CIARAN BROOKS KICKED a dramatic winning point in injury time as Sean O’Leary Newbridge claimed the Derry SFC title, surprisingly beating Ulster and All-Ireland champions Glen by 1-12 to 2-8.
Newbridge are seen as the up and coming team in Derry and edged a remarkable finale to claim a first senior title in 35 years.
Leading by 0-7 to 0-5 at half-time, they coughed up second-half goals to Glen duo Conleth McGuckian and Ryan Dougan.
The Dougan goal came in stoppage time and tied the game up at that stage but defender Brooks emerged as the unlikeliest of game breakers for Newbridge.
Shane McGrogan struck the Newbridge goal in the 52nd minute, setting up the frantic finale.
Newbridge will represent Derry in the Ulster club SFC and will face Armagh’s Clann Eireann back at Celtic Park on November 10.
Scotstown also have a provincial quarter-final to look forward to after beating Clontibret 1-10 to 0-8 in the Monaghan SFC final, clinching their 23rd title.
But they don’t yet know their opposition as Fermanagh duo Enniskillen Gaels and Erne Gaels drew 0-8 apiece, necessitating a replay. In Wexford, Castletown overcame Gusserane by 0-9 to 0-6 to make it two titles in three seasons.
Elsewhere, it wasn’t quite Gone in 60 Seconds but Paddy Brophy’s Kildare SFC entrance, and almost immediate exit, wasn’t far off that timescale.
The former Kildare and AFL player came on in the 50th minute of a delicately poised final which Celbridge were a point ahead in.
A minute had barely passed when the big attacker was shown red for an out of character off the ball incident.
Celbridge, chasing a first county title since 2008, didn’t score again as Naas firstly levelled it through Alex Beirne and then won it through Darragh Kirwan.
County man Kirwan was Man of the Match with five points in total, four from play, while Dermot Hanafin’s early solo goal was significant too in the narrow win.
In Brophy’s defence, his exit wasn’t the winning and losing of this encounter as both sides had chances to win it in the closing stages and Naas simply took theirs.
It’s a four-in-a-row for all conquering Naas who have the added satisfaction of winning the first title in the redeveloped Cedral St Conleth’s Park.
A crowd of 5,426 braved the wet and miserable conditions to check out the 15,000 capacity ground with its new centrepiece 3,000 seater stand.
Naas dual players Brian Byrne and James Burke will be back next weekend for the county hurling final.
The rest of the footballers will return the following Saturday, November 9, for a Leinster club quarter-final against Cuala of Dublin, under lights.
Hanafin’s eighth minute goal helped Naas to lead 1-3 to 0-4 at half-time though Celbridge then stole the lead with a palmed Hugh McGrillen goal seven minutes into the second-half.
They were tied three more times after that in a tense arm wrestle before Kirwan eventually hit the winner.
