AIB Ulster Club SFC Semi-Final

Glen 1-10 Cargin 0-8

By Declan Bogue at O'Neill's Healy Park

Danny Tallon’s late penalty for Glen put a gloss on a performance that was scratchy and glitchy, but nonetheless the two favourites for the Ulster club Championship, Glen and Kilcoo, will meet in the final.

Up to the penalty, awarded when Cargin goalkeeper John McNabb barrelled into Glen substitute Stevie O’Hara with the game in additional-time and expertly dispatched low into the corner by Tallon, the game hung in the balance.

The Derry champions are a quality outfit, but when they face the All-Ireland champions on Sunday week, they will face a lot of what Cargin brought, only with even more forceful tackling. They will need the likes of Conor Glass, scorer of 0-2 here, to have a similarly dominant afternoon.

With a strong breeze typical of football at this time of the year, Cargin won the toss and elected to play against the breeze. They then held the lion’s share of possession and frustrated Glen’s desire to run up a big tally.

From twelve scoring opportunities, Glen mustered up 0-5, to Cargin’s 0-4 at the break, all of the Antrim sides’ scores coming from the dead ball.

Glen did pass up on two goalscoring chances either side of the break, Emmett Bradley picking out Ryan Dougan with a beautifully weighted pass, but the full-back couldn’t find a way past McNabb.

The second one fell to Alex Doherty after a lovely switched pass routine they have made their own, but he dragged his shot wide of the near post.

The second half was characterised by nervy play from both sides, although two scores from play from substitute Ciaran Bradley and a spectacular Kevin O’Boyle effort felt like the momentum was going the way of the Antrim men.

By that stage, they were making inroads into Conlann Bradley’s kickouts and when Paul McCann let his shot carry into the wind, they won the resulting kickout again. However, Michael McCann tried to hold off an opponent, referee Kieran Eannetta adjudged it to be too high, and Cargin never got their hands on the ball thereafter.

At the other end, Cargin did cough up some unnecessary frees and, after missing two earlier attempts, Emmett Bradley found his range and stroked over two in the 57th and 59th minutes to leave them in charge.

The final act of the game was Tallon’s penalty, and he drilled it low to the bottom left corner with the final kick of the game.

Scorers for Glen: D Tallon 1-4, (1m, 2f, 1-0 pen), E Bradley 0-2(2fs), C Glass 0-2, A Doherty 0-1, M Warnock 0-1.

Scorers for Cargin: T McCann 0-2 (2fs), P Shivers 0-2 (1m, 1f), G McCann 0-1, K O’Boyle 0-1 (m), C Bradley 0-1, J McNabb 0-1 (f).

Glen: C Bradley; C Mulholland, R Dougan, C Carville; T Flannagan, M Warnock, E Mulholland; C Glass, Emmett Bradley; E Doherty, J Doherty, C Convery; A Doherty, D Tallon, C McGuckian.

Subs: A McGonigle for E Mulholland (10m), S O’Hara for Convery (34m), C McCabe for McGonigle (49m).

Cargin: J McNabb; K O’Boyle, K McShane, C Donnelly; J Crozier, J Laverty, S O’Neill; J Carron, G McCann; M Kelly, J Gribbin, P McCann; M McCann, P Shivers, T McCann.

Subs: C Bradley for G McCann (47m), R Gribbin for Crozier, K Close for J Gribbin (both 56m), E Quinn for G McCann (60m).

Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).