Aidan McLaughlin was relieved and delighted all at once as Bonagee United secured the Division 1 title this afternoon.
A nervy one-one draw at Gweedore Celtic sealed the deal for the Dry Arch side – who lifted a first Sunday League title since the formation of the Donegal League in 1971.
And for long-standing clubman McLaughlin, it was a proud moment as he took receipt of the silverware from Donegal League secretary Jimmy Haughey, himself a Bonagee man.
“The majority of us have never won a League or been close to it, so it was a new scenario for us,” McLaughlin told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.
“We got the job done.
“Seven or eight of that squad played under-18 with Bonagee so they’ve been there 13 or 14 years. It’s fantastic for everyone involved.
“Everything is out there in Bonagee – we just need to start winning trophies at whatever standard it is to give the committee the rewards they deserve.”
Glenn Gallagher’s penalty put Bonagee in front 12 minutes into the second half, but Gweedore Celtic’s Colin Ferry equalised on 78 minutes.
Bonagee needed only a point to take the prize and, despite dominating the play, they couldn’t find a winner. The final whistle brought with it euphoric scenes.
McLaughlin said: “We just did enough to get by and it’s great to finally get over the line.
“We created a pile of chances. If we had got one in the first 20 minutes, it would have opened up. When we did score, we went to try and kill the game and it was too early.”
Listen to the full interview below …
