Gaelic Games

Ulster SFC quarter-final round-up: Ruthless Errigal Ciarán power past Cargin in Belfast

Tyrone champions will face Armagh’s Clann Éireann after they saw off Derry champions Newbridge at Celtic Park

Errigal Ciarán's Joe Oguz celebrates scoring a point during the Ulster SFC quarter-final against Cargin at Corrigan Park in Belfast. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho
Errigal Ciarán's Joe Oguz celebrates scoring a point during the Ulster SFC quarter-final against Cargin at Corrigan Park in Belfast. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho
Sun Nov 10 2024 - 18:30
Ulster SFC quarter-final: Cargin (Antrim) 0-9 Errigal Ciarán (Tyrone) 0-17

Errigal Ciarán are back in Ulster’s last four for the first time in 12 years after a dominant and ruthless demolition of Cargin at Corrigan Park in Belfast.

The Canavan brothers, Darragh and Ruairí, sparkled up front, but they had support from many others ready to lighten the load, with 10 different players on the scoreboard.

The Antrim champions were unable to go anywhere near to matching the potency of their visitors from Tyrone, relying heavily on place kicker Tomás McCann to keep them in the game.

In truth, they were never in contention, as Errigal had three points and a rash of wides on the board before Cargin got their opening score, a point from play by goalkeeper John McNabb in the 16th minute.

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The Tyrone men, with Tommy Canavan knocking over a couple of frees, followed by scores from Ruairí Canavan and Ben McDonnell, were in total control, but their wastefulness allowed their opponents to close the gap to a point through Seán O’Neill.

However, with McDonnell and Joe Oguz dominant around the middle, they stepped up the attacking tempo in the final 10 minutes, outscoring their opponents by six points to one.

Ruairí and Darragh Canavan, Peter Óg McCartan, Oguz and Tiarnan Colhoun all sent over scores to send them in at the break with a 0-10 to 0-4 advantage.

Errigal Ciarán's Dermot Morrow celebrates scoring a point with Ruairí Canavan. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho
Errigal Ciarán's Dermot Morrow celebrates scoring a point with Ruairí Canavan. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho

With the wind at their backs in the second half, Cargin went route one, pushing Mick McCann up front, but Errigal had the men to repel the aerial bombardment in Ben McDonnell and Odhrán Robinson.

They managed just a McCann free in the third quarter, despite the strong pressing of Jamie Gribbin, James Laverty and Pat Shivers.

A McCann free, followed by a 45, brought the Saffron champions to within six points, but Errigal had more in the tank.

They finished strongly, with Peter Harte running the show around the middle and McDonnell getting up and down the field with boundless energy.

Substitutes Mark Kavanagh and Ronan McRory chipped in with points, as did Ciarán McGinley and Ruairí Canavan, as Errigal Ciarán cruised home.

CARGIN: J McNabb (0-1); K O’Boyle, K McShane, R Gribbin (0-1); J Crozier, S O’Neill (0-1), J Gribbin; M McCann, J Carron; D Johnston, T McCann (0-6, 5f, 1 45), J Laverty; C Johnston, E Quinn, P Shivers.

Subs: P McCann for Johnston, B Kelly for Crozier (both h-t) C Johnston for Quinn (36 mins), R Devlin for Kelly (46), T Shivers for Johnston (50).

ERRIGAL CIARÁN: D McAnenly; Cormac Quinn, A McCrory, N Kelly; T Colhoun (0-1), B McDonnell (0-1), P Óg McCartan (0-1); O Robinson, J Oguz (0-2); C McGinley (0-2), P Harte, P Traynor; T Canavan (0-2, 2f), D Canavan (0-2), R Canavan (0-4, 3f).

Subs: Ciarán Quinn for Traynor (45 mins), M Kavanagh (0-1) for Traynor (46), E Kelly for Robinson (50), P McGirr for T Canavan (50), R McRory (0-1) for D Canavan (56).

Referee: M McNally (Monaghan).

Newbridge (Derry) 0-12 Clann Éireann (Armagh) 0-14

Armagh’s Clann Éireann progressed to the Ulster semi-finals, where they will meet Errigal Ciarán, after a thunderous battle over Derry’s Newbridge at Celtic Park.

The two evenly matched sides were level on seven different occasions before the Armagh men stretched their necks over the winning tape with two very late scores.

Man of the match Jack Conlon top-scored with four fine points from play for the winners, with Oisín Doherty accounting for four frees for Newbridge in a beaten cause.

In a breathless, end-to-end first half with 12 different scorers, Clann Éireann ran in on top, leading 0-8 to 0-6. Indeed the Armagh champions would rue a number of spurned goal chances when first Conor McConville blasted over from close range. Newbridge goalkeeper James Gribbin then dived low to his left to thwart Ruairí McDonald and late in the half Conleth McGrogan cleared a ball off the line.

The visitors snatched an early advantage and led 0-3 to 0-1 after five minutes. All Star Conor Turbitt opened the scoring for Clann with Conlon and McDonald also chipping in. But with pace all over the park, the Derry champions fought back through scores from Conleth McGrogan, Callum McGrogan and an Oisín Doherty free to see them trail 0-4 to 0-3.

A second from Turbitt edged Ruairí Lavery’s side two ahead before Mark McGrogan and Conor McAteer, who landed a beauty, pulling the sides level at 0-5 apiece.

You simply couldn’t take your eyes off this contest as Clann Éireann fired back again and reclaimed their two-point advantage through Ryan Owens and a second from Conlon.

But just to keep themselves very much in Clann’s slipstream, Derry star Conor Doherty sailed over the last point of the first 30 minutes to leave his side just two adrift.

Doherty was the catalyst that ignited Newbridge’s second-half revival, landing the first score of the second half before his hard running set up a brace of frees for brother Mark, the second of which handed his side the lead for the first time in the contest at 0-9 to 0-8.

The combatants continued to go toe to toe, however, with the scoreboard reading 0-12 each approaching the hour-mark. But with extra-time hovering the Armagh champions found the scores to deservedly win it, with Conlon’s fourth from play in injury-time confirming the victory.

NEWBRIDGE: J Gribbin; C Brooks, K Burke, M McGrogan (0-1); M Doherty, P McMullan, C McGrogan (0-1); C Doherty (0-2), C McGrogan (0-1); S Young, C McGrogan (0-1), C McAteer (0-2); O McGlone, S McGrogan, O Doherty (0-4, 4f).

Subs: J Diamond for O McGlone (49), A McGlone for S Young (60).

CLANN ÉIREANN: E Mulholland; S Heffron (0-1), M O’Shea, C O’Carroll; B McCambridge, S McCartney, R Owens (0-2); T Kelly (0-1), C McConville (0-2); J Conlon (0-4), D Magee, A Kelly; R McDonald (0-2), C Turbitt (0-2), E Magee.

Subs: R Meehan for A Kelly (37 mins), D McCarthy for D Magee (40), A McConville for R McDonald (53).

Referee: Paul Faloon (Down).