Glen beat reigning All-Ireland champions Kilcoo to claim their first Ulster title

WATTY GRAHAM’S GLEN (Derry) 1-12 EOGHAN RUADH KILCOO (Down) 1-6

Long after the Athletic Grounds had mostly emptied, clusters of green and gold-clad Glen supporters remained rooted to the moment. Dusty fumes billowed from the chimneys poking their caps out beyond the far terrace. The heat had gone from the occasion, but it had ended with white smoke for Glen.

It had been a fiery, abrasive affair that continuously threatened to boil over, a match in which pockets of wrestling bouts were constantly breaking out all over the pitch. The intensity of it all gave the contest a claustrophobic feel, a powder keg always just moments away from going boom.

Ultimately though, Glen ended Kilcoo’s reign as Ulster and All-Ireland champions – gaining a measure of revenge along the way after the Down side had beaten them in extra-time at the provincial semi-final stages last season. The clubs have history. But the history of this one belongs to Glen.

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And on the balance of the scenes in the hour after this Ulster final, Malachy O’Rourke can expect to find himself featuring in a disproportionate amount of mantlepiece photos around the parish.

Since taking charge of the Derry outfit, their transformation to become one of the country’s outstanding club teams has been exceptional. They only won their first Derry SFC in November 2021. They retained the Derry title this term, and at the Athletic Grounds here they made more history by claiming a first ever Ulster club SFC crown.

They led from the sixth minute against the defending Ulster and All-Ireland champions – but it was only in injury-time, when they scored 1-1, when Glen pushed clear.

They were 0-7 to 1-3 ahead at half-time but the score only tells part of the story of what had been a volcanic opening half, a game that needed a pitch inspection due to freezing temperatures before getting the go-ahead was stuffed with heat from the off.

Glen scored the first five points and were 0-5 to no score ahead by the 11th minute. The squeeze they were putting on the Kilcoo kickout had Niall Kane in trouble and for spells in that opening period the Down men couldn’t get the ball out from their side of the field.

Conleth McGuckian’s speed and endeavour was causing Kilcoo problems and when Jack Doherty clipped over Glen’s fifth point, given the fare was expected to be low scoring there was a feeling the game could be parcelled up already.

Kilcoo needed to respond. They needed a goal. So they went and got one – a good ball in from the sideline finding Dylan Ward, who fed Aaron Branagan and he slapped it home first time beyond Connlan Bradley.

As the players made their way out the field following the goal, fights again started breaking out everywhere like little wildfires, one spark setting off a series of blazes. Ward was constantly in the face of Conor Glass but it was Paul Devlin who received a first black card.

During his 10 minutes in the sin bin, Kilcoo used all of their experience to slow the game down and waste time, at one stage most of the outfield players were in unison as they waved to their goalkeeper to come down to take a free at the other end of the pitch.

Having weathered the 10-minute spell, they were two points adrift when he went off and the gap remained two when Devlin returned, Kilcoo then had a glorious chance to go in front when they were awarded a penalty in first-half injury time.

Ryan Dougan smashed through Jerome Johnston to concede the penalty, but Devlin dragged the spot kick low and wide of the right post, leaving the score 0-7 to 1-3 at the break. Had Kilcoo gone in with the lead – having been five points adrift and down a man for 10 minutes – it would have been a huge psychological shift in the psyche of both teams.

Glen scored the first two points of the second half to move three clear, but a pair of Devlin frees again reduced the gap to just a single point by the 38th minute.

When Kilcoo pressed Bradley’s kickouts they too were able to pen Glen in, but the outlet of Glass in the middle of the field was huge and he made one brilliant fetch during a spell when his side had been struggling to clear their lines.

The tackling was ferocious and with five minutes of normal time remaining there was still just one point between the sides. But Kilcoo just could not get level. Their last score of the game was in the 47th minute.

Ethan Doherty extended Glen’s lead to two points in the 56th minute and when Danny Tallon tapped over a free at the start of injury-time, it forced Kilcoo to go in search of a goal.

As Kilcoo swept forward they left gaps at the back and Glen were able to exploit the space. Dougan got up high to get a powerful fist on a Kilcoo kickout and McGuckian chipped in a lovely pass to the completely unmarked Alex Doherty, who rounded Kane and fired home the clinching score.

Off went the green flares in the stand as a new name was added to the list of Ulster club senior football champions. Glen will now face Moycullen in an All-Ireland semi-final in January.

Champions of Ulster. And not finished yet.

GLEN: Connlan Bradley; Conor Carville, Ryan Dougan (0-1), Michael Warnock; Tiarnán Flanagan, Cathal Mulholland, Ethan Doherty (0-1); Conor Glass (0-1), Emmett Bradley (0-2, two frees); Eunan Mulholland, Conleth McGuckian (0-1), Conor Convery; Jack Doherty (0-1), Danny Tallon (0-5, five frees), Alex Doherty (1-0). Subs: Cathair McCabe for Conor Convery (57 mins).

KILCOO: Niall Kane; Ryan McEvoy (0-1, one free), Niall Branagan, Aaron Branagan (1-1); Eugene Branagan, Darryl Branagan (0-1), Miceal Rooney; Aaron Morgan, Dylan Ward; Ceilum Doherty, Ryan Johnston, Shealan Johnston; Conor Laverty, Jerome Johnston (0-1, one mark), Paul Devlin (0-2, two frees). Subs: Anthony Morgan for Dylan Ward (ht); Seán Óg McCusker for Eugene Branagan (56 mins).

Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan).