Glen are back into the All-Ireland club SFC final where they will face St Brigid's after gaining sweet revenge against last year's winners Kilmacud Crokes.
It was a thrilling finale to an exciting contest which most in the crowd at Newry’s Pairc Esler - and probably TV - struggled to follow due to the thick fog.
The Derry side raced into a 0-11 to 0-04 lead before the Dublin champions started to turn on the magic. Darragh Dempsey’s goal levelled the score five minutes from time, but Glen came back into the contest.
It made for an enthralling finish. Alex Doherty and Crokes keeper David Higgins traded points; then Emmett Bradley steered over a free to edge Glen ahead.
There was three of the four additional minutes left when Ethan Doherty plundered an opportunist goal. Glen were home and hosed and the fans were delirious, even after Shane Walsh’s effort landed into the net. It only added to the foggy confusion in a chaotic finish before the final whistle was blown.
It was no more than Glen deserved but Crokes almost caught them despite only really playing for 25 minutes.
When Conor Glass stroked over Glen’s ninth point, his side led by five but it was only the halfway stage. Still the last two points, from Derry’s Ciaran McFaul and Glass, were scores of intent and the cheers from the crowd in Newry suggested this just might be Watty Grahams’ day.
The thick fog in Pairc Esler made visibility difficult and explains some of the gifting of possession both teams did early on. However, as the first half progressed Glen grabbed a firm grip on the contest.
Crokes seemed more content on holding shape, but they had no plan for roaming keeper Connlan Bradley, although he put the brakes on too.
Luke Ward and Mark O’Leary opened the scoring for the defending All-Ireland champions, but points from the razor-sharp Danny Tallon had Glen 0-03 to 0-02 ahead with nine minutes played.
Jack Doherty fumbled on the ground with only Crokes keeper David Higgins ahead of him and 50 metres of space to run into. Still, Glen were creative and finding gaps.
Galway’s Shane Walsh soloed with his right before stroking over with his left to level the scores but it was the Derry men that put in an incredible third quarter in which they outscored Crokes 0-06 to 0-01.
Emmett Bradley, Talbot, the brilliant Conor Glass and defender Micheal Warnock kept the scoreboard ticking over as the hits went in hard too, wit Crokes' Ward and Graham’s Conor Carville picking up yellows.
Paul Mannion was kept relatively quiet in the first half but he was magnificent in the second and he scored a beauty as Glen finished the half strongly with McFaul and Glass on target to carry a 0-09 to 0-04 lead into half-time.
Glen tagged on two further points then sat back and invited Crokes to have a cut. The Dubs didn’t need to be asked twice as Mannion lofted over scores, Walsh and Leary added to their tally before Dempsey’s goal made it game on.
Of course, that frenzied finish will last long in the memory but Glen must be now thinking that this is their year.
Kilmacud Crokes: David Higgins (0-01), Rory O’Carroll, Theo Clancy, James Murphy, Brian Sheehy, Andrew McGowan, Anthony Quinn, Mark O’Leary (0-02), Craig Dias, Shane Horan, Paul Mannion (0-04, 0-2 frees), Luke Ward (0-01), Dara Mullin, Shane Cunningham, Shane Walsh (1-03, 0-1 45’).
Subs: Darragh Dempsey (1-00) for S Cunningham (44’), Padraic Purcell for D Mullan (60’).
Watty Graham's Glen: Connlan Bradley, Michael Warnock (0-01), Ryan Dougan, Connor Carville, Eunan Mulholland, Ciaran McFaul (0-01), Cathal Mulholland, Conor Glass (0-02), Emmett Bradley (0-03, 0-3 frees) Ethan Doherty (1-00), Jody McDermott (0-01), Tiarnan Flanagan, Danny Tallon (0-05, 0-5 frees), Conleth McGuckian.
Subs: Conor Covery for J Doherty (22’), Alex Doherty (0-01) for R Dougan (40’).
Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)
