Gaelic Games

Goal-getters Kilcoo crush Scotstown to reach Ulster club SFC final

Down champions exact revenge on Monaghan kingpins after 2023 quarter-final defeat

Kilcoo's Ryan McEvoy celebrates after their win over Scotstown at the Athletic Grounds. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho
Kilcoo's Ryan McEvoy celebrates after their win over Scotstown at the Athletic Grounds. Photograph: Leah Scholes/Inpho
Francis Mooney
Sun Nov 24 2024 - 12:25
Ulster club SFC semi-final: Kilcoo 5-10 Scotstown 0-14

Clinical and merciless, Kilcoo got the job done in a devastating eight minute spell either side of half-time at the Athletic Grounds, with four goals to crush last year’s beaten Ulster Club SFC finalists.

The Down men were able to play this semi-final on their own terms with the comfort of those precious strikes as they cruised to a fourth appearance in the provincial decider in six years.

Karl Lacey’s side performed with organisation, pace and style, comfortably containing the Monaghan champions, who were forced to abandon their plan long before the finish and chase the game with desperation.

Kilcoo withstood a strong early press to ease into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead through Anthony Morgan, Ryan Johnston and goalkeeper Niall Kane, but a series of wides allowed the Farney men to come back level through Conor McCarthy.

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There was no sign of the mayhem that was to follow as half-time approached and the sides trading blows at 0-5 apiece.

But the Scotstown wheels came off, with goalkeeper Rory Beggan forced into brilliant saves, the second of which unfortunately went in off Shane Carey for an own goal.

A minute later, Christopher Rooney netted a second after Aaron Morgan’s effort had come back off the post, handing Kilcoo a 2-6 to 0-5 interval lead.

Scotstown had the wind at their backs after the break, but it was Kilcoo who struck again, Micéal Rooney and Ceilum Doherty both smashing home goals for a 13-point lead.

Now they were able to settle into Lacey’s tried and tested system and had Scotstown where they wanted them.

Shealan Johnston and Eugene Branagan used pace and penetration to hurt the Farney men, as they added scores through Christopher Rooney and Aaron Morgan.

With goalkeeper Beggan going forward in a full 15-man press, desperation had set in for Scotstown long before the finish.

They did claim a string of points through Beggan, Jack McCarron, Mark McPhillips and Ross McKenna, but left themselves open at the back for Rooney to plunder his second goal on 58 minutes.

Kilcoo: N Kane (0-1, ‘45); N Branagan, R McEvoy, C Rogers; M Rooney (2-0), D Branagan, E Branagan; A Morgan (0-1), R Johnston (0-2); C Rooney (1-1), A Morgan (0-1), S Johnston (0-1), C Doherty (1-0), J Johnston (0-3, 1f), J Devlin. Subs: C Laverty for Rooney (41 mins), N Rodgers for Devlin (54), M Hynes for R Johnston (62).

Scotstown: R Beggan (0-2, 2f); D Murray (0-2), D McArdle, J McKevitt; R O’Toole, K Hughes, C McCarthy (0-1); M McCarville (0-1), G McPhillips; J Carey, S Carey (0-1, f) (1-0 og), J Hamill; (0-2); F Maguire, D Hughes, J McCarron (0-2, 1f). Subs: M Maguire for F Maguire (33 mins), N Sherlock for J Casey (35), R McKenna (0-1) for Hamill (42), M McPhillips (0-1) for G McPhillips (45), E Caulfield (0-1) for McDevitt (54).

Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone).