O’Neills Derry SFC Group A, round three
Swatragh 1-12 Glen 3-9
REIGNING All-Ireland champions Glen are slowly but surely finding their feet in this year’s Derry championship – but they had to hold off a late Swatragh fightback to secure victory on Sunday night.
An opening day defeat to neighbours Slaughtneil was followed by victory over Bellaghy a fortnight ago, and three goals in the opening 11 minutes laid solid foundations as two more Group A points were picked up at Davitt Park.
And while his influence tailed off in the second half, flying Derry star Ethan Doherty was at the heart of everything when Swatragh were put to the sword in those fraught early exchanges.
Yet Niall Conway’s men started pretty well, Conor McAtamney slotting them ahead inside the opening minute while Swatragh set about making life uncomfortable for Glen.
Unfortunately for them, it didn’t last long.
Much of the focus through the week centred on the future of boss Malachy O’Rourke, who is the leading contender to replace the All-Ireland winning Tyrone management duo of Brian Dooher and Feargal Logan after they stepped down last Monday.
The Fermanagh native has guided the south Dery club to three senior county championships – including their first ever in 2021 – before adding two Ulsters, then bringing home the big one, the Andy Merrigan Cup, in January having fallen at the final hurdle 12 months earlier.
But there was no indication that speculation had been playing on Glen minds as, in the space of five minutes, they left Swatragh with a huge mountain to climb.
Their first goal – six minutes in - came courtesy of a Conor Glass penalty, smashed home after Doherty had been dragged down on his way to goal. And, within 50 seconds, they had a second.
After winning Fintan McGurk’s kick-out, Eunan Mulholland picked up the ball in acres of space before feeding Jody McDermott who made no mistake, lashing low to McGurk’s left.
Worse was to come for Swatragh, with Doherty the man to make them pay again.
Bursting in from the left this time, Sean F Quinn tried to halt Doherty’s run but there was no stopping him and the ball was again rifled beyond McGurk’s reach – 3-2 to 0-1, and only 11 minutes gone.
To their credit, though, Swatragh hauled themselves back into contention, reeling off six unanswered points before Doherty landed the last score of the half, with Glen down to 14 when Cahir McCabe was black carded for dragging down the livewire Sean Kearney five minutes before the break.
The left boot of Emmett Bradley had helped settle any nerves by the midway point of the second half as Glen looked like coasting across the line – only for Swatragh to find the back of the net with three minutes to go.
It was the towering Francis Kearney who rose highest to fist home brother James’s free, closing the gap to two, 1-12 to 3-8.
“No goals,” came the shout from O’Rourke on the line, “no goals.”
And, despite a frenetic close, his Glen players duly obliged - Ethan Doherty, fittingly, making the final play as the show was closed, a jinking run ending with him on the ground, Glass slotting over the resulting free to seal victory.
Swatragh: F McGurk; A McLaughlin, S M Quinn, T McKeagney; A McGuckin, J Friel, S F Quinn (0-1); C McAtamney (0-2), F Kearney (1-1); C Murray, N McAtamney (0-2, 0-1 free), D Bradley (0-1); S Kearney (0-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 45), J Kearney (0-2, frees), A Tohill. Subs: F Coyle for McGuckin (53), L Kearney for N McAtamney (59)
Yellow cards: S F Quinn (42), C Murray (43), A McGuckin (49)
Glen: C Bradley; D McDermott, R Dougan, C Carville; T Flanagan (0-1), C McFaul, J McGuckian; C Glass (1-2, 1-0 pen, 0-2 frees), E Bradley (0-3, 0-2 frees); C McCabe, C Convery (0-1, free), J McDermott; E Mulholland (0-1), E Doherty (1-1), C McGuckian. Subs: J Doherty for McCabe (42), M Warnock for Convery (47), C Gallagher for McFaul (56), O Molloy for D McDermott (60+3)
Black card: C McCabe (25-35)
Yellow card: J Doherty (43)
Ref: C Canning
