Ulster Club

BLOW the sky open. There were so many elements in the winning of the Ulster club by Glen on Sunday – including the unusual off-pitch trio of Freddie Mercury, Vitus Gerulaitas, and Bronagh Mulholland - but blowing the sky open was key to it.

WEARING the broadest of smiles after Sunday’s epic Ulster final win over Kilcoo, Glen goalkeeper Connlan Bradley felt he’d finally put to bed the misery of last year’s provincial semi-final defeat to the Down champions.

GIVEN the contents you will read below, it feels pertinent to begin this column with a disclaimer: I did not wear a checked shirt, brown shoes, bootcut jeans or a Stetson.

AT 2pm this afternoon in Carlingford, Eamónn Brady will meet his bride Coleen McCann at the altar.

CARGIN boss Ronan Devlin urged his players at the beginning of the season to think bigger than simply targeting one game in Ulster.

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.

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) ABSOLUTELY exhilarating.

They are also very patient in possession – all necessary ingredients to break down an obdurate defence like Glenties who rely heavily on midfielder Ciaran Thompson and attacking duo Charlie McGuinness and Nathan Byrne. Both sides have experience coming out their ears.  Tactically, Naomh Conaill are a head-wrecker of a team to play against.  In a game of anticipated fine margins, this is very winnable from a Cargin perspective - but the Donegal champions may just have enough scores in them to remain standing by the end in west Belfast tomorrow afternoon.

CARGIN defender Kevin O’Boyle says the Antrim champions will have to be “smarter and cuter in all aspects of our play” to make any impression on this season’s Ulster Club Senior Football Championship.