Scotstown (Monaghan) 2-20 Newbridge (Derry) 2-20 - Scotstown win 4-2 on penalties
Brave Scotstown held their nerve in a dramatic penalty shoot-out to finally crack Newbridge and secure their Ulster club SFC final place.
Level after full-time and extra-time in Armagh city, it took spot kicks to separate the Monaghan and Derry champions with Scotstown eventually prevailing in wet and wild conditions.
Goalkeeper Rory Beggan, Jack McCarron, Kieran Hughes and Darren Hughes slotted all four of the kicks that Scotstown took and with Newbridge twice failing to convert, that was that.
A week after the sides' original semi-final fixture was abandoned at half-time in Omagh due to dangerous conditions, it amounted to a marathon fixture that ran to nearly two hours in total.
Finishing on the losing side was tough on Newbridge and captain Sean McAteer in particular as he'd twice intervened for his team, grabbing the equalising scores that forced both extra-time and penalties.
In all, Newbridge fought back from eight points behind with 54 minutes on the clock in normal time to force the additional 20 minutes, scoring 1-05 without response.
But four-times champions Scotstown still managed to find a way to make it through to their ninth final and the 2023 runners-up will face Kilcoo back in Armagh on Saturday, 13 December.
All of their big guns fired again with veteran Hughes, along with his brother Kieran, digging so deep on the afternoon while Micheal McCarville and Tommy Mallen registered 2-05 between them.
Newbridge's second-half comeback in normal time was all the more impressive as they were nine behind at the interval.
Scotstown registered three two-pointers in that first-half, from Mattie Maguire, McCarville and roving goalkeeper Beggan.
If the Scotstown gameplan was to get quality, fast ball down to their forwards, and to press up hard on the subsequent Newbridge kick-out, it worked a treat.
McCarville's sixth minute goal was a case in point as Scotstown won their own kick-out and quickly worked the ball down the pitch.
Mattie Maguire was heavily involved in that goal and when Scotstown won the subsequent kick-out, the ball was played to him again for their first two-pointer.
Suddenly, Scotstown held a 1-02 to 0-01 lead and were in a commanding position.
Maguire's next score, in the 20th minute, was another that came straight off the training ground; Ryan O'Tooole, back after suspension, winning a ball back in defence and launching a rapid counter-attack that ended with Maguire pointing.
Still, Newbridge looked dangerous when they did get the ball forward. They played a shorter, more intricate passing game and grabbed a vital foothold in the game when they netted in the 17th minute.
Quick hands in the danger area worked an opening for Patrick McMullan who had time to turn and shoot.
Oisin Doherty was a constant threat too and pinched two first-half points for the back-to-back Derry champions.
But Hughes, wearing number 14, made life difficult for Newbridge as an auxiliary defender.
When former Monaghan star Darren Hughes did push forward and join the attack, he made sure it was worth it, picking off points in the 10th and 34th minutes.
That latter score for Hughes left Scotstown 1-14 to 0-04 clear but it was against the run of play as Newbridge rallied.
Now the Derry men had the wind, like the first-half in Omagh a week earlier, and made better use of it this time.
Eamon Young sniped a point. Then the increasingly influential McAteer drilled a two-pointer before winning a free that Doherty converted for another two points.
Just five points stood between the teams now, 1-14 to 1-09, but Newbridge's momentum was halted by an Oisin Doherty point attempt from a routine free that dropped short.
Sensing opportunity, Scotstown pounced. Hughes, yet again, played a central role as they conjured a goal, picking out Mattie Maguire who passed across for Mallen to palm home.
Play had barely restarted when Mallen got on the ball again and stroked over a point, opening up a 2-14 to 1-09 lead for Scotstown. With six minutes to go, they were still eight points clear at 2-16 to 1-11. Surely they couldn't be caught?
But they were because Newbridge simply refused to relent, reeling them in score by score and picking off 1-05 without response to take the game to extra-time. Conor Doherty's 58th minute goal ignited the comeback, capitalising after a quick Eamon Young free was played to Oisin Doherty and across to Conor.
But it was McAteer who needed to show all his leadership in the third minute of stoppage time, curling over the equaliser to make it 2-16 apiece.
Both sides split six points evenly between them in the first-half of extra-time, leaving it tied at 2-19 apiece.
That suited Scotstown more as they had the wind for the vital last 10 minutes but they couldn't take advantage.
McCarron did curl over a beauty in the 75th minute which looked like it might be the winner but McAteer intervened yet again to fist over the leveller two minutes into stoppage time.
Scotstown: Rory Beggan (0-04, 1 tp, 1 tpf); Donnchadh Connolly, Ryan O'Toole, Damien McArdle; Darragh Murray, Shane Carey (0-01), Darren Hughes (0-02); Micheal McCarville (1-03; 1tp), Gavin McPhillips; Max Maguire, Kieran Hughes, Francis Maguire (0-03); Tommy Mallen (1-02), Jack McCarron (0-02, 0-01f), Mattie Maguire (0-03, 1 tp).
Subs: Nicky Sherlock for Max Maguire 51, Conor McCarthy for Francis Maguire 53. Max Maguire for Mallen 65, James Hamill for Connolly h/t e/t, Jason Carey for Mattie Maguire 76.
Newbridge: Nathan Rocks; Conleth McGrogan (0-02, tp), Shane McGrogan, Mark McGrogan; Patrick McMullan (1-00), Conor McGrogan, Padraig McGrogan; Callum McGrogan (0-01), Conor Doherty (1-00); Cathair McBride, Mark Doherty, Eamon Young (0-02, 0-01f); Conor McAteer (0-04, 1 tp), Sean Young (0-04, 1 tp), Oisin Doherty (0-06, 2 tp).
Subs: Odhran McGlone (0-01) for McMullan 45, Dessie McColgan for McBride 47, Killian Burke for Mark Doherty 54, Mark Doherty for Eamon Young 76, Shea McAteer for Callum McGrogan 79.
Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan).
