Glen never take Derry for granted insists Emmett Bradley

GLEN never take the Derry Championship for granted insists midfielder Emmett Bradley.

Speaking within minutes of kicking four vital points in their slender win over Lavey, Bradley also spoke of the need for mental resolve when their quarter-final opponents played keep ball for the opening 20 minutes.

It took Ethan Doherty’s fourth goal of the season to open up the game before Lavey came back.

The sides were level on 10 occasions over the game before Conleth McGuckian’s 63rd minute winner sent the champions through to the last four.

“It was unbelievably difficult,” Bradley said of Saturday’s win. “We know from previous years how difficult Derry is and we never ever take it for granted.

“There have been loads of times we’ve come in two or three points down at half time.

“We knew that coming into this game a lot of people around the county probably underestimated Lavey but we knew exactly the type of stuff that they would bring.

“We knew they shouldn’t have been where they were (relegated to Division Two) and they were just operating at a really high level all year.

“Any of the footage we watched of them we could tell that they’re really well drilled. They’re incredibly well conditioned.”

Bradley admits Glen came to Owenbeg fully expecting the battle they got. It took everything they had to work the crucial scores in a frantic finale.

It was a contrast to the first 20 minutes when Lavey, playing against the wind, kept the ball virtually the entire time until Niall Toner opened the scoring.

It was point for point until a Eunan Mulholland’s turnover led to Ethan Doherty’s goal for a 1-3 to 0-3 lead.

“I suppose it was massive,” Bradley said of the goal. “You need to be so mentally tough whenever you’re playing against that style of football. There’s nothing you can do about the rules.

“Whenever they (opponents) play with extra (men in defence), you have to be brave if you want to go after the ball. We were brave a couple of times and we went after it.

“We forced a few turnovers but we weren’t happy with how we converted. They made it really, really tough and we knew it was going to be no other way and we know it’s going to be like that moving forward.”

With the sides deadlocked many times going down the final stretch, Bradley points at their grit for the reason they didn’t wilt as Lavey came with some well-worked scores at important times.

“Again, we’ve shown evidence of it in the past that we’re never beaten until the final whistle and we just keep chipping away,” Bradley summed up.

“We knew that we would get opportunities and thank God we got two or three opportunities in the last 10 minutes and we managed to take them.”

Glen now face neighbours Sleacht Néill in Sunday’s semi-final (Owenbeg, 4pm) bidding for a final spot against Magherafelt or Newbridge.

“We just need to get back to bases, try and improve again and get out again the next time,” said Bradley, of the eve of the semi-final draw.

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