Two late, late points ensured Armagh’s Clann Eireann progression to the provincial Semi-Final after a tightly contested battle with Derry’s Newbridge at Celtic Park.
The scoreboard read 0-12 apiece as the match clock entered the red, but the men from the Orchard county dramatically stretched their necks over the winning tape with two very late scores.
Clann Eireann manager Ruairi Lavery was a man in demand straight after guiding his side to a fantastic win.
“Absolutely delighted!” he said. “What a game, I’m still trying to catch my breath. I’m still trying to process the game.
“It was a great game of football that went right to the wire. I’m just so pleased we came out on the right side of it.”
Keen to praise his opponents Lavery added: “Newbridge are an excellent side I have to say. In possession they are brilliant and they can open you up in an instant.
“In the first 15 minutes we couldn’t deal with it. We had to re-jig things a wee bit. We asked Sean McCarthy to go and hold things for us in the middle because Newbridge were getting through us far too easy.”
Man of the match Jack Conlon top scored with four fine points from play for the winners, with Oisin Doherty accounting for four frees for Newbridge in a beaten cause.
In a breathless, end-to-end first-half with 12 different scorers, Clann Eireann ran in on top leading 0-8 to 0-6.
Indeed, the Armagh champions would rue a number of spurned goal chances when first Conor McConville blasted over from close range, James Gribbin dived low to his lefty to thwart Ruairi McDonald and then late in the half when Newbridge’s Conleth McGrogan cleared a ball off the line.
The visitors snatched an early advantage and led 0-3 to 0-1 after five minutes. All Star Conor Turbitt opened the scoring for Clann with Jack Conlon and Ruairi McDonald also chipping in.
But with pace all over the park, the Derry champions fought back through scores from Conleth McGrogan, Callum McGrogan and an Oisin Doherty free to see them trail 0-4 to 0-3.
A second from Turbitt edged Ruairi Lavery’s side two ahead before Mark McGrogan and Conor McAteer, who landed a beauty, pulling the sides level at 0-5 apiece.
But you simply couldn’t take your eyes off this contest as Clann Eireann fired back again and reclaimed their two point advantage through Ryan Owens and a second from Conlon.
But just to keep themselves very much in Clann’s slipstream Derry star Conor Doherty sailed over the last point of the first 30 minutes to leave his side just two adrift.
Doherty was the catalyst that ignited Newbridge’s second-half revival.
He landed the first score of the second period before his hard running set up a brace of frees for brother Mark, the second of which handed his side the lead for the first time in the contest at 0-9 to 0-8.
Clann looked the side most likely, with midfielders Tiernan Kelly and Conor McCarville both nailing big scores.
The combatants continued to go toe-to-toe, however, with the scoreboard reading 0-12 each as we approached the hour mark.
But with extra-time hovering over us the Armagh champions found the scores to deservedly win it and Conlon’s fourth from play in injury-time confirmed the victory.
Clann Eireann led by two at the break, and the half-time message was a simple one.
“The key message was that we were doing a whole lot of things right. I thought our attacking play was brilliant. Newbridge were getting their kick outs away too easily so we had to try and force them long,” added Lavery.
With the scalp of the Derry champions, Clann now face the daunting prospect of Tyrone kingpins Errigal Ciaran up next in a mouth-watering semi-final.
“Doesn’t get any easier but we’re looking forward to that too,” smiled Lavery.
Scorers – Clann Eireann: J Conlon (0-4), C McConville (0-2), R McDonald (0-2, 1f), C Turbitt (0-2, 1f), R McDonald (0-2), S Heffron (0-1), T Kelly (0-1)
Newbridge: O Doherty (0-4, 4f), C Doherty (0-2), C McAteer (0-2), R McDonald (0-2), M McGrogan (0-1), Conleth McGrogan (0-1), Conor McGrogan (0-1), Callum McGrogan (0-1)
Clann Eireann: E Mulholland, S Heffron, M O’Shea, C O’Carroll, B McCambridge, S McCartney, R Owens, T Kelly, C McConville, J Conlon, D Magee, A Kelly, R McDonald, C Turbitt, E Magee.
Subs: R Meehan for A Kelly (37), D McCarthy for D Magee (40), A McConville for R McDonald (53).
Newbridge: J Gribbin, C Brooks, K Burke, M McGrogan, M Doherty, P McMullan, C McGrogan, C Doherty, C McGrogan, S Young, C McGrogan, C McAteer, O McGlone, S McGrogan, O Doherty.
Subs: J Diamond for O McGlone (49), A McGlone for S Young (60).
Referee: Paul Faloon (Down)