Granny Annies Under 21A Final
Glen 3-13
Loup 0-8
IT was the last club game of the season in Derry football and Glen took the opportunity to parade the skill and cohesion of an exceptionally talented team of young footballers.
They did encounter stiff opposition from surprise finalists Loup but once they got to grips there was only going to be the one winner.
All over the field this Glen team bristled with talent and intent. They used the big Owenbeg pitch to perfection opening up the Loup defence with long diagonal passes and they had the players at the end of moves to get the scores.
From 0-3 to 0-2 down after ten minutes they were ten points up at half time and the second half was more or less a formality. That said Loup never gave up but they did not have the attacking threat of the winners who were able to take off key players to give some of the subs a run out.
Considering the volume of rain that fell in the previous 48 hours and that the Ulster Intermediate final had been played there three hours earlier the ground was in remarkable condition. This pitch has hosted a multitude of games this year but always looks in excellent condition.
Glen had stand out players all over the field. Conor Glass and Cairan McFaul exuded class around the middle of the field. The livewire duo of Paul Gunning and Cathal Mulholland were involved in some of their team’s best moves. At the back Ryan McDonnell, Conor McDevitt and Oisin Hegarty dealt well with the Loup attacking threat.
Loup had chances to be closer but apart from the opening ten minutes they were mostly on the back foot. Michael McVey, Jason Rocks, Conor Bradley and Terence O’Brien could not be faulted but they deserve credit for reaching the final against strong opposition.
Glen now go into the Ulster tournament at Creggan in Co. Antrim, a competition they won last year and on this performance it will take an exceptional team to take the title from them after last year’s success. Notably they played without one of their top players Ryan Dougan who was out injured.
Enda Gormley recently appointed manger of the Glen senior team looks to have an awful lot of talent to work with but the forthcoming loss of Conor Glass is a set-back. This superbly athletic eighteen year old is set for a career in Aussie Rules football and will link up with Hawthorn next spring. While everyone well wish him well most will hope to see him back in Derry football at some stage.
Thankfully the rain cleared shortly before the start but the chilly wind was difficult to get used to. The thirteen a side game on a big pitch allows players with natural skills to express themselves and Glen did that in abundance. Experienced referee Sean McGuigan allowed play to continue where possible and that helped the entertainment level even though the result was not in doubt long before the end.
Loup start well
While Glen made the first foray forward resulting in a rare Conor Glass wide and a point from Ciaran McFaul it was underdogs Loup who looked the better side in the early stages. Terence O‘Brien levelled for The Loup and O’Brien from a free did likewise after a late tackle on the same player. It was the lively Paul Gunning who sent over the second Glen point.
Michael McVey then punished a foul on O’Brien to give his team the lead for the one and only time. As the half progressed Glen began to call the shots and their thirteenth minute goal finished by Conor Glass was the result of slick inter passing with Danny Tallon supplying the final pass to Glass.
Loup were still getting enough of the ball to keep in touch but two efforts dropped into the safe hands of Glen keeper Callum Mullan Young. In the 17th minute Danny Tallon put Ciaran McFaul through for a neat score.
Ten minutes from the interval Conor Carville sent over from distance and Danny Tallon was in the right place at the right time to give the Maghera boys a 1-7 to 0-3 lead. Four minutes from the break Glen carved open the Loup defence for Cathal Mulholland to smashed home a brilliantly worked and finished goal.
A Jason Rocks free was the losers first score in fifteen minutes and the same player added another but in between a Conor Convery free left ten points between them. As the game entered added time Gunning set up Conor Convery for a 2-9 to 0-5 interval lead.
The second half dropped a bit in terms of pace as Loup tried gamely to close the gap They had an encouraging start with a long range Michael McVey point and one from a Jason Rocks free to close the margin to nine. It acted like a sting on the tail to Glen who promptly hit back with points from Danny Tallon and Paul Gunning.
As Loup made changes it was Glen who got the next score and that came from Conor Glass. Ciaran McFaul sent a shot against an upright and it was just now a matter of playing out time.
The third Glen goal came at the three quarter stage and a four man passing movement sent Conor Convery through and he did not miss the net for a 3-12 to 0-6 lead. As Glen began to give subs a run Convery added a successful free. Patrick Coney had the last score of the game and that came just after referee Sean McGuigan had flashed a red card at Sean Rocks but at that stage time was almost up.
Glen scorers: Conor Convery 1-3, 0-2frees, Conor Glass 1-2, Cathal Mulholland 1-0, Danny Tallon 0-3, Ciaran McFaul and Paul Gunning 0-2 each, Conor Carville 0-1.
Loup scorers: Jason Roaks 0-3frees, Terence O’Brien 0-2, 0-1free, Michael McVey 0-2, 0-1 free and Patrick Coney 0-1.
Glen: Callum Mullan-Young, Conor Gallagher, Conor McDevitt, Oisin Hegarty, Conor Carville, Conor Glass, Ryan McDonnell, Jack Doherty, Ciaran McFaul, Cathal Mulholland, Paul Gunning, Danny Tallon, Conor Convery. Subs Tiernan Flanagan for C Carville (43) Conor McCloy for C Mullan-Young (49) Conal Darragh for D talon (50) Declan McCusker for C Mulholland (53) Shea Gormley for J Doherty (54) and Aidan Hughes for C Convery (54)
The Loup: Shaun McNamara, Ciaran Bradley, Paul Devlin, Dan Maguire, Michael Mulholland, Gary Doyle, Mark Devlin, Jason Rocks, Sean Rocks, Terence O’Brien, Patrick Coney, Michael McVey, Niall McVey. Subs Dermot McGuckin for D Maguire (25) Ciaran Devlin for N McVey (38) Michael Lynn for G Doyle (40)
Referee: Sean McGuigan (Slaughtneil)
If you have a story or want to send a photo or video to us please contact the Derry Now editorial team. Between 9am and 5pm Monday to Sunday please call 028 7129 6600 for Derry City stories or 028 7774 3970 for County Derry stories. Between 5pm and midnight please call or text 07825 711978. Or you can email john.gill@derrynews.net at any time.