Dramatic climax sees Four Masters squeeze through to Ulster Minor Club semi-final  

There was late drama as Four Masters grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat in a pulsating and controversial finish to sink Magherafelt on Saturday evening.

Four Masters 2-9 Magherafelt 0-13

The Derry champions, who were eight points clear before Four Masters notched their first score, were five ahead, 0-13 to 0-8, with seconds left of normal time.

Then came the first shot of drama. Tiarnan McBride was in on Magherafelt goalkeeper Karl Campbell who manage to take the ball off McBride with his dive. When both played ended on the ground, referee Colm McDonald deemed a penalty.

Up stepped Kevin Muldoon to give Four Masters a fortunate lifeline. There was more to come. When Patrick McGonagle cut out a Conall Higgins ball forward, there was a final throw of the dice.

Turlough Carr when lamped the ball into the square where McBride flicked ahead of Campbell for the winning goal.

It was sheer elation for Four Master and utter dejection for the Magherafelt players who sank to the ground on the final whistle.

Conall Heron was the star man and his first four points had Magherafelt on their way to a 0-8 to 0-0 lead before Theo Colhoun’s 26th Four Masters opener.

Rossa led 0-9 to 0-2 at the break and in control but the wind helped an invigorated Donegal side into the game.

Their ball winning ability in the middle left Magherafelt living on scraps. Conor McCahill and Turlough Carr began to a better of supply to take the score back to 0-9 to 0-6.

Two breakaway points from star man Higgins looked like it would be enough until the late, late drama.

Four Masters, beaten in last year’s final take on Castleblayney in next Sunday’s semi-final.

Four Masters scorers: C McCahill 0-5,2f; T McBride 1-0; K Muldoon 1-0,1pen; T Carr 0-1; Turlough Carr 0-2; T Colhoun 0-1. 

Magherafelt scorers: Conall Higgins 0-8,2f; E Spiers 0-1; J Beatte 0-1; M McKenna 0-1; B McCormick 0-1; C Spiers 0-1,1f. 

Four Masters: L McCaughan; A McHugh, D McGinty, T McGovern; C Gavigan, C McCrea, A Quinn; T McBride, T Colhoun; Tomas Carr, K Muldoon, P McGonagle; C McCahill, O Doherty, Turlough Carr.

Subs: E O’Neill for C Gavigan (47), L McNamee for A McHugh (59), C Dunnion for A Quinn (63)

Magherafelt: K Campbell; T Cartin, Z Gavigan, C McCabe; E Spiers, R Small, C Kerr; J Beattie, Conall Higgins; M McKenna, Caolan Higgins, L Higgins; B McCormack, C Spiers, M Higgins

Subs: K Maynes for B McCormack (38), T Beattie for C McCabe (54), M Lavery for C Kerr (54)

Referee: C McDonald (St Gall’s)