On the Sunday night after Warrenpoint's dramatic Down semi-final win over Loughinisland, an image was shared on social media of defender John Boyle’s head superimposed onto the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro. He had, after all, performed miracles to bring the 'Point back to their second final in four years.
We say defender, but it was his goalkeeping that caused the fanfare, and Boyle is hoping for more against All-Ireland champions Kilcoo in Sunday's decider as Shane Mulholland’s men try to complete a fantasy run that saw them dump out heavyweights Burren and Loughinisland in spot-kicks in the space of seven heady days.
Boyle’s record across those two shootouts speaks for itself. Five penalties scored out of five, but perhaps just as importantly was his save from Loughinisland’s Dean McLaughlin that kept the Cumann Pheadair Naofa men alive last time out, before Rory Mason hit the post with the 22nd penalty to send Mulholland’s side through.
Boyle was in goals for 10 of 11 penalties as regular goalkeeper Gary McMahon, who was also a designated kick-taker, put his shoulder out when brilliantly saving a Stefan Mason effort.
Confusion reigned as officials tried to work out how McMahon could be replaced. Frantic calls were put in by Down officials to determine whether or not a substitute goalkeeper could come in or would it have to be someone from one of the four remaining designated kick-takers. In the end, it was the latter with the experienced Boyle having to step up.
"Gary made an unbelievable save and put his shoulder out," Boyle said.
"Then there was the drama about what does happen from there. Seán Óg [McAteer, Down GAA secretary] was on the phone alright.
"Gary was going to hit a penalty too, so there were a lot of ramifications to him hurting himself in terms of what was to happen. It was a bizarre situation.
"So I went in anyway and when the penalties are blasting past you, you’re thinking ‘what have I done?’"
In the end, he did enough as the 'Point players and fans celebrated wildly.
They will be massive underdogs heading into their clash with the All-Ireland champions at Páirc Esler, but Boyle can’t deny that their luck is in - and he is hoping it stays that way.
As a former Irish League player who has represented Newry City, Bangor and Warrenpoint Town, he thought he knew what shootouts were all about, but a late decision to take up his mother’s offer of dinner that night before their quarter-final win over Burren was also a stroke of fortune, according to the player.
Amazingly, Kilcoo’s clash with Clonduff also went to penalties, meaning that in the space of eight days, three Down Senior Championship games were settled by the spot-kick method. That Magpies’ success ensured a key mental preparation for Boyle, whose brother Ryan also plays for the side.
"I finished work and I went down to my Ma’s house and Ryan had the Hilltown [Clonduff] game on.
"It was heading to penalties but I didn’t know until watching that game that the five penalty-takers keep on going if it goes to sudden death.
"So in the Burren shootout I had myself ready to go again, tuned in, whereas in soccer it’s one to 11 and it’s very unlikely you're up again.
"That was just another wee moment that went my way. If I hadn’t made that decision to go for that dinner I would have been looking around me in the shootout the next night."
The shootout wins have put a spike in any claims that the ‘Point aren't as mentally tough as some of the more seasoned teams in the Mourne County.
They may have made the final in 2019 – where Kilcoo edged them out by a single point – but the injury jinx hand other issues have struck with four former Down players – Ryan Mallon, Ross McGarry, Ciaran McCartan - now playing with Nemo Rangers in Cork - and Ryan McAleenan – among the missing number from that game in Newry..
"Two weeks ago, or a couple of hours’ football ago, we were written off," the 36-year-old continued.
"Nobody was taking us serious, we had flattered to deceive. A lot of people know we have the ability but would have questioned a whole lot of different things about this squad.
"We were able to grind out those results though, seize an opportunity in both. If you look back at both, there wasn’t a whole pile with us [expecting them to win] so whether it was good fortune or a bit of divine intervention, but suddenly you’re in a completely different place.
"The atmosphere in the town from after the Burren game has really picked up. The atmosphere at the primary school, the atmosphere at underage training, the atmosphere just on the street – it really has galvanised the town.
"I am at the age now where that matters a lot to me, and hopefully the young kids in the town take something from it."
In Kilcoo they’re facing the All-Ireland champions and the winner of the last two Ulster titles [there was a void year in between due to the Covid pandemic].
"It’s Kilcoo and they’ll rightly be big favourites but we have our own expectations and targets we want to hit, it’s just great to be still alive at this stage."
