DONEGAL HURLER DANNY CULLEN has played through the pain barrier for the last month with a broken hand.
The goal, described by the Donegal manager Ardal McDermott as ‘a wee bit of magic’ just wasn’t enough to stop his team from being beaten as Mayo took a 1-18 to 2-11 win at O’Donnell Park.
McDermott revealed that his captain, who had missed a large swathe of the early part of the campaign with a hamstring injury, sustained the injury in the opening Nicky Rackard defeat at Armagh – but the Setanta man soldiered on.
“That’s three matches now that Danny has played with a broken hand,” McDermott told Donegal Sport Hub.
“He’s only been back from an injury before that. He broke his hand playing up against Armagh and has played on.
“That is the kind of effort and endeavour that Danny brings to the mentality of the team.”
Cullen is regarded as one of the finest hurlers Donegal has produced. The former NUIG Fitzgibbon Cup player showed a flash of that talent with his late goal.
McDermott said: “Danny Cullen, as anyone in Donegal hurling knows, is a fantastic talent. When you see him with the ball in his hand, you just urge him to go. He scored an absolutely sublime goal. The goal was just a wee bit of magic.”
