Reddington focussed on goal

Date Published: 20-Sep-2007

GALWAY hero Damien Reddington, who struck for a late Roy of the Rovers winning goal in Sunday’s All-Ireland minor football final at Croke Park, has described the victory “as a dream come true”.

Trailing Derry by two points, 1-8 to 0-9, entering the dying minutes of the contest, Galway really required a goal if they were to record a sixth All-Ireland final win at this grade.

After a shaky start to the clash, conceding 1-4 in the opening quarter, the young Tribesmen were subsequently left chasing a result for the remainder of the contest. At times, it seemed as if they would never get the break to put their noses in front.

So when Reddington pounced for the all-important Galway goal three minutes from time, to effectively seal the triumph on a scoreline of 1-10 to 1-9, the outpouring of emotion was unbridled.

And the corner forward was taking it all in his stride. “When I saw the ball coming in, I just wanted to get it into my hands. Then I turned and next thing I know it is in the back of the net.

‘Goal’ was the first thing that came to my head, so I decided to stick it,” said Reddington. However, the Dunmore teenage sensation must have…..