Ciaran Brooks sent over the injury-time winner as Sean O’Leary Newbridge defeated All-Ireland champions Glen in today’s Derry senior football championship final.
It finished 1-12 to 2-8 at Celtic Park, where there was plenty of late drama that saw the holders grabbing a late Ryan Dougan goal to equalise before corner-back Brooks won it for Newbridge at the death.
The victors held a 0-7 to 0-5 lead at the halfway stage and extended their lead six minutes into the second-half with an Oisin Doherty free.
Glen narrowed down their deficit with points from Danny Tallon and Tiernan Flanagan before rocketing in front with a Conleth McGuckian goal in the 47th minute.
A Conor Glass ‘45’ made it 1-8 to 0-9 with 10 minutes left in normal time and, crucially, it was Newbridge that landed the next big blow two minutes later with a Shane McGrogan goal.
Conor McAteer’s point would move them three clear and they looked like having one hand on the John McLaughlin Cup until Dougan hit their net in the first minute of injury-time, but there’d still be time for Brooks to be the unlikely hero for his side as his point secured the Sean O’Leary club’s 11th SFC success.
🏆🇳🇬 Derry SFC champions 2024 pic.twitter.com/jWsiS5SlbM
— Sean O'Leary Newbridge (@NewbridgeCLG) October 27, 2024
TweetCongratulations @NewbridgeCLG! @ONeills1918 Derry SFC Champions 2024. 🏆
— Derry GAA (@Doiregaa) October 27, 2024
📸 Oliver McVeigh / Sportsfile pic.twitter.com/p5Vb7nZdez