Glen (Derry) 1-10 Cargin (Antrim) 0-8
Glen advanced into the Ulster Club Senior Football Championship final as they fended off a stiff test from Cargin at a sunny Healy Park on Sunday.
The five-point margin was a little harsh on the Antrim champions as a Danny Tallon penalty goal with the last kick of the game put added gloss on the board for the Derry men, but Glen were able to find an answer in the game to stay ahead.
With wind advantage in the opening period, Glen would have looked to build a healthy lead, but struggled with their shooting, converting just five of 13 opportunities including a big chance for goal on 24 minutes but Ryan Dougan was thwarted by John McNabb.
Tallon and Conor Glass did manage two points apiece with Michael Warnock the other, while Cargin seemed content to retain possession and although they didn’t land from play, Tomás McCann, John McNabb and Pat Shivers were on target from frees as they trailed 0-5 to 0-4 at the half.
Tallon extended the Glen lead after the break, but another glorious goal chance came and went when Alex Doherty missed the target from point-blank range.
Shivers and Tallon traded points before Cargin substitute Ciaran Bradley got his side’s first from play seconds after his introduction.
Doherty and Kevin O’Boyle then exchanged points with the margin just one heading into the final stages, but Glen got a little bit of breathing space with a pair of converted frees from Emmett Bradley.
Paul McCann pulled one back in stoppage time to narrow the gap to two, but Cargin were not able to engineer one more charge as Glen broke with Stevie O’Hara felled by McNabb for the penalty that Tallon stuck away to send the Derry men into a final meeting with Kilcoo.
Glen: C Bradley; C Mulholland, R Dougan, C Carville; T Flannagan, M Warnock (0-1), E Mulholland; C Glass (0-2), E Bradley (0-2 frees); E Doherty, J Doherty, C Convery; A Doherty (0-1), D Tallon (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-2 frees, 0-1 mark), C McGuckian. Subs: A McGonigle for E Mulholland (10), S O’Hara for C Convery (34), C McCabe for A McGonigle (49).
Cargin: J McNabb (0-1 free); K O’Boyle (0-1), J Crozier, C Donnelly; P McCann (0-1), J Laverty, S O’Neill; K McShane, G McCann; J Carron, J Gribbin, M Kelly; M McCann, P Shivers (0-2, 1 free, 1 mark), T McCann (0-2 frees). Subs: C Bradley (0-1) for G McCann (47), R Gribbin for J Crozier (56), K Close for J Gribbin (56), E Quinn for P McCann (60+1).
Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).
