AIB Ulster Club IFC semi-final
Glenullin (Derry) 1-13 Ballyhaise (Cavan) 1-14
BALLYHAISE were left to hold on for a final spot after a pulsating encounter with drama dripping from every moment.
David Brady’s 54th-minute goal turned the game after Glenullin had held the upper hand from the moment Eoin Bradley slalomed through to hit the net after 19 minutes.
Both teams played brave, open and attacking football, producing a game littered with turning points.
Glenullin can point to Adam Heaslip getting to the ball ahead of Ryan McNicholl to prevent a goal that would’ve put the Derry champions 2-8 to 0-8 ahead with 20 minutes to play.
At the other end, Padraig Moore was denied by the bar in the first half, Niall O’Kane saved brilliantly from David Brady, Martin Conaty’s second-half lob went wide of the unguarded Glenullin net and Michael Brady pulled another wide.
That’s the kind of game it was. Tit for tat. If anything, Ballyhaise overplayed too often in search of goals.
In the Glenullin camp, manager Paddy Bradley rued the overuse of the ball in their own defence rather than persisting with a kicking game that was taking them places.
“We lost it, they didn’t win it,” said Bradley, who felt the card count told a story with referee Paul Faloon needing more help from his officials.
“Five or 10 minutes into the second half, the game was there for us. We had the foot on the throat but we didn’t kill it off.”
Ballyhaise were three points ahead in the opening five minutes through Michael Brady (2) and Kevin Tierney.
Glenullin’s excellent range of kick-outs, into a Ballyhaise press that had torn Downings asunder, was their passport back into the game.
Eoin Bradley and Donal O’Kane kicked points but the ‘Glen breathed a sigh of relief when Moore palmed a certain goal chance off the bar.
Within seconds, Traglach Bradley had the ball into the breadbasket of Eoin Bradley who fired a fine individual goal on the way to a 1-6 to 0-7 interval lead.
“We were probably disappointed with our workrate,” said Ballyhaise manager Damien Keaney of their first-half performance.
“We didn’t press their players and a lot of their players were playing well and on a lot of ball. The (Ballyhaise) players really stepped up and did their job.”
The move of Eoin Clarke to full-forward saw Brian O’Rourke back picking up Eoin Bradley at spells in their reshuffle before David Brady’s move to full-forward late gave the Breffni men the outlet to win the game.
Glenullin cut through early in the second half and Donal O’Kane’s snapshot could’ve ended in the net.
Ballyhaise began to get joy from their long kick-outs but would often take an extra touch into the Glenullin cover with John O’Kane making a vital catch with Watson lurking for a goal chance.
Points from Ryan McNicholl and Donal O’Kane had Glenullin 1-10 to 0-9 ahead at the end of the third quarter before Tierney and Michael Brady brought Ballyhaise back to within touching distance.
Then came the defining moment. Substitute Sean McCormack floated the perfect ball on top of David Brady who won possession before tucking the ball to the bottom corner.
Cathal Hasson won the next kick-out and Glenullin were level before Ballyhaise broke loose again. The Bradys and Tierney kicked them 1-14 to 1-11 ahead going into stoppage time.
Glenullin’s never-say-die attitude saw them win a late free which Bradley tapped over but when Neil McNicholl plucked the kick-out, Cormac Hasson floated over when only a goal was going to stop Ballyhaise booking their final berth.
Glenullin N O’Kane; Daniel O’Kane, E O’Kane, D McNicholl; Cormac Hasson (0-1), J O’Kane, C Rafferty; T Bradley (0-1), N McNicholl; M O’Kane, Donal O’Kane (0-3), E Boylan; R McNicholl (0-1), E Bradley (1-7, 5f), Cathal Hasson
Subs E Hasson for E Boylan (46), C Dempsey for M O’Kane (57)
Yellow cards T Bradley (36), E Bradley (53), N O’Kane (62)
Ballyhaise G O’Rourke; F McGoldrick, E Clarke (0-1); A Watson; A Heaslip, A Watters, D Reilly; B O’Rourke (0-2), E Crowe; C McKiernan (0-1), P Moore, M Conaty, K Tierney (0-3), D Brady (1-1), M Brady (0-6, 3f)
Subs S McCormack for P Moore (46), C Galligan for C McKiernan (56), L Gilmartin for M Conaty (64)
Black card A Watson (63)
Yellow cards K Tierney (16), P Moore (19), D Reilly (21), D Brady (26), M Conaty (38), F McGoldrick (51), G O’Rourke (53),
S McCormack (53), A Watters (56)
Referee P Faloon (Down)
