for the third year in a row, but O'Donnell stepped up with an
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He said: 'It's unbelievable because when you're not used in the five subs, you don't think you're going to get your chance. Typically, that's it.
'Not all games go to extra time but I knew as soon as it went to extra time that I had to get myself right. I knew I was going to have a part, so straight away when I went to extra time I knew I was going to play then.
'It was easier for me knowing I was going to be playing, so I just had to get my head right because you know in normal time you're thinking 'how are you going to get on? Are you not going to get on and are they going to call you?'
'Obviously they didn't, and then it went to extra time. But I'm just glad that I got a chance, thankfully. I know I've been training well, so I'm just happy that I got to show that out on the pitch.
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'Every team in Ulster is mad for an Ulster medal. Obviously Armagh got their All-Irelland and I'm sure they wanted an Ulster medal.
"But obviously we're delighted that we got our second two, in a row. They had their reasons to win it, we had our reasons to win it and thankfully we won it.'
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But O'Donnell had some old ghosts to banish too. He was thrown into the fray during extra-time in the 2022 Ulster final against Derry, but had no impact in a 1-16 to 1-14 loss.
He missed his first shot at goal in Saturday's epic, but backed himself to produce the goods as his slick exchange with Michael Langan won the game.
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He said: 'I played in extra-time against Derry in 2022 and I had little to no impact in the game.
"That was my first time playing extra time and I saw how quick it goes by, that 10 minutes, do you know what I mean? A point or two can swing it.
'So I felt that I was fresh, I had a lot of momentum in me. I wanted to get that out in the field and I didn't want to have any regrets when I came in.
'It was a very similar scenario, it was a very hot day back then as well, so I suppose my mindset was it's extra time and I felt I wanted to get the best out of myself.
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'So in that extra time I had no shots or nothing. so I felt this time 'I need to get on the ball, I need to make things work,' and thankfully it helped.
'I felt that I was fresh so I probably felt that was the best man to hit those kicks to be honest. Otherwise I was swinging a lazy leg at it maybe, so I just felt that I wanted to take that on.
'I felt like I wanted to get on the ball, I wanted to make things work and I just happened to get in the right positions.
'As a team we always have confidence, but when you can back that up in the biggest days in Ulster it's amazing, so we'll see what lies ahead.'
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