'The best sides have a bit of magic, we have Ryan McNicholl' - Glenullin manager O’Kane

Ryan McNicholl of Glenullin. File picture: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Glenullin will play An Gaeltacht in Sunday’s All-Ireland intermediate final.

The Derry and Ulster champions hit four second half goals to sink Strokestown on Saturday afternoon in Ballyshannon.

It was also their impact from the bench with a combined 2-3 from their second half substitutes pushing them over the line.

“I thought we played very poorly in transition and we probably kept them in it because of that,” Glenullin manager Michael O’Kane said in his game analysis.

“We gave the ball away more today than we did in the whole of our Ulster campaign.

“There was probably a bit of nerves in that. We looked a bit nervous on the ball and afraid of doing the wrong thing but we're just over the moon at the minute.” 

Strokestown were without Seán Mullooly who was out of the country on his travels while Glenullin were without the injured Donal O’Kane.

Ryan McNicholl’s first goal got them off the best possible start but a Diarmuid McGann goal was the Strokstown response with the sides level at half-time, 1-4 each.

Fearghal Close had the ball over the bar early in the second half before McNicholl added a second goal in a rampant third quarter.

McNicholl’s high ball was then flicked to the net by Traglach Bradley for a 3-5 to 1-4 lead after 33 minutes.

“We tell our players to back themselves,” Michael O’Kane pointed out of their killer instinct.

“The best sides need people who can do a wee bit of extra, a bit of magic and Ryan McNicholl's magic.” 

Strokestown got themselves back into contention with a Shane McGinley goal in the 42nd minute.

The Roscommon champions began to get a hold in the game until Willie John Bradley hammered in a fourth Glenullin goal.

The Derry champions, who defended stout, held out at the other end before Joe McNicholl put the icing on the cake with a fifth goal.

Glenullin and Croke Park in the same sentence has a “great ring to it” O’kane added of next weekend’s decider.

“It's just magical stuff,” he said. “We've been telling our players there's no point just worrying about Croke Park. We haven't come this far just to come this far.

“We've been saying this the last while so we just have to keep going with that mantra.” 

Scorers for Glenullin: R McNicholl 2-1, J McNicholl, T Bradley, WJ Bradley 1-0 each, E Bradley, Dermot O’Kane (1f) 0-2 each, F Close, N McNicholl and C Bradley 0-1 each. 

Scorers for Strokestown: D McGann 1-3 (1f), S McGinley 1-1 (1 45), D Neary, C Regan, K Finn and C Corcoran 0-1 each. 

GLENULLIN: N O'Kane; D McNicholl, Daniel O’Kane, E O’Kane; J O’Kane, C Rafferty, E Boylan; T Bradley, N McNicholl; Cathal Hasson, C Dempsey, C Bradley; C Mullan, E Bradley, R McNicholl. 

Subs: F Close for C Mullan (HT), WJ Bradley for Boylan (51), J McNicholl for Dempsey (51), Dermot O’Kane for E Bradley (56).

STROKESTOWN: N Curley; D Casey, D Owens, T Gibbons; C Regan, D Neary, C Compton; F Cusack, C Neary; M Kavanagh, K Finn, S Tighe, D McGann, K Murphy, S McGinley. 

Subs: C Lavin for Finn (35), T Corcoran for Cusack (37), E Moran for Kavanagh (41), C Corcoran for Murphy (45), K Finn for Tighe (60).

Referee: B Judge (Sligo).