AIB Ulster Club Senior Football Championship preliminary round: Scotstown (Monaghan) 0-9 Owen Roe’s, Kilcoo (Down) 1-8
TACKLES flew in as the rain hammered down and Kilcoo progressed to the Ulster quarter-finals with a deserved win in soggy Clones yesterday.
There were never more than three points between the sides but in the end Ryan Johnston won the game for the Down champions with a composed finish that summed up the difference between them.
Scotstown were able to match Kilcoo for effort and had a lot of possession but they shot 13 wides to Kilcoo’s three.
The well-drilled, clinical Magpies had more quality in attack and recovered from an uncertain start to progress to a quarter-final against Donegal champions Glenswilly in a fortnight’s time full of confidence.
Scotstown had Francis Caulfield and Brian McGinnity red-carded in a frantic five minutes of injury-time, and manager Mattie McGleenan, who will now turn his attention to the Cavan senior team, rued the chances his side missed.
“We had a lot of chances today and we didn’t take them,” he said.
“The game was always there right up until the end, even at the end we had two or three chances when we ran the ball through but that last pass let us down.
“It’s a fine line at this level of football, but fair play to Kilcoo – goals win championship matches and they had one good goal chance and they took it. That was the difference on the day.” Johnston’s goal was the outstanding piece of skill.
First Paul Devlin, who returned to his best form with an impressive playmaking display in difficult conditions, split the Scotstown defence from a freekick.
The tireless Conor Laverty flicked the ball on and Johnston somehow created time and space to take a solo, before stroking the ball from a tight angle into the corner of Rory Beggan’s net with his right foot.
Scotstown rallied and closed to within a point, but Kilcoo were able to keep their noses in front.
“I can’t argue with the Scotstown lads,” said McGleenan.
“All we can ask of any group that goes out is that they try their very, very best,” he said.
“They tried their very best today. Kilcoo won it, the better team and we wish them the very best going forward.”
Scotstown’s talismanic full-forward Darren Hughes won the first three balls that were played to him but from then on he was crowded out by Kilcoo defenders.
“This is Ulster club football, it’s the best football I have ever experienced, I love it and it’s where the best players stand out,” said McGleenan.
“The marking Darren got today was no different than the marking (Crossmaglen defender) James Morgan gave him last year in the Ulster club final. This is championship football, it’s about every man going hard at it and they tried their very best.”
Meanwhile, Kilcoo appointed Brian McIver – father of their manager Paul – to act as spokesman and the former Derry bainisteoir saluted both sides.
“The conditions were terrible but it was a great game of football and, over the course of it, Kilcoo were just the better side,” he said.
“Their use of the ball and their composure was excellent and they worked a couple of really good scores. They were very patient and you have to be like that against a good side like Scotstown.
“At the end of the day the difference was a really well taken goal by Ryan Johnston. There was very little in the match.”
Johnston had been expected to start the game but didn’t emerge until half-time. His team-mates had built a 0-5 to 0-4 lead by that stage after conceding the first two points of the game.
Kieran Hughes, who played a roving role from deep but had a day to forget with his shooting, sent a swerving effort wide and Francis Caulfield followed suit minutes later, before Darren Hughes opened the scoring for the Monaghan champions.
Donal Morgan’s point doubled the lead and Darren Hughes fisted just wide after he got on the end of a Rory Beggan free.
Kilcoo weren’t rattled, however, and their opener was a patient, intricate passing move that ended with Aaron Branagan gliding a shot over off his left foot. A free from JJ McLoughlin levelled matters before Conor Laverty suckered Sean Mohan into a foul and Paul Devlin scored to give the Magpies the lead for the first time.
With Darryl Branagan outstanding, the Kilcoo defence kept Scotstown’s county final heroes Shane Carey and Orin Heaphey outside the scoring zone and with Darren Hughes becoming isolated, Paul and Martin Devlin extended the Kilcoo lead to three.
Mark Duffy had kicked Scotstown’s eighth wide of the half before Carey found the target with a free and Beggan’s 45 left just one in it at the break.
Bright sunshine temporarily replaced torrential rain at the start of the half and Scotstown again grabbed the first score through a Carey free after a combination of Niall McEvoy, Darragh O’Hanlon, Niall Branagan and Aaron Morgan had felled Darren Hughes.
Martin Devlin and Carey swapped points before Johnston struck for his outstanding goal but, despite the bodyblow, Scotstown came back fighting. Two Carey frees left just a point in it but Scotstown’s finishing failed to match their industry.
When their shooting didn’t let them down, their final pass did and Paul Devlin and Morgan points restored Kilcoo’s three-point cushion. Carey landed another free but, with the Kilcoo defence standing tall, the ‘An Bhoth’ outfit couldn’t force the goal they needed and Caulfield and McGinnity walked in injury-time.
Glenswilly are up next for Kilcoo and this battle-hardened side will certainly relish the challenge.
