Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final: Kilcoo (Down) 2-14 Ballybay (Monaghan) 1-7
DOUBLE-scores separated the teams at the finish. That was a little harsh on Ballybay but the Monaghan champions could have no complaints with the result.
They fought hard, but the Ulster and All-Ireland champions – who meet Enniskillen Gaels at the semi-final stage in a fortnight’s time - remain ravenous and ruthless. They were too fast, too physical, too organised, too good...
Kilcoo identified their opponent’s dangermen and blotted them out. Dessie Ward struggled to make an impact, Drew and Ryan Wylie spent their time defending, Christopher McGuinness and Thomas Kerr failed to score...
That defensive solidity was the platform for some brilliant football. Nine of Kilcoo’s starting 15 scored and they were irresistible at times breaking forward in flowing waves with brilliant movement and pin-point passing.
There were three in it at half-time (0-8 to 1-2) but Ryan Johnston’s second half goal left daylight between the sides and the Magpies produced an exhibition in the final quarter and put their opponents to the sword.
“Once we got the second goal we kicked on and the game opened up,” said joint-manager Conleith Gilligan.
“Their penalty (Shane McGuinness was the scorer) came at a time when we were very dominant and I thought we might have been able to kick on but we didn’t. The game was tight until half-time and we had to regroup and go again.”
Any doubters, anyone who’d scanned Kilcoo’s results in Down and decided they had lost their edge will have been silenced by yesterday’s performance.
“There is a lot of strange thinking about the Down championship,” said Gilligan.
“Every year it’s extra-time, it’s penalties, it’s nearly-gone… It’s as competitive a championship as there is in the country and it’s good preparation for coming into Ulster. Did I see this game going like that? Absolutely not. Ballybay normally score around 16 points a game and I thought we’d have to get in around there to match them but we didn’t get that today and our defence, right from corner-forward out, was the reason for that.”
Christopher McGuinness and Thomas Kerr both squandered early chances for Ballybay. McGuinness passed up a goal-scoring opportunity in the first half-minute when a long ball bounced over Niall Branagan and left him clean through on goal but he took too long to shoot and the Kilcoo defence hastily shut the door.
Paul Finlay also failed to find the distance with the wind and perhaps, if those chances had been taken, the result could have been different. As Ballybay manager Mark Doran (in sole charge with Jerome Johnston sitting the game out) knows, what-ifs count for little at this level.
“We had a lot of sore bodies after the game against Cross (eight days’ previously) and some of the boys were carrying niggles but that’s taking nothing away from Kilcoo,” he said.
“They are just a different animal. People thought they’d won the All-Ireland and they might ease off… Any time we got back near them they just pulled away and in the last 10 minutes they gave an exhibition of keeping the ball and waiting for the openings.”
Kilcoo used the mark cleverly against the wind in the first half and Jerome Johnston used one to open the scoring after five minutes. Points from Paul Devlin, Niall Kane and Ceilum Doherty (the first from play) eased them into a four-point lead.
Ballybay needed a score to settle them and it came after Kane had saved well from Shane McGuinness. Thomas Kerr converted the 45 and the pre-match underdogs unexpectedly got back on level terms when Colm Lennon’s shot hit a post, Daniel Caraher grabbed the rebound and was dragged down. Shane McGuinness sent Kane the wrong way with his spot-kick and so, after 18 minutes, it was all-square.
Michael Hannon blazed wide but Ryan McEvoy – full-back by name/centre half-forward by nature - charged forward to regain the lead for Kilcoo.
Dessie Ward, struggling to get into the game, shot wide and Aaron Branagan and McEvoy added points before Colm Lennon pulled one back just before the whistle to leave it 0-8 to 1-2 at the break.
Ballybay have a reputation as a second half team and Ward’s sideline ball allowed Finlay to open the scoring after the break. But Kilcoo pulled away again with one of those brilliant goals they make look so simple: Laverty’s darting break, the accurate pass, Ryan Johnston’s run, Laverty’s lay-off, the shot… You know the rest.
Ballybay hung in there and Finlay’s free and a Ciaran Galligan point kept them in touch and Ryan Wylie blocked Jerome Johnston’s goalbound piledriver after some Laverty magic.
Devlin’s free left Kilcoo in control, 1-9 to 1-5 ahead after 40 minutes, and Aaron Branagan, Ceilum Doherty and Laverty, who could do a lot worse than to pick himself for Down next year, all scored.
Kilcoo killed the game off emphatically when Sean Og McCusker and Ryan Johnston combined to create a chance for Miceal Rooney and he bundled the ball into the back of the net.
With the game over, Ballybay withdrew their stalwart Finlay, a selfless servant to club and county, who bowed out to a standing ovation from both sets of fans.
His glittering career ended with a heavy defeat but losing to the All-Ireland champions in this mood was no disgrace.
Ballybay: J Sniauksta; C Lennon (0-1), T McSkean, C Caraher; S Monaghan, D Wylie, E McKearney; D Ward (0-1 free), M Hannon; C Galligan (0-1), S McGuinness (1-0 pen), T Kerr (0-1 45); P Finlay (0-2, 0-1 free), C McGuinness, R Wylie
Subs: A Toner (0-1) for D Caraher (HT), B Wylie for Monaghan (51), T Keenan for Finlay (60)
Temporary sub: S McQuillan for Ward (46-48)
Yellow cards: D Wylie (25), C Lennon (47)
Kilcoo: N Kane (0-1 free); N Branagan, R McEvoy (0-2, 0-1 free), A Branagan (0-2); Anthony Morgan, D Branagan, M Rooney (1-0); Aaron Morgan, D Ward; C Doherty (0-2), R Johnston (1-1), S Johnston; C Laverty (0-1), J Johnston (0-1 mark), P Devlin (0-4, 0-3 frees, 0-1 45)
Subs: T Fettes for Anthony Morgan (40), S Og McCusker for Doherty (52), P O’Neill for McKearney (56), Aidan Branagan for N Branagan (58), C Rooney for R Johnston (60), M Hynes for M Rooney (60)
Yellow card: D Ward (20&60), S Johnston (20)
Red card: D Ward (60)
Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh)
Attendance: 3,543
