Glen are the Kings of Ireland!

St. Watty Graham’s, Glen 2-10

St. Brigid’s 1-12

Glen came back from the dead to win the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship, in the most remarkable finale at Croke Park.

Trailing by four points and with barely any momentum with five minutes to go, it looked all over for Glen, but just when they needed someone to drag them back into the game, Conor Glass took responsibility, refusing to taste All-Ireland defeat for the third time, dominating – absolutely dominating, to help his team come back with 1-3, to not but lead, at a stage of the game when it matted most.

This was the most incredible of comebacks and until Glass fired the ball into the net on 57 minutes, it looked like it would be heartbreak again for Glen. And what also must not be discounted is that amazing block from Cathal Mulholland to deny Ben O’Carroll late in the game, which could well have been the winner for St. Brigid’s who will still be wondering just how they didn’t win this final.

Purpose

St. Brigid’s started the game with purpose and it was Brian Stack who opened the scoring in this final, four minutes in, while Glen were off target with zero scores from three attempts, Cathal Mulholland, Ciaran McFaul and Conleth McGuckian all shooting wide.  

It took a driving run from Mulholland for Glen to eventually find the target, winning a free kick which Emmet Bradley swept over on his left foot to get his team off the mark nine minutes in. That was quickly followed by a second from the captain as he shot over following brilliant work by Ethan Doherty to find his team mate space.

Moments after Tiarnan Flanaghan brilliantly blocked from Robbie Dolan, Glen were fortunate to survive when Ruaidhri Fallon and Ben O’Carroll broke away against Michael Warnock, but the latter’s shot was too close to Connlan Bradley who saved, with the referee pulling it back for a free which the same player scored from, although with his head in his hands as he reflected on the chance he had passed up.

O’Carroll was clearly the talisman for St. Brigid’s and after putting his team 0-3, 0-2 ahead from another free, he raced away to set up Bobby Nugent to give his team a two-point lead.

Conor Glass responded quickly for Glen with his first score of the day, but it was now St. Brigid’s looking more dangerous with Ciaran Sugrue, and O’Carroll again from a mark, making it 0-6, 0-3 as the first half entered its last ten minutes.

The wind was clearly a factor at Croke Park as Conleth McGuckian hit his second and Glen’s fifth wide of the half, before Eddie Nolan put St. Brigid’s four clear, and it was with some relief to everyone in green when Ciaran McFaul split the posts from distance to interrupt the St. Brigid’s momentum.

Ruaidhri Fallon restored the four-point deficit but as half time threatened, Glen finally came to life, with a 1-1 burst which stunned their opponents, who had been well on top for most of the preceding 18 minutes.

The goal which Glen so badly needed arrived when Danny Tallon set up Jody McDermott, who showed no hesitation as he blasted it home left-footed from close range. Seconds later and with the Glen voices rising in the stands, Ethan Doherty picked his spot from distance, and a game which had threatened to get away from Glen was level.

But as the half time whistle went, Malachy O’Rourke took his players into a huddle before they went to the changing rooms, an unusual move from the manager and one which suggested what he and his players all knew – they were very fortunate to be level.

Half Time 1-5, 0-8

The second half began disastrously for Glen, who conceded a goal within 90 seconds of throw-in, the irrepressible O’Carroll setting up Brian Derwin for an easy finish at the back post. The same player added a score two minutes later and the four-point deficit which Glen had fortunately wiped out before the break had returned, with the score now 1-5, 1-9.  

Conor Glass pulled a point back from a 45’, but it just wasn’t happened for Glen, with Ciaran McFaul hitting successive wides while Danny Tallon dropped an effort short into the arms of Cormac Sheehy. Substitute Stevie O’Hara looked to inject a bit of urgency and directness into proceedings, but his drilled effort just added to the growing list of wides for Glen – his the ninth Glen wide of this final.

Glen’s task became even more difficult when Cathal Mulholland was black-carded after appearing to drag Ruaidhri Fallon to the floor, and St. Brigid’s took immediate advantage, with Fallon himself hooking the ball over to make it 1-6, 1-10 with just over 10 minutes remaining.

Emmet Bradley free took it back to three but Glen just couldn’t eat into that lead, and when Eddie Nolan restored the four-point lead with just five minutes remaining, it looked as if the writing was on the wall.

But there was still life in this Glen team. Michael Warnock pulled a score back with a brilliant effort from out wide on the right and a quickly taken free led to Conor Glass catching Sheehy out of his goal, firing the ball into the net to level the game with just over two minutes remaining.

Emmet Bradley then hooked over a free, cool as you like, and another monster aerial victory from Glass set Glen away again with Conleth McGuickian giving Glen a two-point lead in added time.

A free from Shane Cunnane brought it back to a point in the final minute of added time, and set up a nerve-shredding 60 seconds. St. Brigid’s had their chance to level, but Shane Cunnane sent a long-range free wide, and with that the final whistle went and Glen were kings of Ireland!

Teams

Glen: 1 Connlan Bradley, 2 Michael Warnock (0-1), 3 Ryan Dougan, 4 Connor Carville, 5 Eunan Mulholland, 6 Ciaran McFaul (0-1), 7 Cathal Mulholland, 8 Conor Glass (1-2, 1’45), 9 Emmet Bradley (0-4, 3f), 10 Ethan Doherty (0-1), 20 Jody McDermott (1-0), 25 Tiarnan Flanaghan, 13 Alex Doherty, 14 Danny Tallon, 15 Conleth McGuckian (0-1).  

Subs: 19 Stevie O’Hara for Connor Carville 44’,

Black: Cathal Mulholland 45, Conleth McGuckian 65’

St. Brigid’s: 1 Cormac Sheehy, 21 Alan Daly, 3 Brian Stack (0-1), 4 Pearse Frost, 5 Ruaidhri Fallon (0-2), 6 Ronan Stack, 7 Paul McGrath, 8 Eddie Nolan (0-2), 9 Shane Cunnane (0-1), 10 Conor Hand, 11 Ciaran Sugrue (0-1), 12 Robbie Dolan, 13 Ben O’Carroll (0-3, 3f), 14 Brian Derwin (1-1), 15 Bobby Nugent (0-1).

Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)