Fortunate goal sees Glen hold off Slaughtneil to make Derry County Final

Glen 1-05, Slaughtneil 0-06

A 40th minute stroke of fortune for Glen set up a repeat of the 2019 Derry Senior County final as the Watty Graham's overcame the dogged challenge of Slaughtneil at a packed Owenbeg on Sunday evening.

Malachy O'Rourke's reigning Ulster champions won a fascinating contest in the third quarter when they hit 1-02 without reply to establish a six point cushion that eventually got them over the line, but only after they withstood a late Slaughtneil rally.

And critical to that period was the game's only goal which appeared to go in off the unfortunate Jack Cassidy, who had been a surprise inclusion in nets in place of usual Emmet's No. 1 Antoin McMullan. Danny Tallon's high free was aimed at going over but hung in the air before striking the crossbar, hitting Cassidy and rebounding back over the line with Cathal Mulholland in close attendance.

The Emmet's rallied well after it to hit 0-4 without reply over the final 16 minutes and bring it back to a two point game but from the moment the ball crossed the line from Tallon's free, Slaughtneil were always going to need a major of their own and it never looked like coming.

In truth, the worse thing that happened to Slaughtneil was half-time. After two final defeats over the past two seasons, Mark Doran's men came with a change of tact to shut the game down and frustrate the Maghera men and it was working a treat for the opening 30 minutes during which there was more happening off the ball than on it.

Gamesmanship, craft, experience - call it what you want, Slaughtneil brought it all and it had the desired impact with Glen struggling to assert themselves. If anything Slaughtneil failed to take full advantage of an excellent second quarter in which the game became disjointed and there were chances to get a real foothold.

That changed at after half-time. The break allowed Glen to regroup and the Watty's emerged to dominate with two Conor Glass points preceding that somewhat fortunate goal

Glen should have already had a goal by that stage though after Jack Doherty's superb pass sent Cathal Mulholland clean though on goal and with not a defender in sight. If anything Mulholland had too much time to think about it and scuffed a weak left footed effort wide. Two minutes later though Glen had their goal and one always looked like being enough in a match of such small margins.

Glen were able to name 13 of the side that started last season's All Ireland Club final in Croke Park, Ciaran McFaul and Danny McDermott, the two exceptions and while the Wattys bossed possession for much of the opening period they struggled to make inroads against a disciplined and stingy Slaughtneil defence.

All over the pitch there were fascinating match-ups as Conor Glass squared up to Brendan Rogers and Chrissy McKaigue picked up Ethan Doherty. Indeed for most of the opening half the game's biggest difference makers cancelled each other out.

Ethan Doherty did manage to escape his county colleague to open the scoring on seven minutes but it would take until the 23rd for that to be added to when Jack Doherty pointed. In between Danny McDermott should have found the net when he won Ciaran McFaul's high centre but could only fist his effort against the post with the goal gaping.

Slaughtneil's first score came seconds later but two minutes later a Danny Tallon free made it 0-3 to 0-1. Shane McGuigan's huge free completed a four minute scoring blitz to leave it 0-3 to 0-2 but the half-time whistle was one Slaughtneil did not want to hear.

Matching your intensity after a break in play is one of the most difficult things in sport and, with Glen regrouped, Slaughtneil struggling to replicate their opening half levels upon the restart. At least they did initially, and it cost them

Those two Glass points re-established Glen control and Mulholland had already sent his effort wide by the time the ball was bouncing off the unfortunate Cassidy and back into the net. Ironically it was be Glen's final score of the game as O'Rourke's men went 23 minutes without troubling the scoreboard.

But they had already done enough.

Slaughtneil rallied, finally getting Rogers into the game as an attacking force but they never looked like opening Glen up for the goal they required, despite a few high balls causing some concern along the Watty's back line.

McGuigan hit his team's third point on 44 minutes before adding another on 53 as the Emmet's tried to eat into Glen's lead. Next up Rogers found himself in space within shooting range for the first time in the game and he made Glen pay. There were five minutes left when when Padraig Cassidy then dived into space to score a lovely solo score for 1-05 to 0-6 and suddenly the unlikely looked possible.

It wasn't to be. Glen moved in game management mode, Ciaran McFaul dropping back into a quarter-back role to ensure Slaughtneil were starved of possession. The game would end as it had started; with Glen in possession and still on course to defend the John McLaughlin Cup.

Glen scorers: Danny Tallon (1-1, 2f), Ethan Doherty (0-1), Jack Doherty (0-1), Conor Glass (0-2).

Slaughtneil scorers: Shane McGuigan (0-3, 1f), Chrissy McKaigue (0-1), Brendan Rogers (0-1), Padraig Cassidy (0-1).

Glen: Connlan Bradley, Michael Warnock, Ryan Dougan, Conor Carville, Eunan Mulholland, Ciaran McFaul, Cathal Mulholland, Conor Glass, Emmett Bradley, Ethan Doherty, Jack Doherty, Conor Convery, Danny McDermott, Danny Tallon, Conleth McGuckian. (Subs) Tiarnan Flanagan for C Convery, 45mins.

Slaughtneil: Jack Cassidy, Conor McAllister, Chrissy McKaigue, Karl McKaigue, Ruairi O'Mianain, Paul McNeill, Keelan Feeney, Brendan Rogers, Padraig Cassidy, Christopher Bradley, Jerome McGuigan, Peter McCullagh, Meehaul McGrath, Shane McGuigan, Cormac O'Doherty. (Subs) Eamon Cassidy for M McGrath, 42mins; Eoin Mulholland for C O'Doherty, 48mins; Se McGuigan for J McGuigan, 52mins.

Referee: Gavin Hegarty