Glen survive sensational late Banagher blitz to advance

Watty Graham’s Glen survived a late scare to secure safe passage into the next round of the O’Neill’s Derry Senior Football Championship with a 2-20 to 4-7 victory over Banagher at Find Insurance Owenbeg on Sunday afternoon.

The 2023 county champions were in cruise control entering the closing stages, leading 2-17 to 2-3 with nine minutes to play. However, Banagher came back with a vengeance, kicking 2-4 without reply to set up an unlikely late comeback before scores from Alex Doherty, Danny Tallon and Conor Glass saw Glen over the line.

Watty Graham’s were dealt a blow just before throw-in, with full-back Danny McDermott ruled out with what looked like a nasty shoulder injury sustained in the warm-up, forcing a late change.

Gavin O’Neill got the underdogs off to a perfect start, landing a superb two-pointer inside the opening 90 seconds. The 2024 All-Ireland champions responded well, however, as points from Emmett Bradley and Alex Doherty had the game level by the sixth minute.

Banagher hit a massive blow two minutes later as Ruairi Biggs raised the first green flag of the day. A quick sideline from Oisin Feeny dropped into the square, and young goalkeeper Sé Molloy misjudged its flight, allowing Biggs the simplest of tap-ins to give St Mary’s a 1-2 to 0-2 advantage.

Glen, however, once again showed their class, hitting six unanswered scores to take the lead for the first time eight minutes later. A brace from Danny Tallon and Emmett Bradley, alongside a well-worked Conor Glass effort, gave Watty Graham’s the advantage before Alex Doherty flashed over the crossbar in the twenty-first minute to make it 0-8 to 1-2.

Eight minutes from the break, Banagher landed another goal, this time through Tiarnan Moore. He picked up possession before showing great composure to produce a sublime dummy and send Molloy the wrong way as the sides were level once again.

Glen responded well and kicked the final three scores of the half through Bradley, Doherty and Johnny McGuckin to take a 0-11 to 2-2 lead into the interval.

After the restart, Watty Graham’s seized complete control, keeping Banagher scoreless until the forty-sixth minute while kicking 2-6 unanswered in the process. Ciaran McFaul, Alex Doherty and Michael Warnock all pointed before Jack Doherty’s forty-second-minute goal pushed Glen into a 1-14 to 2-3 lead.

Ruairi Biggs responded with Banagher’s first second-half score in the forty-sixth minute before Alex Doherty netted a superbly taken goal to seemingly end the game as a contest. Conleth McGuckin and Sé Molloy pushed Glen 14 points clear soon after.

With five minutes to play, Eamonn Óg Feeney landed a third goal for Banagher, followed soon after by a hat-trick of points from Tiarnan Moore. Fionn Cartin added another point before Moore struck an unlikely fourth goal in stoppage time, leaving the scoreboard reading 2-17 to 4-7.

However, Glen tacked on three further points in the remaining moments to ensure there would be no late shock and secure their safe passage into the next round.

Watty Grahams Glen: Sé Molloy; Connor Carville, Eunan Mulholland, Odhran Molloy, Michael Warnock, Emmett Bradley, Jody McDermott, Conor Glass, Ciaran McFaul, Dara McGill, Danny Tallon, Johnny McGuckin, Paul Gunning, Alex Doherty, Ethan Doherty.

Scorers: Alex Doherty 1-5, Emmett Bradley 0-4, Jack Doherty 1-0, Danny Tallon 0-3 (2f), Conor Glass 0-2, Conlon McGuckin 0-1, Sé Molloy 0-1 (1f), Johnny McGuckin 0-1, Ciaran McFaul 0-1, Michael Warnock 0-1.

Substitutes: Conleth McGuckin for Paul Gunning (HT), Jack Doherty for Dara McGill (38 mins), Eunan Mulholland for Conor Convery (42 mins).

Banagher: Callum Armstrong, Senan Lockhart, Keelan O’Kane, Eoin Cartin, Jack O’Neill, Gavin O’Neill, Shane Murphy, Michael Hagan, Chris McCullagh, Ciaran Lynch, Eamonn Og Feeney, Ruairi Quirk, Tiarnan Moore, Oisin Feeny, Ruairi Biggs

Scorers: Tiarnan Moore 2-3 (1p), Ruairi Biggs 1-1, Gavin O’Neill 0-2 (2p), Emmett Og Feeney 0-1, Fionn Cartin 0-1.

Substitutes: Eoin Devine for Michael Hagan (36 mins), Fionn Cartin for Oisin Feeney (43 mins), Paul Murphy for Eoin Cartin (56 mins)

Referee: Martin McErlane