Conor Glass: 'It's absolutely nuts to think we're All-Ireland champions'

Glen trailed St Brigid's of Roscommon by four points with less than five minutes of normal time remaining but Conor Glass' sensational goal proved the turning point at Croke Park

Conor Glass surveyed the euphoria in Maghera as Glen's official homecoming got underway on Monday night and admitted:"It's absolutely nuts to think we're All-Ireland champions".

After the heartbreak of 12 months ago, came redemption at Croke Park as the Derry club produced a dramatic finish to stun Roscommon side St Brigid's.

"It was cruel for St Brigid's yesterday," said Glass.

"They played the better football for the guts of 60 minutes."

• Redemption for Glass as Glen join the greats

Indeed, Glen found themselves four points in arrears with less than five minutes of normal time remaining.

However, another of defender Michael Warnock's typical forays upfield yielded a point which left a kick of the ball between the sides before Glass' sensational goal suddenly had Glen on terms seconds later.

Glass had soared to collect a Conleth McGuckian pass, surging past an opponent before unleashing an unstoppable right-footed shot that flew past Brigid's keeper Cormac Sheehy who had strayed off his line.

And while further points from Emmett Bradley and McGuckian ultimately clinched Glen's 2-10 to 1-12 win, there was no doubt that Glass' piece of individual brilliance had been the key moment of the contest.

Typically, the midfielder described himself as "just lucky to get on the end of it", as he referred to a later block by Cathal Mulholland on an attempted shot by Brigid's star forward Ben O'Carroll.

"Yes I got the goal but that only equalised the game. I'm thinking about Cathal Mulholland's block. There's many massive moments in the game that you can think of."

While Glass admitted that St Brigid's had been unlucky, on the same stage 12 months ago, he had been left personally devastated after failing to get full purchase on a late gilt-edged goal chance as Kilmacud keeper Conor Ferris' save ultimately secured the Dublin club their controversial victory.

"If it's a one-point win or a 10-point win, we're going to take it either way. It wasn't a pretty game we're All-Ireland champions and that's all that matters."

'Won't sink in until a couple of years' time'

Glen's skipper Connor Carville was ready along with his team-mates to "jump up on the lorry" bedecked in the green and yellow despite the medial knee ligament damage which forced him off with 15 minutes remaining at Croke Park.

"It's been a crazy 24 hours," added the captain.

"It won't sink in until a couple of years' time when you are looking back and saying 'flip…..we won the All-Ireland that day'. It's just madness….chaos….the best days of our lives.

"We're just so delighted to be able to bring the cup back up the road. So many people have put so much into this."

Carville managed to get his injury scanned on Monday and the prognosis is a likely couple of months out, but with the anterior cruciate ligament still intact.

"It's stiff enough at the minute. I probably need a bit of alcohol to loosen it," he joked.