All-Ireland speeches can be fairly drab affairs. There’s a plethora of people to thank. The beaten team usually gets the rather patronising three cheers and the referee and officials are thanked for their efforts.
Fossa captain Paudie Clifford tore up the script in spectacular fashion on Sunday after the Kerry side defeated Stewartstown by three points in Sunday’s All-Ireland Club Junior Football Championship Final at Croke Park.
Much of the pre-match attention had centred on Clifford and his brother David following their exploits with the Kerry seniors this season.
Read more: Recap as six red cards are dished out as Fossa defeat Stewartstown while Rathmore edge Galbally
Paudie won an All Star after helping the Kingdom to the All-Ireland SFC title last summer while David is the current Footballer of the Year.
However, both siblings were sent off as Sunday’s Junior final descended into a farce at the end with referee Thomas Murphy sending six players off in total.
Four Stewartstown players saw red in all with full-back Darren Devlin getting the line first for an off-the-ball clash with Emmett O’Shea early in the second half. Fossa's Cian O’Shea was shown a black card in the closing 10 minutes before tempers spilled over late on.
The Harps lost Gareth Devlin to a second yellow with David Clifford also picking up a second booking while Kyran Robinson and Anton Coyle were shown straight reds with Paudie Clifford also sent off on a straight red.
Despite the late shenanigans, Fossa held on for a deserved win with Paudie Clifford accepting the cup before launching into a remarkable acceptance speech.
After praising the collective efforts of the Fossa team, Clifford stated “To the referee and his officials, obviously it was a tough game to ref there at the end.
“A good job, other than at the end when I was wrongly sent off. It was unbelievable how I was sent off, but a great job all around.”
Clifford also addressed the defeated Stewartstown men, adding: “To Stewartstown - an unbelievably hard running team, we were seriously up against it there.
“I know there was the bit at the end, but you are a great team and fair play to you.
“I’m sure you will give the Intermediate in Tyrone a run next year.”
Despite Clifford’s words of encouragement, the Pearse’s will be in the Senior ranks in Tyrone next season.
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