In the Ulster Club SFC quarter-finals, Erin’s Own, Cargin (Antrim) came through an epic battle on penalties against Donegal’s Naomh Conaill at Corrigan Park - the club’s first-ever win outside of Antrim. The game finished at 2-13 apiece after extra-time.
The Glenties men twice thought they had this game won, but Kevin McShane was the Cargin hero, palming to the net six minutes into stoppage time to rescue a draw and again with the last kick of extra-time to split the posts and force a shootout.
The first half gave little indication of the madness to come as Naomh Conaill led 0-6 to 0-3 at the break with their best on the day, Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí, kicking two points while a Charles Gallagher pointed free just after the restart extended the gap.
But Cargin came to life with Jamie Gribbin, Pat Shivers and Tomás McCann impressing, and the gap was down to one point when Naomh Conaill’s Keelan McGill was black-carded on 49 minutes.
Yet the Donegal champions seemed to break for home with John O’Malley finding the net straight after, the goal set up by Odhran Doherty.
But Cargin wouldn’t wilt and with the last act of normal time McShane met a dropping ball from Tomás McCann to level at 1-9 each.
Naomh Conaill again seemed to take a grip in extra-time with Dermott Molloy kicking a point before Kieran Gallagher palmed to the net, but Cargin responded in kind with Kieran Close palming home to level again. The sides traded score for score in the second period with Mac Ceallbhuí fisting over what was thought to be the winner, but there was still time for McShane to level from an acute angle to force spot-kicks.
Cargin’s Michael McCann, Tomás McCann and Pat Shivers were all on target, whilst Charles McGuinness was the only Naomh Conaill man to find the net as John McNabb thwarted Ciaran Thompson and Dermott Molloy. That left Cahir Donnelly to score his spot-kick and send Cargin into the semi-finals.
They will meet Derry’s Glen in that semi-final, after they overcame Tyrone champions Errigal Ciaran by 3-10 to 1-12 at Celtic Park.
A wonderfully open and engaging contest swayed one way and the other before a late scoring blitz finally squeezed the Derry champions through.
Six unanswered points, however, midway through a pulsating first half enabled Errigal Ciaran to run in 1-8 to 2-1 ahead at the break.
A dramatic first quarter brought three goals and at least another two strong penalty claims. Glen drew first blood. Conor Convery bundled the ball over the line after a fumble from Errigal ‘keeper Darragh McAnenly.
A Tommy Canavan goal snatched a 12th minute lead for the Tyrone champions before an immediate riposte from the Derry men courtesy of Alex Doherty. It handed the Wattys a two-point lead before Errigal Ciaran produced that scoring splurge, and a four point half-time lead.
Glen found top gear soon after the restart. A 36th minute Ethan Doherty goal pulled the sides level, but while Tommy Canavan and Darragh Canavan tagged on points for Mark Harte’s side, Glen dominated.
With Conor Glass bossing the middle third, impact sub Stevie O’Hara’s late brace smoothed Glen’s passage through.
Elsewhere, three goals in the space of 10 minutes after half-time catapulted Éire Óg into a second consecutive Munster SFC semi-final in front of a meagre 695 attendance in Cusack Park, Ennis on Sunday afternoon. The eventually ran out easy 3-11 to 0-5 winners against Waterford’s The Nire.
Following a tedious 0-2 to 0-2 first half stalemate, the home side swiftly moved through the gears thanks to the finishing of chief marksmen Gavin Cooney (2-2) and Mark McInerney (1-3) who between them raided for a remarkable 3-5 unanswered rally.
Captain Cooney bookended the blitz with excellently placed finishes, sandwiching McInerney’s back post flick to the net in what was a devastating third quarter siege on The Nire’s restarts.
A 14-point turnaround in just 12 minutes put the result beyond any doubt as Éire Óg duly responded to The Nire’s brief revival consisting of two Dermot Ryan frees with the last four points.
A second yellow card for Craig Guiry in the 57th minute made little difference to the shellshocked Waterford champions who were second best to an Ennis side that outscored them by 3-9 to 0-2 in the final 30 minutes of the tie.
Éire Óg’s reward is a trip to Kerry to face club champions Kerins O’Rahilly’s at the penultimate stage in two weeks’ time.
