AIB Ulster Club Senior Football Championship: Cargin (Antrim) 2-13 Naomh Conall (Donegal) 2-13 AET (Cargin win 4-1 on penalties)
It took a penalty shootout after an epic 80-plus minutes of football at Corrigan Park, but Antrim champions Cargin held their nerve to score a famous win in Ulster at the expense of Donegal's Naomh Conall on Sunday.
Twice the Antrim champions had Kevin McShane to thank, firstly when getting a touch to the net with the last act of normal time to rescue a draw and again at the end of extra-time with an audacious score to force the spot-kicks.
The Glenties men will be wondering just how they lost out having seemed to have the game won on a couple of occasions, but Cargin just refused to lose, fuelled by past disappointments on the provincial stage.
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The first half of this game gave little indication of the drama to come as Naomh Conall - aided by the wind - led 0-6 to 0-3 at the break with their best on the day, Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí, prominent and extended the gap with a Charles Gallagher free early in the second period.
Cargin then gathered a head of steam, rattling off three points on the spin through Jamie Gribbin, Pat Shivers and Tomás McCann and were one adrift when Naomh Conaill's Keelan McGill was black-carded on 49 minutes.
But then came what seemed a big moment as Odhran Doherty broke forward for Glenties and picked out John O'Malley to find the net.
That goal separated the sides deep in stoppage time as McGuinness then also saw black, but with the last play of the game from a 45, Michel McCann went short to brother Tomás who dropped in an inviting ball with Kevin McShane getting the touch to the net to force extra-time with the sides locked on 1-9.
Naomh Conall made the better start in the added period with Dermott Molloy kicking a pointing Kieran Gallagher to palming to the net, but Cargin responded with Sean O'Neill seeing his palmed effort, but Kieran Close would rattle the net when teed-up by Michael McCann.
They continued to slug it out in the second period, going point for point and Naomh Conall thought they had won it with Mac Ceallbhuí fisting over as the clock struck 20, but there was one more play and again it was McShane the Cargin hero to force penalties.
It was the Antrim men who held their nerve in the shootout with Michael McCann, Tomás McCann and Pat Shivers on target, whilst Charles McGuinness was the only Naomh Conaaill man to find the net as John McNabb thwarted Ciaran Thompson and Dermott Molloy, leaving Cahir Donnelly to net and send Cargin into the semi-final.
Cargin Scorers: Kevin McShane 1-1, Kieran Close 1-1, Pat Shivers 0-3, Tomás McCann 0-2, Michael McCann 0-1, Cahir Donnelly 0-1, Jamie Gribbin 0-1, John McNabb 0-1 (0-1f), Sean O'Neill 0-1, Eunan Quinn 0-1
Naomh Conall scocers: Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí 0-5, Kieran Gallagher 1-1, John O'Malley 1-0, Charles McGuinness 0-2 (0-2fs), Ciaran Thompson 0-2 (0-2fs), Leo McLoone 0-1, Kevin McGettigan 0-1, Dermott Molloy 0-1
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