FULL-BACK Daniel Melly hailed gutsy Na Rossa as the dogged Dooey men defied the odds to reach the Junior Championship semi-finals.
Na Rossa had only 19 players togged for yesterday’s quarter-final against Urris – including Donegal manager Declan Bonner who, at 54 years old, was the goalkeeper.
But Na Rossa were full value for a 2-8 to 0-10 win in extra time.
“It’s brilliant,” Melly told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.
“It’s unbelievable for a wee group of lads, there are 18 max, even to keep going is a struggle. For 15 lads to put everything in…and there is no shortage of guts or balls in that team. It’s unbelievable for such a small area.”
Na Rossa raised the eyebrows with an away win at Carndonagh that got them out of the group and now the stand in the semi-finals.
Melly said: “It’s brilliant. People be writing us off, ‘struggling Na Rossa this’ or ‘struggling Na Rossa that’. Fair enough, we’re struggling, but we’ll give anyone a rattle on our day.
“Thankfully we battled it out. It’s bonus territory now.”
Listen to the full interview below …