Derry SFC final: Newbridge 1-17 Magherafelt 1-15
Newbridge retained their Derry senior football title with a hard-fought but in the end deserved win over Magherafelt at Celtic Park. The pacy O’Leary’s looked comfortable throughout but were forced to dig deep to withstand a late Rossa’s fightback that fell just short.
There was little to separate the sides at the break, with Newbridge running into the changing rooms 1-6 to 1-5 ahead.
Reigning league champions Newbridge threw an early gauntlet down when Callum McGrogan palmed home a high ball in from Derry star Conor Doherty in the third minute of the match. The O’Leary’s goal wiped out Shane Heavron’s opening score for Magherafelt. Heavron, however, would go on to hit 1-5 in the first half.
Unfortunately for Magherafelt, Heavron would be the Rossa’s sole contributor in the opening 30 minutes.
RM Block
Trailing by two points after that early McGrogan major, Heavron nailed his first two-pointer of the contest to pull the sides level at 0-3 to 1-0 after five minutes. The former Derry forward and Conleth McGrogan swapped scores before that man Heavron poked home the Magherafelt goal from close range to hand his side a 1-4 to 1-2 advantage.
The Rossa’s would go another 20 minutes before they would work the Celtic Park scoreboard again as Newbridge gradually grew into the contest and they would hit the next four points to underline their dominance and retake the lead 1-6 to 1-4.
Seán Young, enjoying such a fine season in green, lasered over back to back points from distance before Conor Doherty raised a white flag when a green flag seemed more likely.
Guilty of any number of wides Newbridge witnessed their two-point lead cut in half when Heavron, in a glorious vein of form, leathered over his fifth point of the half and the Rossa’s, often guilty of overcooking the goose, got their first score in an age to leave just the minimum in it on the half-time scoreboard.
With full control at midfield and with more under the bonnet, Newbridge raced to a 1-12 to 1-7 lead in a one-sided third quarter, with Oisín Doherty and Pádraig McGrogan weighing in with scores.
However, big two pointers from both Heavron and then Dan Higgins heralded a real shrill of defiance and pulled Magherafelt right back into the contest.
But late scores from the excellent Conor McAteer and Eamon Young provided a crucial late comfort blanket and edged the O’Leary’s over the finishing line under Derry’s battleship grey skies.
NEWBRIDGE: Nathan Rocks; Shea McAteer, Shane McGrogan, Mark McGrogan; Callum McGrogan (1-0-0), Conor McGrogan, Pádraig McGrogan (0-0-2); Conor Doherty (0-0-1), Conleth McGrogan (0-1); Eamon Young (0-0-1), Mark Doherty, Conor McAteer (0-1-3); Patrick McMullan, Seán Young (0-0-3), Oisín Doherty (0-1-2).
Subs: Cathair McBride for S McAteer (52 mins), O McGlone for McMullen (57).
MAGHERAFELT: Shea McGuckin (0-0-1, f); James Murray, Michael McEvoy, Conall Heron; Simon McErlain, Conor McCluskey (0-0-1), Rory Small; Dan Higgins (0-1-0), Eoin McEvoy; Aidan McCluskey, Cahir Spiers (0-0-1), Paddy McClarnon; Conall Higgins, Shane Heavron (1-2-4, 2tpf, 1f), Cormac Murphy (0-0-2).
Subs: Caolan Higgins for McClarnon (17 mins); Ronan Walls for Spiers (38), Caolan Crozier for A McCluskey (44).
Referee: R Donoghue (Slaughtneil).
