GLASS CEILING
Conor’s class helps Glen smash through the final barrier
2-10
BY KARL O’KANE
1-12
CONOR GLASS thought his Glen side were “dead and buried” but the Derry captain wasn’t ready to give up.
It may take a parish and a squad to get to Croke Park and win an All-ireland, but no Glass, no Andy Merrigan Cup for the South Derry side.
With 58 minutes on the clock, Glen were three points behind and in serious trouble.
They’ll hardly care now but the panic that had set in was palpable with four wides, two kicks into blocks and five efforts dropped short.
The Maghera side were in the horrors, kicking an All-ireland away. But Robbie Dolan’s free up the line gave Danny Tallon the chance to force a turnover.
It was a debatable enough free, but Conleth Mcguckian wasn’t hanging around.
He grabbed the ball and angled a difficult pass to Glass, who survived a challenge to blaze to the net and tie up the game with two minutes to go.
Points were no good to Glen and only a goal would do.
Glass knew it.
Unfortunately for St Brigid’s, it looked like goalie Cormac Sheehy had gone out, as you’d expect, to give Dolan a short free option.
Sheehy was still backpedalling and didn’t have his feet set when Glass pulled the trigger.
One of many fine margins on a day when Brigid’s will wonder how they didn’t back up their 2013 All-ireland success.
Glass also scored a point off his weaker left foot and slotted an impressive 45, kicking across the ball to angle it over.
Never mind the three first half turnovers and the exhibition of high fielding he gave throughout the game.
Until now, for all his abilities, Croke Park hadn’t been a happy hunting ground, with Glass having lost two All-ireland semi-finals with Derry and a final with Glen last year.
12 months ago, Glass had a last-gasp shot at goal saved by Kilmacud Crokes goalkeeper Conor Ferris with the Maghera men two points behind. The ball went out for a 45 and we all know what happened after that.
Speaking after the game, a delighted Glass said he thinks about that goal chance from 12 months ago “a lot.”
“I said to myself if I ever get that occasion again, I’m just going to put my foot through it.
“If it comes off, it comes off. If it doesn’t, at least I went for it.
“It is a weird one that I found myself on the end of it, compared to last year. I’m very happy.”
It wasn’t that weird. He was pushing up sensing a big play was needed and he made one.
Glass says he “100 percent” felt the game was gone from a stuttering Glen, whose boss Malachy O’rourke said “saved their worst to last.”
Glen converted one of their first 11 shots in the opening 16 minutes of the second half, while Brigid’s had 1-1 from two shots in the same spell.
Brigid’s only had two wides in the entire game, and one was Shane Cunnane’s last gasp 45 metre free off the deck, which would have forced extra-time had it not tailed agonisingly wide.
Overall, Glen had 11 wides, two shots blocked and dropped five short.
Those are generally losing stats and they so nearly were.
After his third wide Ciaran Mcfaul, who has long range scores in his locker, decided moving the ball on was a better idea, while Mcguckian was blocked, had two wides and had an effort dropped short.
But his gameness is never in question as he scored in stoppage time, missed a point to go three up and was black carded in the final play of the match.
It was a day though where Derry skipper Glass really dug his team mates out.