Ulster Minor Football Club Championship 2011 (at Saint Pauls)

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See a report on the Final here - http://tinyurl.com/6owqfzv

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Ulster Minor Championship Final - GLEN ARE ULSTER CHAMPIONS

This day might have seemed a long way off when Enda and co rounded the troops up early last year with no doubt winning the Derry championship being the main focus and talk of Ulster titles put on the back burner, at least until the Derry title was landed. They then began their journey in Ulster at the start of December and after a string of fine performances in the three games played they eventually found themselves where they wanted to be - in the final on New Year's Day!

All week everyone in Maghera was talking about these lads making history and the town was awash with the green and yellow flags, erected by the usual cohorts, in expectancy and in preparation for celebration! On reading their Facebook pages and talking to the lads you just knew that they were not going to let this chance slip and the determination was oozing from them!

But no one could have predicted the manner in which these lads stormed to victory in this final. I'm pretty sure the gallant lads from Armagh Harps were not expecting such a strong show from the Watty's, yet to their credit they never gave up either and they deserved to share that pitch on New Year's Day. On what was probably the best conditions weather wise that Glen had played in, in this tournament, we hoped they would lend to a nice flowing game of football.

With the stage set and the pre match preparations completed referee Jimmy White threw in the ball and we were underway. It was Glen who won the throw in and almost immediately a ball from Emmet Bradley into Conor Convery was gathered and he was fouled and Ciaran McFaul split the posts with the free kick.

After a further three minutes had elapsed a great move right from the Glen defence led to Ciaran McFaul getting the ball and his pin point ball across the Harps goal to Emmet meant all Emmet had to do was blast to the net and as usual he made no mistake. A great start for the Watty's! Harps opened their account in the sixth minute with a point from a free kick after Conor Carville had fouled. A minute later they doubled their tally with a good point from play. Just two separated the sides and we looked in for a tight game, indeed a great catch from Ryan McDonnell made sure the Harps weren't to reduce the lead to the minimum.

Ciaran McFaul set off on a storming solo run and got his reward when his shot sailed over the bar. Two minutes later Stevie O'Hara pointed, off the outside of his boot, to extend the Watty lead. Harps weren't putting the heads down at such an early stage and despite some good pressure from the Glen defenders they got another point from play. This was cancelled out and more when Michael Warnock set off on a solo run, his pace taking him away from his marker, and a suspect 'one two' with Danny Tallon meant he was in on goal and he fired to the net off the ground.

Six points now separated the sides' midway through the half. The game was nip and tuck for the next five minutes but Glen came to life once again with their third goal of the day after Emmet fisted across goal to the waiting Danny Tallon who palmed to the net. The lead was extended even further with Glen gaining the resulting kick out and Conor Convery fired over the bar. Harps had a slight chance on goal with six minutes to the short whistle but shot wide under pressure.

However they did score a point from play soon after - their fourth of the day. Some great ball retention by the Glen attack in the right hand corner led to Conor Convery eventually working a shooting chance and he pointed from a tight angle. With the half time whistle looming an altercation between Conor Convery and the Harps captain led to both players getting a yellow card....personally Harps were lucky to have fifteen men remaining on the pitch but Jimmy White gave him the benefit of the doubt. The half time whistle followed with Glen ahead by ten points.

Glen 3-05 Armagh Harps 0-04

Half time was spent trying to keep warm and listening to Niall Mallon and Sean Gribbon filling us with stories about their New Year's Eve antics! Kevin McErlean was noticed to be looking sharp in the half time warm up obviously eyeing some game time in the second half!

The Armagh side were first to emerge from the dressing rooms and seemed fired up ready to make a fist of the second half. Glen now had the wind in their favour. In all honesty the first nine minutes of the second half was nip and tuck with the only scoring chance coming from Armagh Harps but their shot sailed wide.

In the sixth minute of the half Glen had also introduced Paul Gunning in place of the hard working Cahair McCabe. In the tenth minute the first score of the half was chalked up when Ciaran McFaul pointed from a free kick after an exchange of passes with Emmet led to him being fouled. The same man scored another free kick two minutes later from way out on the left hand side and some thirty five metres out - a great score showing that he was on form.

A minute later a ball was put out over the end line by a Harps defender leading to a 45m kick for Emmet. You could have forgave him from hitting a short one in the tricky underfoot conditions but he shot for a point and struck it sweetly over the bar. Emmet also gathered the resulting kick out and once again fired over the bar off the left peg. Glen were now cruising and were fourteen points to the good.

On the sixteenth minute mark Danny Tallon got his second goal of the day when a long ball in round the cookie jar from Stevie O'Hara was gathered by Ryan Dougan and his neat fist pass into Danny's chest made it easy for him to slot past the Harps keeper. A minute later a good pass from the roving McFaul found Michael Warnock and he fired over the bar from twenty metres.

With ten minutes to go Conor Convery got his third point of the day to leave nineteen between the sides. The Glen management decided it was time to introduce fresh legs and let the substitutes experience an Ulster final - a luxury not usually afforded in such an occasion. Gavin Tallon, unfortunate to lose his usual starting place, replaced Conor Convery and Odhran Glass replaced Tomas Convery.

Glen were relaxed and were content to play the ball around and with seven minutes to go there was twenty points in it when another trademark break out from the Glen rearguard led to Michael Warnock having a shooting chance and he fired over the bar. Shane O'Kane was introduced in place of Danny Tallon and the biggest cheer of the day came when the effervescent Kevin McErlean replaced Michael Warnock.

Harps had a chance on goal when a looped shot threatened the Glen goals however keeper Ciaran McCloy made a good catch to ensure a clean sheet for the day. With time almost up Armagh Harps got the last score of the day, their first of the second half and the referee blew the full time whistle to the delight of the players and managers and everyone of Glen persuasion, and indeed others from clubs around Derry.

Full Time Score: Glen 4-12 Armagh Harps 0-05

Team & Scorers: Ciaran McCloy, Oisin Hegarty, Ryan McDonnell, Tomas Convery, Brendan O'Kane, Conor Carville, Cathal Mulholland, Ryan Dougan, Emmet Bradley (1-02), Cahair McCabe, Stevie O'Hara (0-01), Ciaran McFaul (0-04), Michael Warnock (1-02), Conor Convery (0-03), Danny Tallon (2-00). Subs used: Paul Gunning for Cahair McCabe, Gavin Tallon for Conor Convery, Odhran Glass for Tomas Convery, Shane O'Kane for Danny Tallon, Kevin McErlean for Michael Warnock. Subs not used: Conor Gallagher, Cahair Glass, Conor McDevitt, Gavin O'Connor, Tom McKenna.

Whilst this report focuses mainly on the high scoring exploits of our lads make no mistake about it this win was also based on a solid defensive display from our defenders who to a man snuffed out their men, highlighted by the fact they only conceded a point in the second half, and which came with the last kick of the game.

Captain Emmet Bradley was named player of the match (congratulations) and he also lifted the Jimmy McConville Cup as he and his team made history and became Ulster champions for the first time!! Congratulations to all the players on this huge huge achievement and congratulations to the management team; Enda Gormley, Adrian McCloskey, Francis Lagan and Joe McQuillan.

If I've left anyone out my sincere apologies. The Club are extremely proud of all their efforts this year and we can only hope that this can pave the way for a very bright future at this level and beyond into the senior ranks with the only silverware now eluding this club is the John McLaughlin!! Let's hope that's annexed very very soon!

Right its Sunday (New Year's Day) at 6pm.....time to finish up and join in the celebrations! Watty's Abu!!

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Competition time - See all 11 Best Scores & Vote for your 1-2-3 from the Northern Bank Ulster Minor Tournament - http://t.co/N9BY4Tgb