Gaelic Games

Glen march on as red card costs Cargin

Tomas McCann’s first-half sending off proves key moment in keenly contested match

Spectators at Glen's Celtic Park were treated to a fiercely feisty contest and, ultimately, a home win. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho
Spectators at Glen's Celtic Park were treated to a fiercely feisty contest and, ultimately, a home win. Photograph: Evan Logan/Inpho
Sun Nov 12 2023 - 17:23
Ulster SFC quarter-final: Glen (Derry) 0-11 Cargin (Antrim) 0-7

Glen began the defence of their Ulster title with a hard-fought win over a feisty Cargin side that played with 14 men for the majority of the contest.

After a decent but low-scoring first 30 minutes at Celtic Park, Glen ran in two points up at half-time, leading 0-5 to 0-3. The champions dominated the opening phases but countless wides pockmarked their shooting stats. However, the dismissal of influential Cargin forward Tomas McCann proved to be the most significant moment of the first half. A robust but reckless-looking challenge on Conleth McGuckian in the 26th minutes saw referee Conor Dourneen brandish a straight red to McCann.

The Watty’s enjoyed the brighter beginning. Jack Doherty’s point, with just ten seconds on the clock, was followed by a Danny Tallon free that edged Glen 0-2 to no score ahead.

Pat Shivers’s free after six minutes gave Cargin’s their opening score. A second from free-taker Tallon stretched Glen’s lead to two again, before a lovely Paul McCann point left it 0-3 to 0-2. Roving Cargin goalkeeper John McNabb provided the assist for McCann’s score.

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Frees from Emmett Bradley, from distance, and Shivers ticked the scoreboard on to 0-4 to 0-3.

Doherty completed the first-half scoring when he tapped over on the half-hour to leave the Derry champions two points up.

A man up too, Glen stretched their lead to 0-7 to 0-3 shortly after the restart, with Ciaran McFaul hitting his only score of the tie. Frees from Shivers and Michael McCann reduced Cargin’s arrears to just two points.

Michael Warnock found a pocket of space in the 45th minute before pointing, and Bradley nailed a brace of frees to stretch the Watty’s lead to 0-10 to 0-5.

The Antrim side narrowed the gap thanks to points from McCann and substitute Kieran Close.

But a point from Ethan Doherty confirmed Glen’s victory.

Glen: C Bradley, M Warnock (0-1), R Dougan, C Carville, E Mulholland, C McFaul (0-1), C Mulholland, C Glass, E Bradley (0-4, 4f), E Doherty (0-1), J Doherty (0-2), C Convery, D McDermott, D Tallon (0-2, 1f), C McGuckian. Subs: A Doherty for C Convery (35), T Flanagan for C Mulholland (49), S O’Hara for D Tallon (57), T Higgins for J Doherty (60)

Cargin: J McNabb, J Crozier, K McShane, K O’Boyle, J Laverty, P McCann (0-1), S O’Neill, J Carron, G McCann, M Kelly, T McCann, R Gribbin, P Shivers (0-3, 3f), M McCann (0-2, 2f), C Johnston. Subs: D Johnston for M Kelly (44), B Kelly for G McCann (44), K Close (0-1) for P Shivers (52), P McLaughlin for J Crozier (52), C Donnelly for P McCann (60)

Referee: Conor Dourneen (Cavan)