Kilcoo goal blitz sinks Scotstown in Ulster semi-final

Sunday 24th November 2024

Kilcoo goal blitz sinks Scotstown in Ulster semi-final

By Francis Mooney in Box-It Athletic Grounds    Photo Louis McNally

RTÉ Sport contributor

Kilcoo 5-10 Scotstown 0-14

Kilcoo slipped through the gears and into overdrive with four goals in a devastating eight-minute blitz either side of half-time to overwhelm Scotstown at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.

This was a consummate performance by Karl Lacey's side as they avenged last year’s semi-final defeat to qualify for a fourth Ulster Club SFC final in six years.

Those goals gave them total control of the direction of a tie which their opponents were forced to chase frantically, the pre-match game plan abandoned long before the finish.

Two Miceal Rooney strikes and goals from Christopher Rooney and Ceilum Doherty along with a Shane Carey o.g. torpedoed the hopes of the Monaghan kingpins, while the Down men pushed on confidently with their pursuit of a third provincial title in six years.

Scotstown’s courageous press while playing into the wind was resisted by a Kilcoo side that forced a string of turnovers and transitioned with accuracy and pace as they settled into the game with a 0-3 to 0-1 lead by the ninth minute.

Anthony Morgan, Ryan Johnston and goalkeeper Niall Kane were all on target as they fed off the dash of Shealan Johnston along the left flank and the composure and vision of Eugene Branagan down the right.

But a rash of wides opened the door for the Monaghan men to fight back and draw level by the 24th minute.

Rory Beggan drilled a free between the posts and Conor McCarthy made it 0-4 each, with midfielder Micheal McCarville driving their challenge and a strong press f4om deep from Kieran Hughes and Ryan O’Toole.

However, Kilcoo stepped up the tempo in the closing stages of the half, creating three goal chances and taking two of them to get themselves in control of the tie.

Ceilum Doherty and Jack Devlin combined in the lighting move that sent Shealan Johnston in to bring a terrific save from Beggan, and somehow Anthony Morgan failed to convert the loose ball from a couple of yards out.

But they continued to run at a back-pedalling Scotstown defence, and when Beggan had produced another brilliant stop from Jerome Johnston, the ball went in off the unfortunate Shane Carey.

Just a minute later, a second goal, netted by Christopher Rooney after Aaron Morgan’s shot had come back off a post.

Carey did have a chance to redeem himself, but his palmed effort was comfortably saved Kane, before Jerome Johnston sent the Down champions in with a 2-6 to 0-5 advantage.

Two more goals within five minutes of the restart had the game out of sight.

Ceilum Doherty sent Miceal Rooney to unleash a bullet to the roof of the net, and a marauding run through the heart of the Farney champions’ defence by centre back Darryl Branagan set up Doherty to hit the top corner.

Suddenly the Mourne men were 13 points clear and free to play the remainder of the game on their own terms.

That they did with virtual perfection, their pace, support play, vision and decision-making impeccable as they made little of the gusting wind blowing in their faces.

They tagged on points through Jerome Johnston, Rooney and the excellent Anthony Morgan, before a run of Scotstown scores saw Beggan and Jack McCarron nail frees, but they never looked like overhauling an opponent brimming with confidence.

Goalkeeper Beggan joined the attack in a full 15-man press in the closing stages, and they did garner scores from substitutes Mark McPhillips and Ross McKenna, but left themselves open at the back for Rooney to plunder a second goal and his side’s fifth on 59 minutes.

Kilcoo: N Kane (0-01, ’45); N Branagan, R McEvoy, C Rogers; M Rooney (2-00), D Branagan, E Branagan; A Morgan (0-01), R Johnston (0-02); C Rooney (1-01), A Morgan (0-01), S Johnston (0-01), C Doherty (1-00), J Johnston (0-03, 1f), J Devlin.

Subs: C Laverty for Rooney (41), N Rodgers for Devlin (54), M Hynes for R Johnston (62)

Scotstown: R Beggan (0-02, 2f); D Murray (0-02), D McArdle, J McKevitt; R O’Toole, K Hughes, C McCarthy (0-01); M McCarville (0-01), G McPhillips; J Carey, S Carey (0-01, f) (1-00 o.g. for Kilcoo), J Hamill; (0-02); F Maguire, D Hughes, J McCarron (0-02, 1f).

Subs: M Maguire for F Maguire (33), N Sherlock for J Casey (35), R McKenna (0-01) for Hamill (42), M McPhillips (0-01) for G McPhillips (45), E Caulfield (0-01) for McDevitt (54)

Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone).