AS THE CROSSMOLINA players celebrated perhaps the most dramatic All-Ireland club IFC final win in memory, matchwinner Conor Loftus retreated to the sanctuary of the dressing-room.

It was only moments earlier that he’d capped a strong performance with the match-winning goal from a penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time.

He could have chipped the ball over for a point to force extra-time but went for it and was rewarded.

It’s just over a fortnight since Loftus’ fiancee, Roisin Cryan, tragically died and team captain Mikie Loftus dedicated the win to her in his victory speech while GAA President Jarlath Burns also spoke movingly about her, Loftus, their families and the Crossmolina club.

“Obviously the last two weeks, three weeks, have been really tough in the club, very emotional,” said Crossmolina manager Brian Benson. “Obviously you see Conor there, as soon as the game is over he’s bolted down the tunnel.

“While we’re all excited and delighted, our thoughts have to go to them, to Conor Loftus and the Cryans, it’s obviously really difficult for them and for Conor.

“To see him bolt down the tunnel after winning an All-Ireland in Croke Park, I just think it says a lot about the fact that he could come out and play today for us. I have to acknowledge that.”

Loftus is the team’s penalty taker and also scored from the spot in the All-Ireland semi-final defeat of Caragh. He capped a strong game this afternoon with his low kick to the corner of Ballinderry’s net, turning a two-point deficit after 62 minutes into a two-point win.

“That’s Conor,” said Benson. “It’s a testament to the man that he is, to be able to change his focus, to be even thinking about an All-Ireland final in the circumstances.”

Benson said he felt a sense of destiny about the kick, that it was either meant to be Crossmolina’s day or it wasn’t, and that there was no point taking the soft option of a point and extra-time.

“We were very adamant that it was goal, go for it,” he said. “That was the point when it was either going to be, or it wasn’t. Conor, the way he has taken penalties all his life, and especially in the last year, he’s kicked a good few penalties, and you see where they usually end up and it’s the back of the net. Thankfully it was the same again.”

Both Crossmolina and Ballinderry previously won All-Ireland senior club titles in 2001 and 2002 respectively but Cross’ lost their senior status in 2018 while Ballinderry were relegated in 2023.

Benson said that when he took over four years ago, “there was a big change needed” and that the group was “on the floor”. He said that various “bad days”, including other deaths associated with the group, brought the players close together.

“We’ve had a lot of bad days but it’s probably galvanised the group,” he said. “And when you go down the straight in some of these games and it’s tight, that is where that kind of steel and that togetherness that we have within the group comes out.

“We’ve spoken about it, those 37 players, they’re just phenomenal. It’s the tightest group I’ve ever seen, ever, in any team environment I’ve ever been involved in.”