Football

Practising penalties makes perfect: Cargin's John McNabb

John McNabb was one of many Cargin heroes in their Ulster win over Naomh Conaill yesterday. Picture: Mark Marlow
John McNabb was one of many Cargin heroes in their Ulster win over Naomh Conaill yesterday. Picture: Mark Marlow John McNabb was one of many Cargin heroes in their Ulster win over Naomh Conaill yesterday. Picture: Mark Marlow

AIB Ulster Club Senior Football Championship quarter-final: Erin’s Own, Cargin (Antrim) 2-13 Naomh Conaill (Donegal) 2-13 (Cargin win 4-1 on penalties)

IN the fading November light, Corrigan Park never felt more alive. After 80-plus minutes of thrilling, end-to-end football, Cargin turned out to be the penalty kick kingpins and advanced in the Ulster series for the first time since 1999.

For their delirious club members, who were heavily outnumbered on the day by Naomh Conaill at the west Belfast venue, there were heroes everywhere they turned at pitch-side after Cahir Donnelly’s penalty won it for the Erin’s Own men.

John McNabb wore the widest grin of them all. The Cargin ‘keeper saved Ciaran Thompson and Dermot ‘Brick’ Molloy’s spot-kicks, which was more than enough to win the shoot-out.

For Cargin, two keepers wouldn’t have saved Mick McCann or Tomas McCann’s nerveless penalties before Pat Shivers and Donnelly confidently rippled the net to see off the Donegal champions in an unforgettable match.

“I fancied it all day,” said McNabb.

“From the quarter-final stages we have been practising penalties quite a lot and doing the hard yards in case we’d need extra time.

“If you practise enough penalties and save enough penalties in training, you get a feeling for it. If you look back at our penalties, you won’t see better at the World Cup coming up!”

Cargin’s Kevin McShane grabbed a stoppage-time goal to force yesterday’s provincial quarter-final into extra-time and the big defender swung over a ridiculous equaliser in the very last attack of the game before penalties decided the winner.

Never convincing leaders in the game, Naomh Conaill forged ahead by three at the break, three again towards the end of normal time and fashioned a four-point advantage in extra-time – but they still couldn’t seal victory.

“Being four points up in extra-time, we should be winning the game from there,” said Glenties boss Martin Regan.

“But the warning signs were there as Cargin had a couple of goal chances before they got their second goal, and they punished us.

“If you’d asked me three or four weeks ago I would've been delighted with our lot. But every time you move on we fancied getting a wee run in Ulster, but it’s not to be.”

Cargin, who failed to get beyond the first round of Ulster in five previous attempts, will face Derry champions Glen in the Ulster semi-finals on Sunday November 27.