St Loman’s captain John Heslin lifts the Flanagan Cup in Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon after putting in a Man of the Match performance against Tyrrellspass.

‘These are the wins that you cherish’ – John Heslin

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St Loman’s captain John Heslin lifts the Flanagan Cup in Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon after putting in a Man of the Match performance against Tyrrellspass. John Mc Cauley

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The St Loman's manager Declan Kelly. John Mc Cauley

Rodney Farry

Published: Wed 30 Sep 2020, 2:45 PM

St Loman’s, Mullingar captain and official ‘man of the match’, John Heslin, was understandably delighted after last Sunday’s narrow win against Tyrrellspass in the Flanagan Cup decider.

“It was very hard-earned and they are the ones that are worth it. Hats off to everyone we played along the way. The Downs in the semi-final put it up to us and we just got over the line. We knew we were going to get a tough game from Tyrrellspass today. We played them many times before. We are physically sore after that game today, but we would have been a lot sorer had we lost. These are the wins that you cherish,” the former UCD star stated at the outset.

When asked how he felt after Evan Connell’s injury-time goal for the ‘Tidy Town’ which left St Loman’s a point in arrears with time almost up, Heslin responded: “My attitude was to get the next ball. When the ball hit the back of the net, I turned around to Fola (Ayorinde) and said, ‘You need to win this ball.’ You can’t be thinking the game is over until that final whistle goes. Luckily enough, the boys turned the ball over and won a free, and I managed to kick it over.

“When it went to extra-time, our energy brought us over the line. Hats off to the lads. A lot of people give credit to other teams in the county, but you have to give credit to St Loman’s. We brought in Fionn O’Hara, and I hope he is OK as he hurt his knee. He is an 18-year-old, still in school. There are lads in the squad preparing for the Leaving Cert. The team has changed drastically over the years, and it’s fantastic for those young lads to get a win because it is their first victory. And it’s well deserved.”

Longford native, Peter Foy, was another player singled out by Heslin for special praise. “Peter has been brilliant for us. It’s not easy to come into a team as an outsider. He’s come in, he’s blended, and he’s one of the lads. He stood up to the mantle today and kicked two crucial scores.”

Overall, the victorious skipper was very pleased that the championship was finished in this extremely strange year. “Back when the restrictions came in and lads were getting a bit of a break from football, they were delighted, but as the weeks went by they were crying out to go back playing. Today shows what the GAA means to a lot of people, both the people here and those watching on Iarmhí TV,” he concluded.