Ulster Senior Club Football Championship quarter-final
Watty Graham's, Glen 0-11 Erin's Own, Cargin 0-7
MUCH like last year's semi-final, Cargin came close but not close enough to Glen as the defending champions advanced to the last four of the Ulster Club Senior Football Championship with a four-point win at Celtic Park on Sunday.
The Antrim champions were forced to play the majority of the game with a numerical disadvantage as Tomás McCann was shown a straight red and then late on lost Sean O'Neill to a black card.
Despite this, there was never more than five between. the sides as Cargin remained in the hunt, but just couldn't put enough together to fully threaten a watertight Glen defence.
Just two of their scores came from play, but in fairness, the majority of the winners' did also in a game that was well contest and at times a little tetchy.
Although Glen will be happy to have got over this hurdle, they will also not be happy with nine wides that could have seen them make life a little more comfortable against a Cargin side that had no quit in them.
The @AIB_GAA #UlsterClub2023 Senior Football Championship 🏆🏐#ClubMeansMore pic.twitter.com/a6APxCRE4M
— Ulster GAA (@UlsterGAA) November 12, 2023
Glen came flying out of the blocks and Jack Doherty thumped them into the lead within the opening 10 seconds - a lead they would hold until the end.
He would have the final say of the half from play, in-between times the Derry champions landing another three points from frees - two from Danny Tallon and one by Emmett Bradley.
The defending Ulster champions were off-target with five wides in the opening half, while Paul McCann made a vital block on Eunan Mulholland, but that's not to say Cargin weren't in it.
Pat Shivers got them on the board after seven minutes from a free after Tallon kicked his first and after Tallon replied, Cargin's sole score from play in the opening period came when goalkeeper John McNabb, linking up around the middle, put Paul McCann in for a 14th-minute point.
The sides would trade further frees in what was a well-contested opening half before a big moment in the 27th minute when a high challenge by Tomás McCann on Conleth McGuckian was deemed worthy of a red by referee Conor Doureen.
Doherty would kick that point from play in stoppage time in-between to Cargin frees that failed to hit the target as the Derry side went in at the break with a 0-5 to 0-3 advantage.
Cargin had a real task on their hands now and while they enjoyed a spell of possession after the restart, they couldn't penetrate the Glen defence as the Derry men absorbed the pressure and broke well to set up a score for Ciaran McFaul.
Alex Doherty's first touch when introduced saw his shot come back off the post and break back his way, but John McNabb made a fine stop.
Tomás McCann is shown red
Emmett Bradley did extend the advantage with a free, only for Shivers to hit back in kind and Michael McCann with another to leave two between them once more entering the final quarter.
Glen appeared to have put proper daylight between the teams with Michael Warnock riding a challenge to point and Bradley kicking another two frees, but there was no quit in Cargin with Kieran Close slinging over with his first touch when introduced and McCann landing a free to leave a goal in it late on.
But Ethan Doherty would kick the insurance score straight after as Cargin chased a late goal to make it a grandstand finish, but it wasn't forthcoming as Glen bolted the back door to march into the last four.
GLEN: Conlan Bradley; Michael Warnock (0-1), Ryan Dougan, Connor Carville; Eunan Mulholland, Ciaran McFaul (0-1), Cathal Mulholland; Conor Glass, Emmett Bradley (0-4, all frees); Ethan Doherty (0-1), Jack Doherty (0-2), Conor Convery; Danny McDermott, Danny Tallon (0-2, both frees), Conleth McGuckian.
Subs: Alex Doherty for C Convery (36), Tiaran Flanagan for C Mulholland (49), Stevie O'Hara for D Tallon (57), Tiernan Higgins for J Doherty (60+5)
CARGIN: John McNabb; Justin Crizier, Kevin McShane, Kevin O'Boyle; James Laverty, Paul McCann (0-1), Sean O'Neill; John Carron, Gerard McCann; Mark Kelly, Tomás McCann, Ronan Gribbin; Pat Shivers (0-3, all frees), Michael McCann (0-2, both frees), Conhuir Johnston.
Subs: David Johnston for M Kelly (44), Benen Kelly for G McCann (44), Kieran Close (0-1) for P Shivers (53), Paudie McLaughlin for J Crozier (53), Cahir Donnelly for P McCann (60+1)
REFEREE: Conor Doureen (Cavan)