Paddy Bradley's delight at Glenullin's history making 'back to back' champions

The Mitchel's senior side had never before retained a championship title and were seeking to become the first club since Faughanvale in 1998 and 1999 to retain Derry’s Intermediate crown. It looked a bridge too far until an Eoin Bradley free and a Neil McNicholl's 'header' rescued their championship dream by giving them a second chance in extra-time and Glenullin took full advantage, eventually winning 2-11 to 1-11.

"For long periods of the actual game I thought it was gone," admitted Bradley, "We didn't play well at all. Banagher are a very good side, well structured, Paul (Bradley) has them well set up, but we didn't play our own game.

"We were very nervous for a team that has been here last year. We didn't deal with the occasion well, we gave away a lot of ball and were punished but, look, one thing you cannot question about these boys is their never say die attitude. In all the championship games last year we came from behind and we always knew, we even talked about it at half-time, that this final was going down to the very last second. We were lucky to snatch extra-time but I thought in extra-time we were the better side."Our superior fitness maybe told and we’ve done a hell of a lot of hard work over the last two years that really stood to us. I'm delighted, to come from where we have over these last two years, some of these boys you just can't write them off. The likes of Traglach, Neil, Skinner, John and Eunan; the way they lead these young lads is something to behold and I'm proud to be part of it."

The former All Star revealed creating club history was something he had talked to the players about in the build up to Sunday's final, the second in a row which they went into as underdogs!

"That was the carrot we had dangling in front of us, to create a bit of history," he explained, "The club ourselves have never retained a title so that's what we were trying to achieve. It's still a bit surreal.

"After last year; last year we had momentum the whole way through the season. I came in fresh but to back it up proves we are a really good team. Good teams win things but great teams can follow it up with a second one and we will go down in history for that."

Sunday's victory means another tilt at the Ulster Club Championship when they face Antrim champions, Glenravel and Bradley says he is keen to improve on last year.

"We didn't do ourselves justice last year in Ulster, we probably celebrated a bit too much, but we had a tough draw against Galbally who were a high quality side.

"We haven't really thought too much about Ulster at this stage, so we’ll have a good couple of days and then we’ll focus trying to do better than last year because, as I said, we didn't put our best foot forward."