Newbridge stun holders Glen to win Derry SFC
![Newbridge players celebrate winning at Celtic Park](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/1920/cpsprodpb/d366/live/1e7b2af0-948e-11ef-9504-b516e8b5f45f.jpg)
Newbridge have won the Derry title for the first time in 35 years
- Published
All-Ireland holders Glen were stunned 1-12 to 2-8 by Newbridge in the Derry Senior Football final.
Ciaran Brooks hit an injury-time winning point as Newbridge claimed their first Derry title in 35 years.
Glen's three-year stranglehold on the competition was ended by the shock result at Celtic Park.
While Newbridge's supporters flooded onto the pitch at the full-time whistle, Glen were left stunned as their bid to retain their Derry, Ulster and All-Ireland titles came to an abrupt end.
Newbridge will next play Armagh champions Clann Eireann in the Ulster club SFC quarter-final back at Celtic Park on 10 November.
- Published27 October 2024
Newbridge led 0-7 to 0-5 at half-time after having the wind in the first half but it seemed like Glen were regaining control when Conleth McGuckian scored a goal on the break.
Conor Glass nailed a 45’ to put Glen 1-8 to 0-9 in front but underdogs Newbridge responded superbly with Shane McGrogan fisting to the net for a 52nd-minute goal.
Glen trailed for much of the game but got themselves back into it in the last minute of normal time when Ryan Dougan looked to have rescued the champions by getting on the end of a hopeful long ball for an equalising goal.
Extra time was beckoning, but Brooks had other ideas and popped up with a shock winner, and so denying Glen a fourth Derry title in a row.
Newbridge end Glen's winning run
Glen were attempting to equal Bellaghy (1958-61) and Slaughtneil (2014-2017) in winning four straight Derry titles and were hot favourites against a side that had not won the title since 1989, or even reached a final since 1991.
Yet Newbridge, who came through a dour semi-final win over Magherafelt, were in no mood to tamely accept their role as underdogs and were hugely competitive in the first half.
They had the benefit of a strong breeze at their backs and Sean Young set the tone with the first point of the day from distance after two minutes.
Glen had to work the ball in close to goal and Tiarnan Flanagan soon levelled, but there was a controversial decision soon after when Ethan Doherty’s point – which had clearly curled wide – was awarded as a point.
The champions then hit the front for the first time with Emmett Bradley unerring with left-footed free-kicks into the wind.
They led 0-4 to 0-3 after 15 minutes but Newbridge scored four of the remaining five points before the break with Conleth McGrogan scoring the pick of them from near the sideline.
Odhran McGlone showed a lot of determination to engineer a score for himself out of nothing.
It was well worked and well taken, proving there was nothing wrong with Newbridge's levels of self-belief as they stretched the lead to 0-7 to 0-5 four minutes before the break.
It was hard to know at that stage whether a two-point lead was enough given the strength of the wind, but the challengers proved they had the intent and the ability to put it up to the champions.
![Callum McGrogan celebrates victory](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/1920/cpsprodpb/821e/live/ce7210e0-9493-11ef-9504-b516e8b5f45f.jpg)
There was a contrast in emotions as Newbridge stunned Glen
Newbridge picked up where they left off at the start of the second half with Oisin Doherty landing another free four minutes in which put three points between them for the first time.
Nine minutes into the second half, Danny Tallon landed a much-needed free for the champions and for the second time in the game Tiarnan Flanagan stormed forward from defence to clip over a tidy score from sub Jack Doherty pass.
There was a bit more about Glen now, who upped the intensity levels to trail by just a point.
Then came the first major twist with the opening goal of the game after 48 minutes from Conleth McGuckin after a speedy break up the field, rolling the ball in low at the near post.
When Conor Glass stroked over a superb '45' and punched the air, it seemed like a big moment as Glen turned the screw to lead 1-8 to 0-9.
However, four minutes later Shane McGrogan palmed the ball to the net from Conor McAteer's ball across, with queries of a square ball waved away as the green flag was raised.
Glen hit a couple of frees and their grip on their Derry, Ulster and All-Ireland titles was loosening until Dougan’s intervention, connecting with a high ball to seemingly salvage a draw for Glen and take the game to extra-time.
Newbridge still had the hunger for one final push and Brooks landed a winning point in the first of two minutes of allotted stoppage time that will be celebrated long and hard by the Newbridge club for years to come.
Glen: C Bradley; M Warnock, R Dougan (1-0), C Carville; T Flanagan (0-2), D McDermott, J McDermott; C Glass (0-1, a ‘45’), E Bradley (0-3, 3f); C Convery, E Mulholland, C Mulholland; C McGuckian (1-0), D Tallon (0-1, f), E Doherty (0-1)
Subs: J McGuckian for Mulholland (HT), J Doherty for Convery (39), S O’Hara for Tallon (55)
Newbridge: J Gribbin; C Brooks (0-1), K Burke, M McGrogan; M Doherty (0-1), P McMullan (0-1), Conor McGrogan; C Doherty, Conleth McGrogan (0-1); S Young (0-2), Callum McGrogan, C McAteer (0-1); O McGlone (0-1), S McGrogan (1-0), O Doherty (0-4, 3f)
Subs: A McGlone for O McGlone (60)
Referee: Martin McErlane