Newbridge 1-14 Dunloy 0-11
A brace of late two-point efforts from Conleth McGrogan and Oisin Doherty helped Derry champions Newbridge edge an exciting Ulster club preliminary contest with Dunloy in front of 2,578 at Owenbeg on Saturday evening.
Those quickfire two-pointers, coupled with Callum McGrogan's momentum-swinging second-half goal, proved just enough against a Dunloy team who will look back on missed chances at critical junctions of a game that they could have won.
Dunloy were embarking on what was their first senior provincial football campaign – many of the players having tasted Ulster club hurling - after their historic Antrim victory, but you wouldn't have known it by a composed, controlled opening half that was lit up by a brace of late two-pointers.
Those scores turned their half-time team-talk on its head as it moved the Saffron champions from 0-06 to 0-04 down to 0-08 to 0-04 up in the blink of an eye.
Previous to that, Newbridge, playing in their second successive provincial campaign, had held a measure of dominance despite facing into a stiff breeze that necessitated a short game and not one attempt at a shot from outside the arc.
Derry star Conor Doherty was the O'Leary's lynchpin with a superb display, but the longer the half wore on the more confident Anthony McQuillan's Dunloy became.
An Oisin Doherty free inside the opening minute got Newbridge off to a great start and on at least two occasions during those opening exchanges, the Derry men threatened to carve open Dunloy, who were indebted to a wonder save from keeper Christopher McMahon to keep out a Doherty piledriver on six minutes.
Keelan Molloy eventually settled his team with their opening score and it set the tone for a tit-for-tat half in which Newbridge possession was pitted against growing Dunloy control.
The impressive Sean Young edged Newbridge ahead before Molloy grabbed his second of five first-half points to tie things up once more.
Conor Doherty was next up to put Newbridge ahead but, again, Dunloy responded through a lovely Eoin O'Neill solo effort to leave it 0-03 apiece after 15 minutes.
Conor Doherty then showed that anything O'Neill could do he could do better with a fine solo effort of his own, his brother Oisin then taking the Newbridge lead out to two with his second free of the half.
A Molloy free brought it back to the minimum before Sean Young scored from an acute angle to make it 0-06 to 0-04 as we headed toward what would prove an eventful added minute.
First Molloy grabbed a huge two-point effort to tie the game before midfielder Deaglan Smith hit another audacious shot to complete a four-point swing and a lead that had looked unlikely just seconds before.
And it could have been even better when Tom McFerran sent Nigel Elliot away from the resulting kick-out with Molloy lurking unmarked inside.
The pass would send the big Dunloy full-forward clear but just as the goal looked on, Newbridge full-back Shane McGrogan appeared to get a huge hand in and ensure the interval deficit would remain at just two points.
The second half began as the first had ended, with Dunloy splitting the Newbridge posts as Molloy took their lead out to 0-09 to 0-06 and while Mark McGrogan was able to respond with a score for Newbridge, the celebrations that greeted Ryan McGarry's point - Dunloy's 10th - spoke volumes to the confidence now surging through the Antrim champions.
Three behind, Newbridge needed inspiration and found it through Callum's McGrogan's goal, though much of the credit should go to Paudie's McGrogan's turnover of Kelan Molloy which started a move from which Oisin Doherty's pass across goal was punched home by McGrogan to put Newbridge one up, 1-08 to 0-10.
Seaan Elliot levelled a game that was now anyone's for the taking and Dunloy passed up a huge chance when, with seven minutes left, a misjudgment at the back by Newbridge sent Nigel Elliot sprinting away toward goal.
He had the chance to shoot for goal himself but with Shea McAteer closing, he opted to try and find the unmarked Smith but his pass was too high and Newbridge were off the hook.
How they made Dunloy pay. Within seconds, Conleth McGrogan was sending over a crucial two-pointer, a feat that was followed by an even better two-point effort from Oisin Doherty for a match winning swing in momentum.
Doherty then tagged on a single for good measure and suddenly a match that was always in the margins was done and dusted with Newbridge progressing on to a quarter-final meeting with Armagh champions Madden.
Newbridge: Nathan Rocks, Sean McAteer, Shane McGrogan, Mark McGrogan (0-01), Callum McGrogan (1-00), Conor McGrogan, Padraig McGrogan, Conor Doherty (0-02), Conleth McGrogan (0-02, 0-01tp), Eamon Young, Mark Doherty (0-01), Conor McAteer, Patrick McMullan, Sean Young (0-02), Oisin Doherty (0-06, 0-01tp, 0-04fs).
Subs: Jude Diamond for Young (59).
Dunloy: Christopher McMahon, Reece Cunning, Aaron Crawford, Conor Kinsella, Aodhan McCarry, Ryan McGarry (0-01), Tom McFerran, Eoin McFerran, Deaglan Smith (0-02, 0-01tp), Eoin O'Neill (0-01), Seaan Elloitt (0-01), Conal Cunning, Luke McFerran, Keelan Molloy (0-06, 0-01tp, 0-02fs), Nigel Elliot.
Subs: Kevin McQuillan for L McFerran (59), James Scall for N Elliott (59).
Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).
