An unsightly combination of Ulster passion and spite which spilled into coarse violence at the end of normal time will be the enduring memory of an epic saga which proved that longevity isn't always a good thing.
Bellaghy progress to the Ulster quarter-final by virtue of an authoritative display during the first period of extra time when a Gavin Diamond penalty put significant daylight between the teams.
But the sequence of events which precipitated the added period left a sour taste.
Bellaghy, battling with 14 men after Louis McPeake had been sent off for two late tackles, had shown enough guile to hold a lead after Damien Cassidy linked with Joe Cassidy and chipped a point with two minutes remaining.
Castleblaney, however, pulled two fine points out of the blue, with full back Dermot Duffy popping up to level matters at 1-7 to 0-10 and then, from the kick-out, Paul O'Connor firing what looked like a certain winner.
Bellaghy steamed forward desperately, but as their attack broke down and Kieran Tavey broke clear with the ball, he was cynically up-ended. It was enough to spark the malevolence which had simmered all afternoon and, within seconds, most of the players and both benches were involved in one of those bouts of mindless thuggery which continue to scar the GAA's image.
After referee Michael McBrien restored order of sorts, he saw fit to red card Peter Duffy from Castleblaney - their chief playmaker throughout the game - and Bellaghy sub Danny Quinn, who had not been used. Bellaghy gained possession from the throw-in, earned a 45 and Karl Diamond held steady to fire a nerveless equaliser.
The prospect of extra-time seemed a dubious pleasure and so it proved. Without Duffy and Tavey - who was unable to continue - Castleblaney's effort paled and football, for a small while, thrived, with Fergal Doherty and the enterprising Cassidys torturing the Castleblaney defence.
Gavin Diamond, called ashore during normal time, returned for the added period and fired 1-2, while Gareth Doherty and Paddy Downey each gave unblemished performances for the winners.
Castleblaney wilted after Gavin Diamond converted the penalty 10 minutes into injury time and the second period was a formality.
In the first half of the game, the Monaghan champions had looked the more enterprising, with Aidan Tavey and Edwin Murphy overlapping from wing back and the unfortunate Kieran Tavey a constant thorn in the Bellaghy defence. But they lacked Bellaghy's economy and dash and trailed by 0-5 to 0-7 at the break.
After the restart, Castleblaney's elusive Peter Duffy steamed forward and blasted a low shot which rebounded for Pauric McDonald to blast home and for a good eight minutes the game threatened to flower, with both sides trading decent scores to leave the score poised at 0-9 to 1-7 in 'Blayney's favour with 10 minutes remaining. Fergal Doherty curled a fine equaliser a minute later, but from then proceedings were dominated by error and foul until the madness of the closing moments.
BELLAGY: K O'Neill; P Downey, D O'Neill, P Diamond; C McNally (0-2), C Diamond, G Doherty; B Lee, F Doherty (0-1), P Diamond (0-2), D Cassidy (0-2), L McPeake (0-1); J Donnelly (0-1), J Cassidy (0-3), G Diamond (1-4, pen, 3 frees). Subs: K Diamond (0-2, 45s) for G Diamond (half-time), C Scullion for J Donnelly (48 mins), JP McErlean for P Downey (12 mins et), E Cassidy for B Lee (25 mins et).
CASTLEBLANEY: D Flanagan; E Brennan, D Duffy, M Hanratty; S McGeough, A Tavey, E Murphy; D Loughman, R Tracey; D McArdle, P O'Connor (0-2), R McArdle (0-1), P McDonald (1-4, 3 frees), P Duffy, K Tavey (0-5, frees). Subs: D Hughes for M Hanratty (28 mins, N Hughes for P mcDonald (56 mins), A Irwin for D Hughes (15 mins, et), G Duffy for N Hughes (19 mins et).
Referee: M McBrien (Fermanagh).
