Gaelic Games

Paul Bradley leads Slaughtneil to Ulster final

Monaghan’s Clontibret no match for reigning Derry champions

Clontibret’s Eoin Greenan holds possession despite the close attentions of Conan Cassidy of Slaughneil during the Ulster Club Senior Football Championship semi-final at Healy Park. Photograph: Inpho.
Clontibret’s Eoin Greenan holds possession despite the close attentions of Conan Cassidy of Slaughneil during the Ulster Club Senior Football Championship semi-final at Healy Park. Photograph: Inpho.
Sun Nov 16 2014 - 18:05

Ulster Club Senior Football Championship semi-final

Slaughtneil 1-9 Clontibret 0-7

Derry champions Slaughtneil qualified for their first Ulster club football final with a comfortable win over Monaghan's Clontibret at Healy Park.

Full forward Paul Bradley led the line with assurance, helping himself to a six-point haul, while Clontibret's main man, Conor McManus, was restricted to just one point from play.

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Christopher Bradley’s 32nd-minute goal was the key score, giving Mickey Moran’s side a cushion which kept them in front right to the end.

Slaughtneil made a bright start, going three points ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, the best of those scores coming from Paul Bradley, with Ronan Bradley and Cormac O'Doherty also on target.

McManus registered Clontibret’s first score in the 13th minute, and hit all of three of their first-half scores from frees.

Paul and Christopher Bradley kept the Oak Leaf side in front, but they were fortunate not to concede a goal when Eoin Greenan crossed for Ryan McGuigan at the far post, but his palmed effort was dealt with by goalkeeper Anton McMullan.

Massive blow

Slaughtneil led by 0-5 to 0-3 at the interval, and struck a massive blow two minutes into the second half when Francis McEldowney sent Christopher Bradley through for a superbly finished goal.

The O'Neill's hit back for McManus to tag on two more points, including his side's first from play in the 35th minute, but they were never able to match their opponents' ball winning ability around the middle, where Patsy Bradley, Barry McGuigan and the hard-working Pádraig Kelly reigned supreme.

After surviving a difficult spell, they countered again for full-forward Bradley to swing over three more quality scores, and confidence was soaring in the Slaughtneil ranks as they closed the game out with surprising comfort.

SLAUGHTNEIL: A McMullan, C Cassidy, F McEldowney, K McCaigue, B McGuigan C McKaigue, G Bradley, Patsy Bradley, P McGuigan, P Kelly, C Bradley (1-1), R Bradley (0-1), C O'Doherty (0-1), Paul Bradley (0-6, 3 frees), S McGuigan. Subs: P McNeill for P McGuigan (39 mins).

CLONTIBRET: C Fadian, D Mooney, C Greenan, D Savage, D Mone, C Boyle, P McGuigan, V Corey, E Greenan, M Corey, C McManus (0-6, 0-5 frees), A Curran, C Lavelle, B Greenan, R McGuigan. Subs: F Mone for Curran (20 mins), P Boyle for Savage , JP Mone for Lavelle (both 38 mins), F Greenan (0-1) for E Greenan (50 mins) L Savage for JP Mone (53 mins, BC).

Referee: P Hughes (Armagh)..