Ballyboden St Enda's manager Andy McEntee said his team’s quick start was the key to their AIB All-Ireland Senior Club Football Final victory over Castlebar Mitchels.

Two goals in the first quarter gave the Dublin side the best start possible, and they never looked back.

“You’d like to say that was very much what we had planned, but everyone tries to get out of blocks early and it just worked out that way,” said McEntee. "The early goal settled us and probably unnerved Castlebar.”

Ballyboden St Enda's star Michael Darragh MacAuley admitted the win felt “more epic” than any of his three All-Ireland titles with Dublin.

“It feels special,” he said. “It’s a crazy journey that we’ve been on. Fighting for the Dublin Championship. Winning a mad Leinster Championship and now to win like that today feels surreal.

“It was a strange atmosphere. Things just clicked for us and we got the rub of the green as well. It was a strange game, but we’ll take it all day.”

Castlebar joint-manager Declan O’Reilly admitted he and his players had been left devastated by the manner in which they had failed to do themselves justice on the day.

“It’s hugely disappointing,” he said. “We came here and we didn’t want to be another Mayo stat. But we didn’t talk too much about it. We had a job to take on Ballyboden.

“There’s no doubt we were beaten comprehensively by a much better team. We targeted a good start, but they got it instead and took full advantage.

“We lost our composure. We had 12 shots in the first half and nine wides and we struggled to recover from the bad start.

“Their second goal was a killer. At eight points down at half-time we knew needed to get back quickly in second half if we were to make any fist of it but it didn’t happen.

“Ballyboden were just a different animal to us today. They turned up and we didn’t. We’re immensely proud of our players. A bunch of lads who have put six or seven years of life on hold for Castlebar. They have given everything to a series of management teams.

“Really good lads. Really solid ambassadors to game we love. I’m just so sad for those lad because they have worked so hard.”

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